As a lifelong fan of Lawrence Block, I pretty much grab anything with his name on it. When this collection of short mysteries came along with the Block Seal of Approval, I grabbed it and was not disappointed. I’d wager there is something here for everyone with plenty of twists and turns. Lee Goldberg’s Lost Shows, in particular, grabbed me by the throat and flung me around for a while. Of course, I had to skip to the Joyce Carol Oates story. Like Block, she is native to my area, Western New York/Buffalo. She never disappoints (unless you’re looking for a book that will cheer you up on a bad day), and Miss Golden Dreams 1949 was no different. Dark and delightful. The collection closes with Lawrence Block’s solid Collecting Ackermans. Block did an exceptional job of pulling together short pieces run through with a common thread, yet not monolithic. It’s a great volume to keep on hand when seeking diversion that will not tax your attention span.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Collectibles from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Description:

A COLLECTION… OF COLLECTIONS What leads one person to collect stamps and another coins, one fine art and another butterflies? Who can say? But one thing is certain: those who’ve got the collecting bug care passionately—sometimes violently—about the objects of their obsession. No one covets like a collector; and as you will find in the pages of this brand new anthology from MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block, a truly dedicated collector will ignore the other nine commandments, too, in his quest for his personal Holy Grail. From Joyce Carol Oates’ tale of the ultimate Marilyn Monroe collectible to Dennis Lehane’s bookseller with a penchant for other people’s tragic correspondence, from Lee Goldberg’s Hollywood hustler with a collection of unaired TV shows to Joe R. Lansdale’s stylish foray into noir, culminating in Lawrence Block’s own classic story of a killer with a unique approach to choosing his victims, Collectibles illustrates the range of the collecting impulse and the lengths people will go to in their hunger to possess the perfect piece.