Mystery Writers of America Presents The Mystery Box

By: Brad Meltzer - editor

Narrated by: William Dufris, Karen White, Simon Vance, Malcolm Hillgartner, Scott Brick, John McLain, Kirby Heyborne, Richard Powers

There’s nothing more mysterious than a locked box. Whether it’s a literal strongbox, an empty coffin, the inner workings of a scientist’s mind, or an underground prison cell, there are those who will use any means necessary to unlock the secrets of The Mystery Box.

With this anthology, best-selling author Brad Meltzer introduces 21 original stories from today’s most prominent mystery writers. In Laura Lippman’s "Waco 1982", a young reporter stuck with a seemingly mundane assignment on lost-and-found boxes unwittingly discovers a dark crime. In Joseph Finder’s "Heirloom", a scheming neighbor frightens the new couple on the block with an unnerving tale of buried treasure. In R. L. Stine’s "High Stakes", a man on his honeymoon gets drawn into a bizarre bet involving a coffin, a bet he may pay for with his life.

From the foothills of Mount Fuji to Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp, from a physics laboratory in wartime Leipzig to an unusual fitness club in Boca Raton, these sometimes terrifying, sometimes funny, and always suspenseful tales will keep you riveted. (The complete list of narrators includes Joe Barrett and Donald Corren.)

©2013 Mystery Writers of America, Inc. (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The consistently high quality of the 22 selections will lead many to hope the MWA will sponsor more volumes in this vein." ( Publishers Weekly, starred review of Mystery Writers of America Presents: The Prosecution Rests)

One of the best collections

This was one of the best collections I have read. Normally these collections are 50/50 good and bad. But in this case I would say the good was 60% with 20% of them being excellent.
This is worth the credit.

Missed the mark

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Better choice of stories

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Didn't find a favorite. Honestly after the fourth story I gave up

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I liked the narrator.

Any additional comments?

I can't pick a winner every time. Just not my cup of tea.

Not much of a mystery in these stories

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the mysteries had any mystery behind them. The stories were okay, but maybe the focus should have been on fewer but more robust stories.

Would you ever listen to anything by Brad Meltzer (editor) again?

Not one of these collections.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of the narrators?

The narrators were okay, the stories just lacked teeth.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Mystery Writers of America Presents The Mystery Box?

I would have cut the quantity of stories in half.

Great potential that failed.

Would you try another book from Brad Meltzer (editor) and/or the narrators?

Some authors yes others no.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Some of the stories I couldn't even get through they were so boring and left me wondering what they had to do with a box or a mystery. I think he should have had the authors stick with an actual box as those stories provided real mystery.

Would you listen to another book narrated by the narrators?

Anything with Scott Brink I love.

Do you think Mystery Writers of America Presents The Mystery Box needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Only if they stick with an actual box in the story line.

Any additional comments?

I really expected so much more out of this. I don't think all of the authors took the time to write an actual mystery. The main author gave them way to much leeway and that in my opinion gave the authors a way out of writing as the title suggested Mystery Box.

Worth the Credit

Some stories were surely better than others, but I still enjoyed the book. I especially liked Karen Slaughter, Joseph Finer, S. W. Hubbard and R.L. Stein. Glad I gave it a try!

Some stories didn't really have an ending.

What disappointed you about Mystery Writers of America Presents The Mystery Box?

I couldn't finish the book, but I made it about halfway through. A couple of the stories were good or very good, but some seemed to just stop without a conclusion. I thought I had listened pretty closely to the stories but all of a sudden another story was starting and I was lost. I went backward and listened again, but it was the same sort of non-ending.

I don't usually listen to short stories and will hardly ever get an abridged version of a book, so maybe it's just not "my" genre. I want to have the ending fairly well explained. I'm not a dummy; I can understand implications, but I need more than these stories gave me.

What could Brad Meltzer (editor) have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Picked different stories.

What aspect of the narrators’s performance would you have changed?

I had no problem with any of the narrators.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Out of the stories I listened to, I really enjoyed at least two, and pretty much liked another couple. But it wasn't enough to go on and listen to the rest.

Any additional comments?

No.

A Mixed Box

Any additional comments?

It's hard to rate a mixed bag of stories, since some of them will likely be more to one's liking than others. Such is the case with this book.

Some of the stories are delightfully clever with happy, triumphant endings. Some of them are humorous, almost like long jokes with unexpected punchlines. Some of them are deeply haunting and socially insightful, and some of them stick with you because they are horrible and ugly, like skunk stink. You wish you could scrub them out of your brain, but you will never be able to. Alas, these are the risks we take when we read new authors.

Overall, will you like this book? Parts of it. If you're a cozy mystery fan, this book is probably not for you. These mysteries are not cozy. If you're a noir-fan, you'll like this a bit more. If you're up for a fair bit of mind-twisting, then plunge right in.

Content warning for those who care: Various stories in this book contain extreme profanity, adult content, and troubling themes.

where is the mystery

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

make the stories mysteries instead of terrible short stories that are more psychological than any mystery

Has Mystery Writers of America Presents The Mystery Box turned you off from other books in this genre?

no I love a good mystery when there is a plot etc.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

the reader was good

Any additional comments?

don't waste your money on this buy a true mystery book

I just could not get into this

Any additional comments?

I enjoy a good mystery story but for some reason I did not care for these stories just not my taste for mystery I guess.

Mystery writers

Decent book some stories other nit but over a good book. I liked the different stories ide