Book Review: Bibliomysteries, Volume 2

Bibliomysteries, Volume Two: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores
Otto Penzler (editor)
Mystery

It'd take a concerted effort to get me to actively dislike a collection such as this one. Thankfully, Bibliomysteries is pretty good--much better than the usual mixed bag of minor stories by major writers, unsold shorts by minor writers, and whatnot. There's only one real stinker (by a writer whom I once advised on Amazon to switch to writing romances; nothing has changed since then). Of the rest:

• "Mystery, Inc.", a slightly predictable but very effective Poe-esque offering from Joyce Carol Oates, is probably the best. 
• Thomas Perry’s "The Book of the Lion" is an enjoyable take on a familiar setup. 
• Stephen Hunter's "Citadel" is not very believable, but the pacing is excellent and the characters nicely cinematic.

The range of sub-genres is very impressive and the writing standard surprisingly high. Recommended for book-loving mystery fans.