This book has taken me almost 6 years to read! Having read the Mammoth Book of Locked-Room Mysteries and Impossible Crimes back in 2010, I followed it up by starting this second volume the very same day. However, I was on holiday in the US at the time and didn't manage to finish the book before I had to go home. I had a good search for the book once I got back to the UK so that I could continue it but I couldn't find it anywhere at all until a few days ago! I knew I'd read at least the first half a dozen or so stories but decided to re-start it. It took me just two weeks to read the whole thing.

It's very similar to the first volume: a collection of short stories which are either locked-room mysteries or crimes that are unable to be solved. There's 29 different stories of varying lengths, each by a different author. There's an introduction to the story and author at the start of each one which is quite a nice touch and as it includes other works by the same person, it's easy to find recommendations for further reading should you so desire.

It's a very mixed bag which is only to be expected when there's such a huge variety in authors, writing styles and story lengths. Some I enjoyed more than others and some were easier to work out. I think there'd be something in here for most mystery/crime fans to enjoy though. I don't know if there's a third volume but judging by the list of Mammoth collections that Mike Ashley has put together, I wouldn't be surprised! ( )

The Mammoth Book of Perfect Crimes and Impossible Mysteries, edited by Mike Ashley, includes both reprints of stories meeting the title's description and stories written specifically for this volume, which was published in 2007. The oldest stories are from 1910 ("The Red Ring," by William Le Queux) and 1913 ("The Mystery of the Sevenoaks Tunnel," by Max Rittenberg); there are a number of stories from the 1930s, by Vincent Cornier, C. Daly King, Forrest Rosaire and Douglas Newton; and from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in addition to the nine tales written especially for this anthology by the likes of Peter Crowther, Bernard Knight, Richard A. Lupoff and Peter Tremayne, among others. Interestingly, there are only three women included, and two of them are co-authors with men; I'm not sure if there's any reason for this discrepancy, but it has no effect on the stories themselves, which are all quite entertaining. I tended to like the earlier ones simply because they describe a time and sensibility that is alien to me, but really the whole volume is worth reading. I did skip one story ("Murder in Monkeyland," by Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg) because it involved lab animals, but otherwise I enjoyed these stories. If you're fond of impossible murders, this is a volume for you - recommended. ( )

With any anthology, you're taking a chance that you're not going to like each and every story. So I was quite surprised and happy that so many of these crime stories were quite good. Some of the authors who've contributed to this volume may be familiar to mystery fans; if not, the editor has seen fit to give a little bit of biographical information about each writer prior to the beginning of his or her story.

There are 29 mysteries in this book, most by a different author, although Edward D. Hoch has two stories in here. Fans of Hoch will be happy to know that his wonderful character Dr. Sam Hawthorne makes an appearance.

I can't really do a summary of each of the 29 stories (way too much space required), but suffice it to say that for the most part, these were very well written, and that the editor chose well. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy the impossible-crime genre, or people who prefer their mysteries in small doses (short stories) rather than full-length novels. ( )

Mostly lesser known material, some of it quite good, most of it less so. A mixed bag overall. ( )