Bibliomysteries by Jeffery Deaver and Anne Perry

MysteriousPress.com is publishing (in digital form) a series of stand-alone mystery stories by popular crime authors in which books, bookstores, libraries, or manuscripts play a central role.  I don't usually review individual short stories, but I'm making an exception for the Bibliomystery series because the concept is interesting and the authors are well known.  Four stories have been published to date.  These are the two I've read.

"An Acceptable Sacrifice" by Jeffery Deaver was published on November 12, 2012

A joint operation sanctioned by Mexico City and Washington, D.C., pairs P.Z. Evans with Alejo Diaz, two killers hired to take out Alonso "Cuchillo" Carillo, presumed leader of the Hermosillo Cartel. According to an informant, in two days the cartel will set fire to a bus full of tourists to protest Mexico's war against drugs. Why Cuchillo doesn't pursue the time-honored defense against such wars -- paying off the federales -- is unclear, but the story requires the reader to accept the unlikely premise that blowing up tourists has something to do with the drug trade. A more intriguing question is whether Cuchillo really is a cartel leader, as opposed to a legitimate businessman. As is so often the case, the intelligence pointing to Cuchillo's guilt might be faulty.

Since Cuchillo allegedly intends to remain in his compound until the bus is in flames, Evans and Diaz must find a way to gain entrance. Fortunately for them, Cuchillo collects first editions and rare books, a "weakness" that the killers hope to turn to their advantage. On the other hand, Diaz wonders whether such a pleasant book lover could really be a ruthless killer. What if they are assassinating the wrong man? Unfortunately, that question fades into the background as the story advances.

Point of view shifts from Evans and Diaz to their employers in D.C. to Cuchillo, giving the reader a variety of perspectives as the relatively simple plot unfolds. "An Acceptable Sacrifice" works because the characters are engaging, the dialog is amusing, the atmosphere is convincing, and the story moves quickly. The story's theme gives Cuchillo a chance to explore the relative merits of literature and crime fiction (not surprisingly, he extols the craftsmanship of popular novelists over the "pretentious artifice" of "so-called literary writers"). A couple of cute twists lead the story to a satisfying resolution. It's a bit disappointing that Jeffery Deaver didn't flesh out the "drug lord versus legitimate businessman" theme in greater depth, but that's my only serious complaint about the story. This isn't great literature (which, I'm sure Deaver agrees, isn't always pretentious, despite the views expressed by Cuchillo), but it is a fun, well-crafted crime story.

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"The Scroll" by Anne Perry was published on November 12, 2012

In a crate of old books purchased from an estate, Monty Danforth finds a scroll written in Aramaic. The writing on the scroll does not reproduce on the photocopies he tries to make or on the digital photographs he tries to take. Soon three bidders show up -- a scholar, a bishop, and an old man accompanied by a little girl -- seeking to buy the scroll and issuing dire warnings about its evil nature. Danforth decides it is time to consult his employer, the bookshop's owner, who has been home ill for a few days, but discovers that the owner has died in a fire. Now the decision to sell the scroll is Danforth's responsibility, but how can he decide which buyer deserves to have it?

The theme of "The Scroll" is a familiar one: Will an ancient scroll undermine fundamental teachings of Christianity and, if so, will the church destroy it to preserve its myths? This leads to a correlative question: Does Danforth have the right to decide whether the scroll should be published, potentially undermining the faith of millions, or suppressed, potentially depriving the world of a vital truth? Notwithstanding the story's familiarity, Anne Perry gives it a fresh twist as the reader is left to ponder the identity of the strange little girl and her relationship with the old man. Perry's writing is evocative but the ending, after such an interesting setup, is disappointingly convenient.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS