Mystery Writers of America Presents The Mystery Box

April 29, 2013
This all-original MWA anthology includes a nice mix of big names and rising stars among its 21 offerings, all plotted in some manner around a box (literal or metaphorical) and its contents. Some writers not best known for humor tickle the funny bone, like Jan Burke in "The Amiable Miss Edith Montague," whose death reveals depths hidden in life. Karin Slaughter's "Remy Rothstein Toes the Line (annotated)" is an exceedingly offbeat and funny story about a tabloid reporter and swamp people. Mary Ann Kelly's "Angelina" delivers a neat twist in a story about young, noisy neighbors and an old woman who lives alone. Colette becomes a detective in Angela Gerst's "The Secret Life of Books," a natural for the observant and curious French writer. Charles Todd explores the theft and strange peregrinations of a box belonging to the Dundee Rifles in "The Honour of Dundee." Steve Berry, Laura Lippman, R.L. Stine, and Katherine Neville are among the others whose stories brighten this collection.