True-life crime Journalism at its best-A pleasing assortment

As fan of non-fiction with a leaning towards true life mysteries; I was thrilled to find the 2004 edition of Best American Crime Writing on my library shelves- I ate the whole book up in a few days. I was thrilled to learn that there were additional years of "Best' books, right now I am finishing the 2002 compilation ... I decided to dash off a review before I had forgotten.What is so much fun is that the articles themselves are twenty or thirty pages so it's easy to finish one or two in a sitting. Great book for commuters and travelers.As well, if there are any stories that center on a topic that one doesn't find interesting, it's a cinch to simply skip on to the next story.Other reviewers have noted what I will repeat, the writing is first rate, not sensationalised or prurient, and the topics cover such diverse subjects as Insurance fraud in the high stakes world of Horse racing, a Capra-esque town beset with a series of tradgedies,a wacked out super charming serial killer con-man, as well as an investigation into the Crash of Egyp Air 990.I found particularly insightful , Doug Most's Judgement Day which introduces the reader into the point of view of a contrite convict serving time for murder in Massachusetts, and his experiences with the parole board-I have never read anything quite like it.
Kudos to the editors, they've done a wonderful job pulling together the best of True crime from the magazine world, this should give exposure and acclaim to a much aligned genre and its authors...

A Rare Gem In The Genre!

Although I'm a fan of true crime, most of the genre doesn't meet my standards. Too often I find that it focuses on the criminal and the macabre, gruesome, or sensational aspect of whatever story is being told and appeals to a certain prurience which I find distasteful. Often, the victims are forgotten or neglected in favor of the criminal, whose story may be more interesting or titillating. This remarkable collection, however, includes only well-told stories from respectable publications. Most of the 17 stories are riveting and will linger with you long after you've finished the book. These are true human interest stories which never ignore the real tragedies involved. Kudos to the editors for managing to find such quality stories. I can't wait for the next edition!

Excellent Book!!

This book is a wonderful read!! It contains 17 articles written in the past year for-hire by pro football player Rae Carruth... AND MUCH MORE!! With such quality of writing, you don't want to miss this book. I am really hoping that more of these will be published!!