Murder Short and Sweet, edited by Paul D. Staudohar, is a collection of classic mystery stories ranging from Edgar Allan Poe (“The Black Cat,” 1843) to Clark Howard (“Under Suspicion,” 2000), with stories from Lord Dunsany, Arthur Conan Doyle, Donald E. Westlake, Ruth Rendell, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and Lawrence Block, among others. Many of these stories have been frequently reprinted, but it’s nice to have them all in one volume, as it gives a handy overview of short mystery fiction over about 150 years. Mildly recommended. ( )

I picked up this book from the library solely to read Thomas Burke's "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole", described by some as the best mystery story ever written. It isn't--but it certainly isn't bad. No one conjures up the dark streets of London better than Burke, who is perhaps most famous for his collections of stories about Limehouse (see my review of LIMEHOUSE NIGHTS).

I had already read a few of the other stories here, such as Poe's "The Black Cat" and the two Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as the classics by Roald Dahl and Lord Dunsany. I hadn't intended to read this whole book, but after dipping into a couple of stories, I couldn't stop. What connects nearly all these stories is what a sheer pleasure they are to read. The editor has done a phenomenal job in selecting stories that remain fresh and surprising (provided you haven't read them before) no matter how vintage they may be. I even ended up re-reading the Sherlock Holmes stories, which I hadn't intended to do. About the only minor criticism I can make of this book is that the twists of several of the stories are similar. I assume this represents the editor's tastes, but since I enjoyed this book so much, they must be my tastes, too.

This book would make a wonderful gift for someone you want to introduce to the pleasures of classic mystery stories. ( )