The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 11 October 2001
edited by John Miller and Tim Smith
This book is a collection of excerpts, short stories, historical notes, and even a screenplay, recognizing that San Francisco's romance extends to it being a great site for dark mysteries and suspense. The editors have collected thirteen stories (along with an introduction by Martin Cruz Smith) that give a good overview of the mystery tales that have been set in this beautiful city. Collected authors include: Ambrose Bierce, Alfred Hitchcock, Dashiell Hammett, Jim Thompson, Mark Twain, Marcia Muller, and Mabel Maney. The most interesting stories are the old murder tales and news items from San Francisco's colorful Barbary Coast days and the turn of the 20th century. Later chapters include excerpts from mystery novels and short stories. These, unfortunately, are by necessity fragmentary. As a result, in their reduced form, they move in a choppy and unsatisfying manner. So, while being a good selection of the mystery writing out there, this book comes apart in its reading. This is disappointing, but the book will serve as a good sampling and jumping off point for fans of mystery looking for obscure or classic writers, or just new books to explore. Otherwise, this book is beautifully formatted. It is a handsome heavy volume (of only 250 pages) liberally illustrated with the moody impressionist photography of San Francisco native Francis Bruguiére. As a literary experience, this serves best almost as an index. As a book to own, though, I think it would be a good addition to the library for the fan of mysteries or lover of San Francisco.