{"id":30676,"date":"2023-11-06T12:20:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T16:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=30676"},"modified":"2023-11-06T12:20:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T16:20:45","slug":"review-the-best-american-mystery-and-suspense-2023-by-lisa-unger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2023\/11\/06\/review-the-best-american-mystery-and-suspense-2023-by-lisa-unger\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \ud83d\udd0d The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 by Lisa Unger"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-30676\" data-postid=\"30676\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-30676 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_98z4774 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_komr774 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_24hy774 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=640%2C960&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-30677\" title=\"the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger\" alt=\"the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_9aga775 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u201cThis form has a special kind of magic, the ability to transport you quickly, intensely, to capture character, time, place, and story with immediacy,\u201d writes guest editor Lisa Unger in her introduction. The transporting stories in this year\u2019s\u00a0<span class=\"a-text-italic\">The Best American Mystery and Suspense<\/span>\u00a0are populated by those who exist on the fringe of our society and want more than what life has dealt them: A haunted veteran turned career criminal is on the run. An injured fighter turned bouncer seeks vengeance for his lost love. An assassin on his last job finds himself questioning his life choices and breaks all the rules to understand his final victim. By turns thrilling and enlightening, each story, according to Unger, \u201cwill have you holding your breath, flipping the pages, will leave you thinking about people and why they do the dark, dangerous, frightening things that they do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><span class=\"a-text-italic\">The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023\u00a0<\/span>includes Ashley-\u00adRuth\u00a0M. Bernier \u2022 William Boyle \u2022 S.\u00a0A. Cosby \u2022 Jacqueline Freimor \u2022 James\u00a0A. Hearn \u2022 Ladee Hubbard \u2022 A.\u00a0J. Jacono \u2022 Adam Meyer \u2022 Silvia Moreno-\u00adGarcia \u2022 Walter Mosley \u2022 Leigh Newman \u2022 Joyce Carol Oates \u2022 Margaret Randall \u2022 Annie Reed \u2022 Anthony Neil Smith \u2022 Faye Snowden \u2022 Jervey Tervalon \u2022 Joseph\u00a0S. Walker \u2022 Thaai Walker \u2022 Jess Walter<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_bnwe775 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_p9sx775  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16466 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts-1.jpg?resize=135%2C44&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Oct 17, 2023<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> Mariner Books<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $11.99<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">This volume is described as a collection of the year\u2019s best mystery and suspense short fiction. Twenty mystery and suspense stories were selected by the editors to represent some of the best stories of the year. The stories cover a variety of topics and have settings ranging from Brooklyn to the Virgin Islands. Most of the authors were unfamiliar to me before I read these stories, but most mystery and suspense fans will be familiar with editor <strong>Lisa Unger\u2019s<\/strong> work.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">I really enjoy reading short stories and collections like this are a great way to discover new authors. This collection had a couple gems but many were too dark, depressing, or slow-paced for my taste. Although I didn\u2019t enjoy all of them, most are well-written and feature some popular authors such as <strong>S.A. Cosby, Walter Mosley, and Joyce Carol Oates<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">The stories I liked the most are by authors I hadn\u2019t heard of before. <strong>Ripen<em> by<\/em><\/strong> <strong>Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier<\/strong> is a relatable story about a food reporter who helps solve a mystery in the Virgin Islands. I would like to read more by this author.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Invitation <em>by<\/em> Margaret Randall<\/strong> tells a story about a college student who has to choose between an internship at a newspaper and a trip to Europe with an ex-boyfriend in a unique way.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Crime Scene <em>by<\/em> Joseph S. Walker<\/strong> is an interesting take on a hired hit. The collection wraps up with another story I enjoyed, Love Interest, about a digital forensics expert who uses his skills to help his client in an unexpected way. I\u2019m glad I was able to read these few stories that I really enjoyed, but overall I was disappointed by the grim tone of most of the stories. However, collections like this usually have something for everyone so others may like the stories that just weren\u2019t the kind I prefer.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_eica775 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3SrFL00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3FOvaVi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/best-american-mystery-and-suspense-2023-lisa-unger\/1142950361?ean=9780063315822\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspense-2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Lisa_Unger_The_Best_American_Mystery_and_Suspense?id=DrKnEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThis form has a special kind of magic, the ability to transport you quickly, intensely, to capture character, time, place, and story with immediacy,\u201d writes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,106,48],"tags":[146,223,367,369],"class_list":["post-30676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christine","category-harpercollins","category-reviews","tag-3-stars","tag-cozy-mystery","tag-mystery","tag-mystery-suspense"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \ud83d\udd0d The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 by Lisa Unger - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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\ud83d\udd0d The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 by Lisa Unger"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/","name":"Smitten by Books","description":"Where HEAs are guaranteed","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Smitten by 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Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d","name":"beverley","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"beverley"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog"],"url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/author\/beverley\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"builder_content":"<img src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg\" title=\"the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger\" alt=\"the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspebse-lisa-unger.jpg?resize=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThis form has a special kind of magic, the ability to transport you quickly, intensely, to capture character, time, place, and story with immediacy,\u201d writes guest editor Lisa Unger in her introduction. The transporting stories in this year\u2019s\u00a0The Best American Mystery and Suspense\u00a0are populated by those who exist on the fringe of our society and want more than what life has dealt them: A haunted veteran turned career criminal is on the run. An injured fighter turned bouncer seeks vengeance for his lost love. An assassin on his last job finds himself questioning his life choices and breaks all the rules to understand his final victim. By turns thrilling and enlightening, each story, according to Unger, \u201cwill have you holding your breath, flipping the pages, will leave you thinking about people and why they do the dark, dangerous, frightening things that they do.\u201d<\/p> <p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023\u00a0includes Ashley-\u00adRuth\u00a0M. Bernier \u2022 William Boyle \u2022 S.\u00a0A. Cosby \u2022 Jacqueline Freimor \u2022 James\u00a0A. Hearn \u2022 Ladee Hubbard \u2022 A.\u00a0J. Jacono \u2022 Adam Meyer \u2022 Silvia Moreno-\u00adGarcia \u2022 Walter Mosley \u2022 Leigh Newman \u2022 Joyce Carol Oates \u2022 Margaret Randall \u2022 Annie Reed \u2022 Anthony Neil Smith \u2022 Faye Snowden \u2022 Jervey Tervalon \u2022 Joseph\u00a0S. Walker \u2022 Thaai Walker \u2022 Jess Walter<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p> <hr \/> <p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Oct 17, 2023<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> Mariner Books<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $11.99<\/p> <hr \/> <p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">This volume is described as a collection of the year\u2019s best mystery and suspense short fiction. Twenty mystery and suspense stories were selected by the editors to represent some of the best stories of the year. The stories cover a variety of topics and have settings ranging from Brooklyn to the Virgin Islands. Most of the authors were unfamiliar to me before I read these stories, but most mystery and suspense fans will be familiar with editor <strong>Lisa Unger\u2019s<\/strong> work.<\/p> <p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">I really enjoy reading short stories and collections like this are a great way to discover new authors. This collection had a couple gems but many were too dark, depressing, or slow-paced for my taste. Although I didn\u2019t enjoy all of them, most are well-written and feature some popular authors such as <strong>S.A. Cosby, Walter Mosley, and Joyce Carol Oates<\/strong>.<\/p> <p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\">The stories I liked the most are by authors I hadn\u2019t heard of before. <strong>Ripen<em> by<\/em><\/strong> <strong>Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier<\/strong> is a relatable story about a food reporter who helps solve a mystery in the Virgin Islands. I would like to read more by this author.<\/p> <p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Invitation <em>by<\/em> Margaret Randall<\/strong> tells a story about a college student who has to choose between an internship at a newspaper and a trip to Europe with an ex-boyfriend in a unique way.<\/p> <p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><strong>Crime Scene <em>by<\/em> Joseph S. Walker<\/strong> is an interesting take on a hired hit. The collection wraps up with another story I enjoyed, Love Interest, about a digital forensics expert who uses his skills to help his client in an unexpected way. I\u2019m glad I was able to read these few stories that I really enjoyed, but overall I was disappointed by the grim tone of most of the stories. However, collections like this usually have something for everyone so others may like the stories that just weren\u2019t the kind I prefer.<\/p> <p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Christine<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3SrFL00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3FOvaVi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/best-american-mystery-and-suspense-2023-lisa-unger\/1142950361?ean=9780063315822\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-best-american-mystery-and-suspense-2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Lisa_Unger_The_Best_American_Mystery_and_Suspense?id=DrKnEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30676"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30695,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30676\/revisions\/30695"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}