A few years ago I picked up the Library of the World’s Best Mystery and Detective Stories from a garage sale on Queen Anne. Sadly, I now think I may have overpaid. There are six volumes in the set; this one covers American authors. I did not enjoy even one of the stories, except perhaps Bierce’s The Man and the Snake and that one was marginal at best. It’s not that I expected to like all of the stories. But in a volume titled best I would think that the stories would be somewhat timeless. Considering that H.G. Wells’ work retains much of its allure 100 years later, some of the best mysteries should retain their attraction. Either that or Hawthorne picked badly. ( )