The Best American Mystery Stories 2004

Foreword

When this series, Best American Mystery Stories, began eight years ago, my estimable editor at Houghton Mifflin gave me no instructions, no rules, no censorious commands, no guidelines, other than that the stories must fit the definition of the title: The mystery/crime/suspense story must be by an American or Canadian and first published in the appropriate calendar year.

It was understood by us both, however, that the point of each anthology is that it contain the best writing produced that year. The reputation of the author, the subject of the story, the place in which it first appeared — none of that carried any weight. It was from the first, and remains, all about the work.

While the criteria for selecting these stories are inevitably subjective, reflecting my taste and that of each edition’s guest editor, the same standards apply to this fiction as to Houghton Mifflin’s legendary sister publication, Best American Short Stories. You know what they are: characterization, narrative drive, clarity of vision, literary style. Make me believe that the people who populate your stories are genuine, force me to wonder what will happen to them next, have interesting events befall them, say it in a way that hasn’t been said a thousand times before, and you’ve got me in the palm of your hand.

Who writes these literary paragons, and where can their adventures be found? Oh, if only that had a brief answer. Distinguished writers produce more than their share of distinguished fiction. Joyce Carol Oates, than whom there is no more distinguished writer working today, makes her seventh appearance in this series with “Doll: A Romance of the Mississippi.” John Updike’s sole foray into mystery fiction made it into the 1999 volume. Elmore Leonard made it a couple of times, and so did Dennis Lehane, Jay McInerney, Walter Mosley, Michael Connelly, Russell Banks, and James Crumley.

Some lesser-known authors of — dare one say it? — equal talent have also graced these pages, sometimes to go on to bigger (if not necessarily better) things.

Tom Franklin’s first book appearance was in the 1999 Best American Mystery Stories with the story “Poachers,” from the excellent, if very little, magazine of literary distinction. Texas Review. It went on to become the title story of a collection published by William Morrow and was followed last year by a novel, Hell at the Gate.

The first time Scott Wolven appeared in a book was in the 2002 edition of BAMS with “The Copper Kings”: he now has a collection under contract at Scribner’s with the superb editor Colin Harrison. Victor Gischler followed his debut in book form with “Hitting Rufus” with a hard-boiled novel, Gun Monkeys, which was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award by the Mystery Writers of America.

In this edition, we may be seeing the launching of several important careers, notably that of Christopher Coake, whose “All Through the House” is one of the most stunning and memorable pieces of fiction in years.

Locating all these outstanding stories is not always easy, as many of the little magazines that publish literary fiction have fairly limited circulation. Happily, Michele Slung, my invaluable colleague, reads voraciously and intelligently and has been able to scout out hundreds of worthy stories, often from the most unlikely sources. Nat Sobel, the best agent in the world, has recommended stories since the inception of this series, and his impeccable taste has made reading none of them-а waste of time. Also, many editors of literary journals have taken the time to nominate work that seems appropriate, which has been hugely helpful.

There are more stories from literary magazines in this edition of BAMS than ever before. That may be an anomaly, but my best guess is that more serious writers are discovering the attractiveness of the mystery, crime, or suspense story. As readers and aficionados, we can only be grateful for this fortunate turn of events, as it suggests the strength and viability of the mystery genre and gives us assurance that high-quality crime fiction will continue to be produced for years to come.

The guest editor for BAMS 2004 is Nelson DeMille, the enormously successful author who has combined extraordinary storytelling gifts with a powerful literary style that has consistently put him on best-seller lists with such memorable thrillers as Word of Honor, The Cold Coast. The Generals Daughter, and The Lion’s Came.

My sincere thanks go to Mr. DeMille, who took time out from writing his own novel (which was past deadline) to read the fifty stories I submitted to him and from which he picked the twenty that comprise this volume. And I hope it is not bad form to thank again the guest editors from past years who have helped make this series as good as it is, and as successful: Robert B. Parker, Sue Grafton, Ed McBain (Evan Hunter), Donald E. Westlake, Lawrence Block, James Ellroy, and Michael Connelly.

Writers, editors, publishers, and anyone who cares about them should feel free to submit stories to me directly. Provide tear sheets or the entire publication. If the work appears in one of the two most popular mystery magazines, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine or Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, save the time and postage, as they are carefully read from cover to cover. If the story initially appeared on-line, please send a hard copy together with the date on which it was published and contact information. No material will be returned, and no criticism will be offered, so please don’t ask. Unpublished material, for obvious reasons, cannot be considered.

The absolute final date for submissions for the 2005 edition is December 31, 2004. Have a story published in the spring or summer and send it to me at Christmas and I’ll hunt you down with an ax. The earlier I see material, the more likely I am to love it. If you send a dozen or so stories to me, I’m likely to assume your ability to tell mediocre from excellent is wanting. Please send submissions to Otto Penzler. The Mysterious Bookshop, 129 West 56th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019. Thank you.

O.P.