"One of the strengths of this true-crime anthology series comes simply from its astonishing variety . . . it would be tough to better this collection." -
Booklist
The 2005 edition of
The Best American Crime Writingoffers the year's most shocking, compelling, and gripping writing about real-life crime, including Peter Landesman's article about female sex slaves (the most requested and widely read
New York Timesstory of 2004), a piece from
The New Yorkerby Stephen J. Dubner (the coauthor of
Freakanomics) about a high-society silver thief, and an extraordinarily memorable "ode to bar fights" written by Jonathan Miles for
Men's Journalafter he punched an editor at a staff party. But this year's edition includes a bonus-an original essay by James Ellroy detailing his fascination with Joseph Wambaugh and how it fed his obsession with crime-even to the point of selling his own blood to buy Wambaugh's books. Smart, entertaining, and controversial,
The Best American Crime Writingis an essential edition to any crime enthusiast's bookshelf.
"Great choices [and] great writing . . . proves truth is indeed stranger than fiction." -
Bloomberg News
"Because these well-written articles vary widely, this work should appeal to all true-crime enthusiasts." -
Library Journal
"A solid and diverse collection of true-crime writing . . . Anyone interested in true crime should find something to enjoy in this wide-ranging collection." -
Publishers Weekly
