My two favorite stories are SACRIFICE by L. L. Thrasher and OUT THERE IN THE DARKNESS by Ed Gorman. The first one involves a mother's extreme measures to protect her daughter's innocence. It is L. L. Thrasher's first short story and an excellent one at that. The story is heartbreaking but it makes you think twice of how precious innocence is to a child. Ignorance is bliss but the truth here is very dangerous.
OUT THERE IN THE DARKNESS involves a group of poker buddies who stop a burglar from robbing their house. They decide not to call the police but to handle things themselves and try to get information from the criminal. Everything then backfires and the four friends are now fighting to stay alive. One of the themes here is the danger of becoming a vigilante and the consequences one must pay.
Overall, most of the stories in this collection are good and I recommend it as an aperitif before trying out a novel by one of the authors. I would like to make also an honorary mention with SAFE by Gary A. Braunbeck. It will make you think twice about cleaning houses.
My favorite story in the group was the first one (BLIND LEMON by Doug Allyn). It was a moving story in which two strangers reunite ten years later after getting their friend killed. Due to guilt as well as fear, they both go their separate ways trying to escape the tragedy. They see each other at a bar where one of them is performing. The story was very poignant and heartfelt. I wish Mr. Allyn success with his other works.
My main disappointment was with Jonathan Kellerman's THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE. It was a good story and it could have been a surprise to the reader. Unfortunately, it is in a book about mysteries. If things seem a little too ordinary three quarters of the book, then there must be a twist somewhere in the end. I think this story would have worked better in an anthology of love or family stories, as well as in a magazine guided towards women.
It is good to read short stories every once in a while to discover new and promising authors. As I previously stated, nothing really stands out in this particular anthology, however, I recommend the 1998 as well as the 1999 Best Mystery stories. You will find some pleasant surprises in them.