The Best Crime Stories Ever Told

By: Dorothy L. Sayers - editor

Narrated by: Robin Bloodworth, Suehyla El Attar

When acclaimed mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers first began compiling anthologies of the best crime stories in the 1920s and ’30s, the genre was in the flush of its first golden age. While it is hard to imagine today - after every possible mystery plot has been told, retold, subverted, and played straight again by hundreds of writers over nearly a century - in Sayers’s day there were still twists that had never been seen, and machinations of crime that would shock even jaded Jazz Age fans.

Now today’s fans of mystery and crime can experience a handpicked collection of over thirty of the most outstanding stories from this era, originally chosen by Sayers and newly introduced by Otto Penzler, a leading expert and connoisseur in the field of mystery literature. As a prolific writer of the genre, Sayers understood the difficulty of putting together a mystery that was not only sufficiently challenging (so that the solution was not immediately obvious to the listener), but also solvable without forcing the writer to cheat. That balance between opacity and solvability remains the greatest challenge of writing great crime stories - and these are some of the greatest.

Authors appearing in this collection include:

• Edgar Allen Poe
• Herman Melville
• H. G. Wells
• Wilkie Collins
• Stephen Crane
• J. S. Le Fanu

©2012 Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. Introduction copyright © 2012 by Otto Penzler (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Excellent performance

I agree that stories focus more on the supernatural than on crime. The performance is always good and several stories were top notch; all were well written even if plot a bit unclear or unexciting.

Confused

A bit confused. There are a few crime stories but most are supernatural stories. Definitely a British/Continental tilt to the story selection which helps bring out lesser known stories.

Lot of duds, some gems

If you like bobbing for apples when most are duds and the chance of getting a mouth full of mealy monster mush is guaranteed, you're ready to buy "Best Crime Stories" edited by Dorothy Sayers.

Most of these stories take place before crime writing came into its own. We get loads of gentlemen sleuths: pipe puffing know-it-alls who lack the quirky charm of Sherlock but like him steamroll over dumb cops to get the answers.

Then there are ghost stories, lots and lots. Speaking beyond the grave. Rattling the china. Scaring the horses. Edgar Allen Poe is not at his best here. He's trying out his themes of romantic loss and obsession without the crisp architecture of his best tales. The gems? Almost worth it for the Stephen Crane, the H.G. Wells and the Melville. That's about two good hours out of twenty. Is this a recommendation? Depends on how bored you're willing to be.

No complaints about the narrators.

Too many “ghost” stories

This is titled BEST CRIME STORIES, but there are too many “ghost” stories which didn’t fit the title.

Wide Diversity

Really enjoyed listening to the wide variety of different stories! Some I have heard and read before and enjoyed but many new ones I thoroughly enjoyed listening to.

Love Dorothy L Sayers

What disappointed you about The Best Crime Stories Ever Told?

What a disappointment, I love the crime books of Sayers, However, this collection degenerated into an anthology of ghost stories - not interested in Ghost stories and the write up should perhaps have been a bit more explanatory.

Has The Best Crime Stories Ever Told turned you off from other books in this genre?

No - The book is not a collection of Crime Stories.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Robin Bloodworth and Suehyla El Attar ?

Any one else would have been better as a narrator, he is particularly hard to listen to and the material did not help.

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

Not really, it was long and I felt I had to give it a chance, but half way through book 3 I gave up. I wanted crime not ghost stories or philosophizing.

Any additional comments?

Audible should perhaps give a more accurate write up. The least favourite book I have chosen so far, but I guess there are going to be books I don't love. Having said that someone who liked this genre may love the book, I just felt a little cheated - by Sayers - is that a little weird?

Don't bother if you hate fake British accents.

Robin Bloodworth has almost singlehandedly ruined one of my favorite genres. The stories are intriguing, but I can't get past that voice. Fake British accent, drawling to the point of driving someone, who loves legit British accents, mad. In his regular voice he sounds OK American. I'm a diehard Sayers fan. Or at least I was.

The stories were very entertaining

The narrator was excellent in telling the stories. He made it so real for me and for each character.