THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP PRESENTS THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2025

Editor Grisham points out that as “mankind’s first crime,” murder holds a fascination for readers that no other misdeed can match. So it’s appropriate that no less than 18 of the 20 stories include a killing, contemplated or committed. But murder is not always the main event. Often the tricky part is figuring out how not to get killed, as in Casey Stegman’s “Effie’s Oasis,” Tracy Falenwolfe’s “Jamming at Jollies,” and Billie Livingston’s “Same Old Song.” And as series editor Otto Penzler points out, deduction and detection have in recent years taken a back seat to what he calls “the psychology of crime.” Stories like Erika Krouse’s “Eat My Moose” and April Kelly’s “The Art of Disappearance” place the delicacy of human relationships front and center. Family ties also loom large, as in Shelagh Smith’s “Snapshot” and Tom Larsen’s “The Other Brother.” And marital strife is always a motivator for misbehavior, as in James Hearn’s “Totality,” Craig Faustus Buck’s “Home Game,” and Sean McCluskey’s jolting “The Secret Menu.” This year’s volume fulfills its promise of originality while honoring the time-tested formula for good mysteries: It shows readers characters they feel they know and care about doing things they couldn’t possibly have anticipated.