Thou Shalt Not Kill: Biblical Mystery Stories

Perry's impressive all-original anthology of 15 biblically based whodunits spans the ages from ancient times to the present. Topnotch entries include Gillian Linscott's "A Blessing of Frogs," about the murder of a baker within a pharaoh's household; Peter Tremayne's "Does God Obey His Own Laws? A Sister Fidelma Story," featuring his brilliant Irish nun; Lillian Stewart Carl's "Way Down in Egypt's Land," a marvelous tale about 19th-century slavery; and Ralph McInerny's winning "Fear and Trembling: A Father Dowling Mystery." The opener, Simon Brett's "Cain Was Innocent," with its biting dialogue bordering on the blasphemous and swipes at the current U.S. president, may put off some readers. Perry's "Lost Causes," about a British barrister who defends a man accused of murdering his brother, makes a splendid finale. (Jan.)