Editor and publisher Otto Penzler talks about the varied mystery anthologies and collections released by Penzler Publishers, the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, and series editor of a handful of current and Golden Age mystery fiction anthologies.
Otto talks about the “Golden Age” series of short fiction anthologies, with the newest one being Golden Age Christmas Mysteries, and also the “American Mystery Classics” series, featuring famous mystery authors from the 1920s-1930s-1940s. He goes into the work that goes into searching out the short stories by the authors of that era.
He also talks about how “The Best Mystery Stories of the Year” series came about after a previous similar series ended, and the reading and selection process to narrow those stories down into a manageable set for the year’s guest editor.
The new “50 States of Crime” series was acquired by Penzler Publishers and is being translated & published in the US under the Crime Ink imprint, where France’s leading true crime journalists investigate America’s most notorious cases, one crime for every state, presenting fresh perspectives on famously storied crimes and reflecting, in the process, a dark national legacy that leads from coast to coast.
Otto also mentions the award-winning The Serial Killer’s Apprentice, and reviving the “The Best True Crime Stories” series, with the new 2025 edition featuring Douglas Preston as guest editor.


Websites: The Mysterious Bookshop, Penzler Publishers
Instagram: @PenzlerPub, @themysteriousbookshop
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