This second volume of Opening Shots is a collection of twenty-three first stories published by prominent mystery and crime writers. Some of these offerings are remarkably mature, professional work. Others are more obviously early works, before the writers' skills reached full maturity. But every one of them is a pleasure to read, and in each can be seen the seed of the writer's craft. Each writer has included an introduction worth the price of admission all by themselves, observes Block. Writers, it seems to me, are never more eloquent or more interesting that when they reminisce about their early days, and recalling one's first success seems a spur of anecdotage for most of us.Following on the heels of the successful first volume of this series, the stories in this stellar field include:Final Rites by Doug Allyn * Don't Kill a Karate Fighter by William Chambers * Entrapped by Harlan Coben * Yellow Gal by Michael Collins * Together by Jeffrey Deaver * The Rough Boys by Harlan Ellison * Tole My Cap'n by Joe Gores * Layover by Ed Gorman * A Bunch of Mumbo-Jumbo by Jan Grape * The Cure by David Handler * Till Tuesday by Jeremiah Healy * Village of the Dead by Edward D. Hoch * Chalk by Evan Hunter * It's a Wise Child Who Knows by Stuart Kaminsky * Who Killed Cock Robin? by H. R. F. Keating * Medford & Son by Dick Lochte * Thieves' Honor by John Lutz * Not All Brides Are Beautiful by Sharyn McCrumb * Manslaughter by Joyce Carol Oates * You Don't Know What It's Like by Bill Pronzini * The Disappearance of Penny by Robert J. Randisi * A Victim Must Be Found by Henry Slesar * Blue Rose by Peter Straub * A Bad Night For Burglars by Lawrence Block