In Sunlight or in Shadow -- Lawrence Block, Editor

The full title of this book is In Sunlight or in Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper.  It contains 17 stories along with full-color reproductions of the paintings that inspired them, so it's a great book to look at as well as to read.  There's a dynamite lineup of authors, as you can see from the cover reproduced to the left.  And in case you're wondering, the story inspired by the cover painting is by Joe Lansdale.  It's a crime story that involves a movie theater, and it has Lansdale's signature touch.  

Not all the stories are crime stories, however.  Jill Block's is a mainstream story about family.  Stephen King has a quiet (sort of) horror story.  Block's story is a historical crime story that has a great sense of place and time.  The crime involved is quite a small one.  Craig Ferguson (yes, that Craig Ferguson) writes about two old men nearing the end, and Megan Abbott writes about strippers.  It's Michael Connelly who gets to write about "Nighthawks."  All the stories are a pleasure to read, and it's fun to think of how a story you might have written about the pictures would have been like or different from the ones told here.  Highly recommended.