Mystery is one of those genres I want to read more of this year. And so I’m thrilled The Perfect Crime fell into my lap. Even more so, this anthology is dedicated to showcasing stories from backgrounds which are underrepresented in mystery lit. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Around the world in 22 murders…
MURDER
BLACKMAIL
REVENGE
From Lagos to Mexico City, Australia to the Caribbean, Toronto to Los Angeles, Darjeeling to rural New Zealand, London to New York – twenty-two bestselling crime writers from diverse cultures come together from across the world in a razor sharp and deliciously sinister collection of crime stories.
Featuring Oyinkan Braithwaite, Abir Mukherjee, S.A. Cosby, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, J.P. Pomare, Sheena Kamal, Vaseem Khan, Sulari Gentill, Nelson George, Rachel Howzell Hall, John Vercher, Sanjida Kay, Amer Anwar, Henry Chang, Nadine Matheson, Mike Phillips, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Felicia Yap, Thomas King, Imran Mahmood, David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Walter Mosley.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Not going to lie as soon as I saw Silvia-Moreno Garcia this was a need-to-read kind of situation. Having loved Mexican Gothic for its atmosphere and mystery, I knew I wanted to read this anthology. Above all else, I love the mission statement of The Perfect Crime. The ways in which this anthology showcases characters, settings, and stories that are from backgrounds underrepresented in mystery literature. How it wants to bring diversity and new voices to the genre which has predominantly been cis straight white men.
It actively fights against this idea that readers won’t be able to relate to stories by non-white authors. And it does it in such a fantastic way. While there are always – in an anthology – stories I liked better than others, The Perfect Crime is a great taster. I enjoyed how each author took a slightly different approach to the mystery. We see slivers of a mystery, of a crime, of a story. And while I wanted more of some of these – who could blame me – I enjoyed this anthology. It was like seeing crime photos scattered on the floor.
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Overall if you like the mystery genre and want to read more diversely – or love these authors – The Perfect Crime is a must read. It would make a great gift to your mystery loving book worm! Find The Perfect Crime on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.