In the running for the very best bedside book I've ever had. The stories are engaging and very varied, from fairly violent thrillers to cozy sleuth mysteries. Naturally, as in all anthologies, they aren't all gems, but overall they're well-chosen, and the good outweigh the bad. As a bedside book, the stories are almost all the perfect length to be read and finished in about half an hour. I can imagine that if you tried to read this book straight through the differences in tone between the stories would probably be jarring, but for reading a story here and there before bed, it's perfect, since you don't feel like you're reading the same story night after night, and you never know what kind you're going to get next. Plus, at 37 stories, it lasts a good long while on the nightstand. If you enjoy "samplers" of this kind, I highly recommend it. ( )