Mystery Writers of America Presents Death Do Us Part: New Stories about Love, Lust, and Murder: Edited by Harlan Coben

Rating: Kit (3.5 stars) | Tango (3 stars)

She said: I love anthologies. They give me small bits of reading I can work into my schedule no matter how busy I am. I may not have time to sit down with a novel but usually I can make time for a short story. I also like the format of anthologies. I scan the contents and pick out whichever title catches my eye. I read back and forth in the book until I reach the end. Even then I still have reading left as I go back and pick up the one or two stories I might have missed.

He said: Anthologies are prime lunchtime reading material for me – I love to polish off a story or three with my meal. (Although eating sushi with chopsticks while trying to hold my book with the other hand made my reading of Safe Enough, The Home Front and The Last Flight somewhat tricky. But delicious!)

She said: I was going to do the same for Death do us Part, but then I saw Jim Fusilli’s name listed as one of the contributing writers. I was surprised, since from time to time I read his music reviews in the Wall Street Journal and didn’t realize he also wrote mysteries. So of course I read his story, Chellini’s Solution, first. It was well written and funny in a quiet sort of way, and I liked it so well I will be hunting down his previous novels.

He said: I prefer to read my anthologies in order. I find that often editors will include several related short stories, usually in chronological order, and I like to see the story unfold without confusion. This book had none of those, as there were no multiples stories from a single author. R.L. Stine caught my eye as I read down the list of authors. I was most familiar with him for his children’s books, and not his more mature works.

She said: Other stories that stood out:

Wifey by R.L. Stine read like a sly and imaginative homage to Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart.

Till Death Do Us Part by Tim Maleeny is very funny, with a darkly humorous take on wedding vows and fidelity.

Blarney by Steve Hockensmith starts as a simple writer’s night out in a bar then takes a sharp turn into shocking and creepy.

And finally, Part Light, Part Memory by Bonnie Hearn Hill which is just so beautifully written. I felt as though I was there with the characters, instead of just reading about them.

He said: My favorites from the collection were:

The Last Flight by Brendon Dubois was a fairly quiet story, heavy on nostalgia, sorrow, pathos and revenge.

Part Light, Part Memory by Bonnie Hearn Hill was an excellently described story. I agree with Kit entirely – the author is able to make the time and surroundings live for the reader.

Blarney by Steve Hockensmith is a darkly humorous romp through the mind of a writer, well seasoned with a dose of creepy innuendo worthy of Steven King.

Till Death Do Us Part by Tim Maleeny was laugh out loud funny, in a perverse kind of way. The story itself is somewhat tame, but the commentary between the two paramedics at the end made the ending a treat.

One Shot by P.J. Parrish was an interesting and involving tale of crime and deception, and a gradual uncovering of a decades long web of lies. I found it to be one of the more enjoyable serious stories of the book.

Entrapped by Harlan Coben was probably the closest thing to a true mystery in the entire collection. It was also very enjoyable, with a couple of interesting plot twists.

She said: Not all the stories are as well crafted. Queeny by Ridley Pearson is unsettling and creepy, but I am still unsure why. I was never clear about what was actually happening and if there are clues, they are obscure enough I could never decide if they were there or not. Safe Enough by Lee Child has a similar problem.

He said: My biggest problem with the book was that it was published by the Mystery Writers of America, but is noticeably short on mysteries. Not just whodunits, but virtually any story where the author doesn’t fudge a little on what the main character says, thinks or does in order to hide the final denouement of the storyline.

She said: As a whole, I would recommend Death do us Part. The majority of the stories are good, and it’s a great way to while away a few minutes here and there.

He said: I too would recommend the book. It’s not what I would consider a collection of mysteries, but it does include some excellently crafted stories and a few outright gems.
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Publisher: Little, Brown and Company - Hachette Book Group USA (August 28, 2006)
ISBN: Hardcover 0-316-01250-5 Softcover 0-316-01263-7
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