THE WORLD'S FINEST MYSTERY AND CRIME STORIES: Fourth Annual Collection

Editors Gorman and Greenberg serve up an impressive compendium of 42 short stories culled from magazines, newspapers and anthologies published last year. The 11 non-English entries tend to disappoint, with the notable exception of German writer Stephan Rykena's "Cold-Blooded," a clever tale about a determined refugee. Familiar names among the English contributors include Val McDermid, who spins a wry story of revenge in "The Wagon Mound," and Ralph McInerney, who plumbs human nature in his brilliant "The Devil That Walks at Noonday." Anne Perry, Gillian Linscott and Carole Nelson Douglas employ Shakespearean themes, while Sharyn McCrumb, Jon L. Breen and Daniel Stashower utilize Sherlockian material. Susan Isaac offers practically the only story with a light touch, "My Cousin Rachel's Uncle Murray." Mike Doogan turns Dashiell Hammett into a sleuth in "War Can Be Murder," while Lillian Stewart Carl's "A Mimicry of Mockingbirds" does the same for Thomas Jefferson. Essays assessing the state of the mystery in 2002 in the U.S., Britain, Canada and Germany provide both insights and plenty of suggestions for further reading pleasure. This is an entertaining and valuable guide to a strong and diverse genre. (Sept. 17)