INVITATION TO MURDER

Omnipresent anthologists Gorman and Greenberg suggested to 18 writers that each pound out a story that included one common element: a young woman found dead on an apartment floor. Despite Bill Pronzini's introduction, which claims there's not ``a poorly conceived or poorly written [story] in the bunch,'' there's a fair number of each, the exceptions being John Lutz's ``Open and Shut,'' a deliciously devious cui bono? tale, and Barbara Paul's bioengineering story of next-century murder. Also on hand: Pronzini's ``Nameless,'' attending to a matter for a boccie-court regular; a plant-the-evidence story from Carolyn G. Hart; an Andrew Vachss short-short; a silly shrink-saga from Nancy Pickard; Loren Estleman with a religious cult, a pig farmer, and a secret in the wine cellar; and William F. Nolan with a trip to the boneyard, sci- fi style. Other contributors include three newcomers, Jan Grape, Kristine K. Rusch, and Billie Sue Mosiman, who are, in turn, obvious, labored, and repetitive (also derivative). A simplistic premise, alas, encourages simplistic solutions.