Available Formats
Best Crime Stories of the Year Volume 4
By (Author) Otto Penzler
Edited by Anthony Horowitz
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book
1st January 2026
9th October 2025
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Short stories
Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives
Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction
Paperback
416
Width 129mm, Height 198mm
Internationally bestselling author and acclaimed screenwriter Anthony Horowitz, creator of Magpie Murders, together with founder of Mysterious Press, Otto Penzler, selects the very best of the year's crime and mystery tales in this latest collection perfect for crime fiction lovers. Featuring stories from Jeffery Deaver and L. Frank Baum among many others!
These twenty tales represent the best of short form crime and mystery fiction from over the past twelve months. With a variety of fiendishly twisty plots, and featuring murder and mischief in evilly evocative settings, this collection is perfect for crime fiction lovers. Also includes a bonus short mystery story from the Golden Age of Crime Fiction, by the fabled L. Frank Baum.
Featuring stories by:
Ace Atkins
Michael Bracken
Fleur Bradley
Shelley Costa
Doug Crandell
Jeffery Deaver
John Floyd
Nils Gilbertson
Peter Hayes
Shells Legoullon
Victor Methos
Leonardo Padura
Dan Pope
Annie Reed
Cameron Sanders
Anna Scotti
Archer Sullivan
Andrew Welsh-Huggins
Stacy Woodson
'A satisfying collection, varied in style and subject' Morning Star
'Thrilling... A must for mystery fans' Publishers Weekly
'Thrilling... The wealth of talent on display here augurs well for the future of intelligent, character-driven crime fiction. This is a must for mystery fans.' * Publishers Weekly *
All enjoyable and absolutely something for everyone * CrimeTime FM *
An excellent volume * The Critic *
Great treat for fans of the year's best hard boiled red herrings and juicily twisty tales with a dash of noir sauce * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *
A satisfying collection, varied in style and subject * Morning Star *
Anthony Horowitz is one of the most prolific writers in the UK, unique in that he works across so many genres including more than fifty novels and TV series as well as films, plays, and journalism. He was named 'the greatest of our crime writers' by the Sunday Times. Anthony was awarded a CBE in 2022 for his services to literature.
Otto Penzler, series editor, is the founder of the Mysterious Press (1975), Mysterious Press.com (2011) and New York City's Mysterious Bookshop (1979). He has won a Raven, the Ellery Queen Award, two Edgars and lifetime achievement awards from Noircon and The Strand Magazine. He has edited more than 70 anthologies and written extensively about crime fiction.