The Best Mystery Stories of the Year: 2021

By: Lee Child - editor and introduction, Otto Penzler - series editor

Narrated by: Matt Godfrey, Emily Sutton-Smith

Lee Child selects the 20 best mystery short stories of the year, including tales by Stephen King, Sara Paretsky, and many more.

Under the auspices of New York City's legendary mystery fiction specialty bookstore, The Mysterious Bookshop, and aided by Edgar Award-winning anthologist Otto Penzler, international best seller Lee Child has selected the 20 most suspenseful, most confounding, and most mysterious short stories from the past year, collected now in one entertaining volume.

Includes stories by: Alison Gaylin, David Morrell, James Lee Burke, Joyce Carol Oates, Martin Edwards, Sara Paretsky, Stephen King, Sue Grafton (with a new, posthumously published work), and many more!

©2021 The Mysterious Press; Introduction copyright 2021 by Lee Child (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Mysteries across all peoples and places

When presenting the “best” of a year’s contribution to this genre, the deciders found something for everyone. So many desperate folks out there inspiring tales where little victories keep them living, somehow. Does Art imitate life. Within these audio pages, it evidently does. Dietre

Great Selections

Variety of authors, styles and stories based in different time periods. Kept my interest.

Nice Selection

Nice selection of well read mystery stories. Some are quite memorable. Lee Child has a good eye for what appeals

Great story lines

Not crazy about narrators voice. Hard to decide who was talking during dialogue between characters

Too dark

The only problem with well-written stories is that they can be intensely evocative. By the time I got four hours into this collection, I was too depressed to finish the fifth story, and had to quit. I’ll never know if the last ten hours is easier. Sorry.

Unexpected

Some stories were very strange. And others most entertaining. Thank you mystery writers. and Thank you Audible.

Just great writing

Unfortunately, other mystery anthologies have fallen into “wokeness” of late, not so here. Just good-old fashioned, suspenseful writing. All of these stories were a delight.

Better than expected

I read more than a few anthologies. The reviews on this one range from bad to good but I’m gonna head. I found some of the stories excellent. As far as comments about stories being dark or violent, violence was not gratuitous. In fact, the ugliest turned out to be a take on a true story most of us are familiar with.
Give it a go, you won’t regret it.

Generally Quality Stories

Some of the previous reviews were a bit negative but I enjoyed most of the stories and liked the added remarks. There don't seem many collections like this but I will read them.

I love this collection a must listen

I had such a good time listening to this, so interesting, gripping, and thought provoking. I love how each writer intricately shares their point of views. Can’t wait to read more.