An excellent sampler of modern (and not-so-modern) mystery writers, including Charlotte MacLeod, Peter Lovesey, John Lutz, Mary Higgins Clark, Bill Pronzini, Sharyn McCrumb, Aaron Elkins and others. This book is a bit uneven in quality but generally lives up to its pedigree. The stories by Marcia Muller and Isaac Asimov shine. This collection is perfect if your Christmas is not complete without a little bloodshed.