The Perfect Crime edited by Maxim Jakubowski & Vaseem Khan

 

First Line from the Introduction: Few would dispute the fact that, until a couple of decades ago, crime and mystery writing was essentially "white", both in terms of the craftsmen and women practising its art and, slightly less so, in readership.

 

I love learning about the landscapes and the cultures of the world, and I've found that one of the best ways to do so is through the crime fiction that I choose to read. An excellent source to feed this addiction of mine has long been the extraordinary short story anthology series published by Akashic, and when I learned that this book was being published, I knew I had to read it. After all, it contained stories written by several of my favorite authors.

Consequently, I could enjoy stories by authors I knew (S.A. Cosby, Sulari Gentill, Rachel Howzell Hall, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Vaseem Khan, Walter Mosley, Abir Mukherjee, David Heska Wanbli Weiden) while finding new-to-me authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and John Vercher, more of whose work I want to read.

The Perfect Crime takes readers all around the globe and introduces them to many cultures. There's not a bad apple in this anthology barrel, but I have to give special shout-outs to Rachel Howzell Hall's "Clout Chaser" and Ausma Zehanat Khan's "The Yellow Line." The tastiest of them all? John Vercher's "Either Way I Lose" set in 1919 Omaha, Nebraska. This story simply blew me away with its truth, power, and visceral, deeply emotional, knockout punch. Absolutely one of the best things I've read all year.

If you're an armchair traveling sleuth, you definitely need to get your hands on a copy of The Perfect Crime. I hope readers will be treated to a second volume in the future.

 

The Perfect Crime: 22 Crime Stories from Diverse Cultures Around the World

Edited by Maxim Jakubowsli & Vaseem Khan

eISBN:9780008462345

HarperCollins © 2022

eBook, 448 pages

 

Short Story Anthology

Rating: A-

Source: Net Galley 

Reader, I Buried Them & Other Stories by Peter Lovesey

 

First Line from the Foreword: Let me tell you a story about a short story.

 

More than fifty years ago, Peter Lovesey wrote a short story that got the attention of crime fiction master Ruth Rendell, and her praise ignited Lovesey's passion for short stories.

 

This collection contains eighteen short stories, including that very first one, three brand-new ones, and even one featuring his well-known Bath detective Peter Diamond. The settings vary wildly: the book publishing industry, a monastery, a theater, the island of Corfu, and a farmer's field containing a scarecrow wearing a checked jacket.

For readers unfamiliar with Peter Lovesey, these stories would be a good introduction. Since I am no stranger to this talented man's writing, I enjoyed each setting, each twist and turn, each clue illustrating the deviousness of Lovesey's mind. 

Now, after feasting on these stories, what I'm really in the mood for is Peter Diamond solving another puzzling case in Bath.

 

Reader, I Buried Them and other stories by Peter Lovesey

eISBN: 9781641293624

Soho Press © 2022

eBook, 385 pages

 

Short Story Anthology

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten

First Line: Maud let out a loud sigh of relief as she sank into her comfortable seat on the plane.

 

Things were rather tense in eighty-nine-year-old Maud's Gothenburg apartment after a dead body was found there, and just as she was thinking that everything was back to normal, two police inspectors, Huss and Nyström, knock at her door once more. She evades their questions with ease, but Maud thinks that it's best if she takes a vacation. Someplace warm. Someplace far away.

These six interlocking stories blend Maud's present with some of the problems she's dealt with in the past. And if there's one thing that Maud knows how to deal with quickly and efficiently, it's a problem.

~

Part of me wants to be just like Maud. This woman is eighty-nine and still more than able to go on safari. She's got all her marbles. Her health and mobility are good. She's got enough money to live the life that she wants. Good for her! There's just one fly in the ointment: her attitude towards taking a life-- and this is one reason why some people will not see the humor in these stories, and why I call them a guilty pleasure. This is fiction, not real life. In fiction, isn't it nice to be able to do away with a thoroughly nasty human who's causing harm to others? I figure as long as I think a little fictional murder is okay does not stray into the real world, I should be okay.

What's so unsettling is Maud herself. She's irascible, yet once you learn of the life she's had to lead, she's sympathetic, too. You're not supposed to feel sympathetic toward a killer. The humor these stories contain can also keep you off balance. Just the thought of a little old eighty-nine-year-old woman carrying out a murder or two... shouldn't she be sitting in front of the fire with her knitting?

One of the things I found most enjoyable about this latest collection of Maud stories is that Maud gets drawn outside of herself and becomes involved in the lives of others. It's how she plans the next stage of her life that really put the smile on my face. I'm hoping that we might hear from this little old lady at least one more time.

 

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten

Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy.

eISBN: 9781641291682

Soho Press © 2021

eBook, 272 pages

 

Short Stories

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Deadly Hours by Kearsley, Harris, Huber & Trent

 

First Line: (from "Weapon of Choice") He would never tire of watching her sleep.

Four interconnected stories trace the journey of  a cursed and priceless watch from 1733 to 1944. From Italy to Scotland to England, the watch touches each of its owners with misfortune. 

Readers first see the watch, called La Sirène by its French pirate owner, in Susanna Kearsley's "Weapon of Choice," my pick of the stories. The travels continue in 1831's Edinburgh in Anna Lee Huber's "In a Fevered Hour" then Christine Trent's "A Pocketful of Death" finds readers in the streets of London during a series of chilling murders. The anthology ends with C.S. Harris's "Siren's Call" in 1944.

The owners were told what needed to be done in order to break the curse, but you know what happens when someone possesses something rare, priceless, and beautiful. From the description of the timepiece, I would have had a difficult time parting with it myself.

I enjoyed seeing how these four authors took an idea and ran with it. The only thing I didn't particularly care for was the acknowledgments at the end of each story. They were repetitive and really intruded on the flow of the narrative. It would have been much better if they'd all been relegated to the end of the book.

The Deadly Hours by

Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, 

Anna Lee Huber & Christine Trent

eISBN: 9781492664451

Poisoned Pen Press © 2020

eBook, 352 pages

 

Short Story Anthology

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Spoilt Quilt and Other Frontier Stories edited by Hazel Rumney

First Lines from the Introduction: For so long she was a footnote. Her story was not included within the main account of westward migration.

There's not much I can say about this excellent short story anthology other than WOW. If you love historical fiction, read The Spoilt Quilt. If you love stories about strong women, read The Spoilt Quilt. If you love stories about the American West, read The Spoilt Quilt.

I think I've probably gotten my point across by now!

This book first caught my eye because one of my favorite authors, Larry D. Sweazy, has a story included. Then I saw that the introduction is written by another favorite author, Chris Enss. When I looked at the table of contents, my mouth began to water. Sandra Dallas, Charlotte Hinger, Deborah Morgan... the longer the list, the more I wanted to read this book.

I'm glad I did. There's not a weak story in the bunch, and it's impossible for me to name one favorite. Speaking of favorites, I enjoyed all my favorite authors' stories, and I was introduced to several new authors. You can't beat that, can you?

The stories range from high-action ones to stories that are introspective. The women face life-changing challenges in settings far from civilized society, and the ways they deal with their challenges are as diverse as they are. The Spoilt Quilt is a wonderful collection that I urge all of you to read.

The Spoilt Quilt and Other Frontier Stories: Pioneering Women of the West
edited by Hazel Rumney

ISBN: 9781432864293

Five Star Publishing © 2019

Hardcover, 361 pages

Short Story Anthology

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

First Line: The shrill sound of the doorbell sliced through the silence.

Eighty-nine-year-old Maud keeps herself to herself. To the other tenants in the apartment building, they see an old lady who lives in an apartment that's much too big for her, and-- worst of all-- she doesn't pay a penny in rent! What those neighbors don't know would fill an encyclopedia.

Just as Maud entered university at the age of eighteen, her beloved father died. Her mother couldn't cope with the shame of finding out there was no money left, rapidly faded away, and died. Fortunately, a real estate deal was done that gave Maud and her sister their apartment rent-free for as long as they were alive.

For the next few decades, Maud was burdened with the care of an emotionally fragile sister who should've been put in assisted living but refused because, well, that was what Maud was for. Finally, when she was in her sixties, Maud was free to live her life as she chose. Perhaps she should be forgiven for wanting to stay where she'd lived her entire life and for all the traveling she does. Hasn't she paid her dues? (Take that, nosy neighbors!)

All this and more is what you learn as you read Helene Tursten's short story collection, An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good. I've been asked before what my "guilty pleasure" books are, and I've always responded that I never feel guilty about the books that I read. Life's too short and all that. But maybe... just maybe... I should call Maud a guilty pleasure character. In these stories, Maud runs into several folks who take one look at her and think that she's going to be easy to cheat. After all, she's a little old lady who uses a walker to get to the shops. Her mind's got to be going, right? Think again!

In this collection, Maud has to outwit someone trying to take her apartment away from her and someone else who's trying to steal her antiques-- and she's not above a little murder to take care of these people either. It's a pleasure to watch this old lady take care of her youngers and supposedly betters, and lest you get the idea that "it's all about Maud," that's not true. She's also willing to help out others she comes in contact with, although she certainly doesn't seek them out.

When I read one story that was written from an outsider's point of view, I thought to myself, "Why couldn't we get this story from Maud?" The very next story told us the events from her perspective. Tursten read my mind. Tursten also had fun having her two other characters, Detective Inspectors Irene Huss and Embla Nyström test their wits against Maud. An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good is a light, fun read that proves something I've always known: never underestimate the elderly.

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

eISBN: 9781641290128

Soho Crime © 2018

eBook, 185 pages

Short Stories, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Mystery Stories by Elizabeth Peters

This is a collection of three short stories written by Elizabeth Peters. As a teenager, I enjoyed the books she wrote under the pen name Barbara Michaels, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I read one of her Amelia Peabody books (which really didn't grab me).

"Liz Peters, PI" is about a woman crime fiction writer/private investigator who has a friend drop dead in front of her in her own home. I loved the voice of Liz and laughed when she invoked the name of "St. Kinsey." This is a Christmas-themed story and did warm my heart.

"The Locked Tomb" is one of her ancient Egyptian-themed mysteries involving the robbery of a sealed tomb. I found this to be the least enjoyable of the three, primarily because it was so easy to deduce who robbed the tomb and how.

The third story is "The Runaway," about two teenage girls who ran away from home and have sought shelter in a derelict farmhouse out in the country. Not only did I like the voice of the younger sister, but I also found the story to be creepy and perfect for Halloween reading.

Did these stories tempt me to continue to read Elizabeth Peters? Only time will tell! 

Mystery Stories by Elizabeth Peters

eISBN: 9781504055505

Open Road Integrated Media © 2018

eBook, 86 pages

Short Stories

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Sunshine Noir edited by Annamaria Alfieri & Michael Stanley

First Line from Timothy Hallinan's Preface: In a sense, Sunshine Noir was my inspiration from the get-go.

Cold weather and I are enemies. That's why I moved to the Sonoran Desert where the sun and heat suit me just fine. When I heard that there was a short story collection called Sunshine Noir, I knew I had to read it.

This collection of seventeen brand-new short stories are written by some of today's best crime fiction writers, and readers will find themselves in Africa, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Asia, the Middle East... anywhere there's plenty of sun and evil doings. The crimes are as varied as their locations, too.

I enjoyed every single story in this collection from beginning (Robert Wilson's "Extreme Heat") to end (Colin Cotterill's "When You Wish Upon a Star"). My favorite story title? That would have to be Tamar Myers' "Corpus Crispy," which is set right here in the Phoenix area. Most memorable line? "They live in a world that no longer exists" from Michael Stanley's "Spirits." Which is my favorite story? When my choices include gems like "Snake Skin" by Ovidia Yu, "The Sultan Rules Mombasa" by Annamaria Alfieri, Jeffrey Siger's "Someone Moved the Sun," and Kwei Quartey's "The Man in Prampram" (among so many others), it's impossible to choose just one.

I've been reading more short stories than I ever have before, and one thing that I can say with complete assurance is this: Sunshine Noir is the best collection I've read this year. Not only that, I've been introduced to some new-to-me writers, and I fully intend to read more of their work.
 

Sunshine Noir edited by Annamaria Alfieri & Michael Stanley

ISBN: 9780997968903

White Sun Books © 2016

Paperback, 278 pages

Crime-Themed Short Story Collection

Rating: A

Source: the editors


     

Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson

From the Acknowledgements: After I was fortunate enough to win the Cowboys & Indians Tony Hillerman Award with "Old Indian Trick," the first short story in this collection and the first short story I had ever written, I got the bright idea that I'd send it to the folks who subscribed to my newsletter as a free gift for the holidays.

Author Craig Johnson just didn't know what he was getting himself into. The following November fans starting asking him about that year's Christmas Eve story, and thus began a tradition. Each Christmas Eve, those fans who've signed up at Johnson's website are treated to a short story-- another little glimpse into the life of beloved character Sheriff Walt Longmire. It didn't take long for folks to start asking about print editions of these stories, and Wait for Signs is the first collection. 

Having read each tale-- except for the brand-new "Petunia, Bandit Queen of the Bighorns"-- in my Christmas Eve emails, I looked forward to having a copy sitting on my Craig Johnson shelf in my personal library. With an introduction by Lou Diamond Phillips who portrays Henry Standing Bear on the hit television series Longmire, this volume contains gems, including "Divorce Horse" and "Messenger" which have only been available as digital editions. These stories are filled with humor, with the characters so many fans have grown to love like family, and with glimpses into Walt's present and past. 

Wait for Signs is the perfect introduction for new readers who have yet to travel to Absaroka County, Wyoming, and it's perfect for fans. As soon as I got my copy, I had to sit down and start reading because I quite simply needed a Walt Fix. Yes, I'd read them before, but there's no better pick-me-up than to laugh at the sly wit in "Old Indian Trick," to revisit the Port-A-Potty in "Messenger," to meet the woman who believes Walt is a deity in "Ministerial Aide," or to laugh at the pork rind-addicted crooks in "High Holidays."

I'd better warn you: if you're a first-time Craig Johnson reader when you pick up Wait for Signs, don't be surprised if you immediately begin a fevered quest to get your hands on all books Walt Longmire. Craig Johnson's writing is more addictive than those Lays potato chips we used to hear about all the time.

Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson

ISBN: 9780525427919

Viking © 2014

Hardcover, 192 pages

Short Stories, Sheriff Walt Longmire

Rating: B+

Source: Publicist 

Blarney: 12 Tales of Lies, Crime & Mystery by Steve Hockensmith

First Lines (from Introduction): I'd like to think I'm not a bloviator, backslapper or braggart. But I do know a thing or two about blarney.

After reading several excellent high tension books in a row, I was in need of something good and something fun. That's when I remembered that I'd found yet another Steve Hockensmith short story collection, and all I had to do was grab my Kindle and find it. Once again, this author did not disappoint.

Gathered together after being published in various magazines and anthologies (and being nominated for-- and winning-- awards along the way), these twelve tales run the gamut of emotions and situations. For me, the weakest of the lot was "Fred Menace, Commie for Hire" about a Communist private investigator. Menace certainly knows how to wisecrack his way through dangerous situations, but I've never been a fan of the Humphrey Bogart-style gumshoe. In "The Case of the Unfortunate Fortune Cookie" we learn why fortune cookies no longer contain real fortunes, and in "The MacGuffin Theft Case" there's a very amusing answer to why pizzas are round.

Ex-cop turned private investigator Larry Erie stars in six of the twelve stories. "Erie's Last Day" lets us see how Erie spends his last day before he retires from the police force, and succeeding stories show him in retirement and then some of the cases he gets when he's persuaded to become a P.I. Erie is a marvelous character, and I would love to see him in a full-length novel. (Come on, Steve-- geriatric sleuths are In!)

The best story of the lot-- the one that tugs at your heart and really revs up your brain cells-- is "Didn't Do Nothing" about an innocent young man caught in the middle of a Chicago drug war. I would tend to be suspicious of anyone who could read this and be unmoved by it.

Based on my reading his Homes on the Range historical mysteries and his short stories, Steve Hockensmith has rapidly become one of my favorite crime fiction authors. I never used to be a fan of short stories, but this man is almost single-handedly changing my mind. He just might change yours, too. Give him a try-- You don't need an eReader; this collection is in print, too!

Blarney: 12 Tales of Lies, Crime & Mystery by Steve Hockensmith
ASIN: B0081887V2
Amazon Digital Services © 2012
eBook, 258 pages

Short Stories
Rating: A
Source: Purchased as an eBook from Amazon.

Book Club by Loren D. Estleman

First Line: Chief Dockerty knew the shadiest spot in New Mexico wasn't the Santa Rita copper Mine in Silver City.

No, he knew that the shadiest spot was Avery Sharecross's bookshop, housed in a three-hundred-year-old mission right there in the town of Good Advice. Chief Dockerty is there to interrupt the meeting of Sharecross's book club because he needs the former police detective's help. The body of Good Advice's premier book collector has been found on the floor of his family library, and Dockerty needs the sharp eye of a fellow collector to help him find a killer.

I stumbled across this short story while looking for something else, and the line "Bibliomysteries: Short Tales about Deadly Books" -- and its price-- sold me. "Book Club" is a neatly crafted and swiftly moving tale that will please any book-loving sleuth. How could you not be lured in after reading one of the descriptions of the bookshop:

Generations of children had dared one another to approach the place after dark, when the ghosts of William Shakespeare and Mark Twain prowled among the stacks (or during the day, when the proprietor did the haunting); none accepted. Even at high noon, a visitor needed a flashlight to explore the place without running into Thackeray or Gibbon and cracking a tooth.

I really enjoyed watching Sharecross spot evidence and put the clues together. Combine the little mystery with the author's obvious love of books, and this story is a winner. Moreover, like one of those late night commercials, you're going to hear me say, "But wait-- there's more!" This is only one of the short stories in the Bibliomysteries series. Others are written by talented crime fiction authors such as Anne Perry, Jeffery Deaver, Laura Lippman, C.J. Box, and Ken Bruen (plus others). I feel as though I stumbled upon a small treasure box of gems, and I fully intend to indulge myself by reading the rest.

I would recommend that you read "Book Club" (and the others) if you love books and you love crime fiction. These short stories are perfect palate cleansers between full-length novels, and they're also a wonderful way of test driving authors you've heard about but may not have read yet.

Book Club by Loren D. Estleman

ASIN: B00BI9VYVG

Open Road © 2013

eBook, 21 pages

Short Story, #8 Bibliomystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon. 

Dark & Merciless Things by Kate Ellis

First Line: (from Foreword) Kate Ellis is best known for her series of books-- there are sixteen of them at the time of writing, the latest being The Cadaver Game-- set in a fictional version of Dartmouth and featuring her likable cop, DI Wesley Peterson.

I've been recommending Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series to everyone for at least six years now, and if you still haven't sampled her work, this collection of ten short stories would be a perfect place to start.

The stories are set in various time periods; for example, "Les Inconnus" takes place in 1890s Paris when unclaimed bodies fished from the River Seine were put on display at the Morgue in hopes that they would be identified. Other stories take place in the present day, the aftermath of World War II, sixteenth century Liverpool, and so on.

What I love about them are the twists and turns each one takes to its conclusion. Reading them is like trying to cross a Lego-strewn floor barefoot in the dark. Just as you think you know where the story is heading-- ouch-- you're thrown off balance and have to get your bearings once again. Each one is a brightly polished little gem of plotting, and reading them is an absolute pleasure.

Haven't read Kate Ellis? Get your hands on ten Dark & Merciless Things. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you move on to her other two series, one featuring the aforementioned Wesley Peterson, and the other, another fine police detective, Joe Plantagenet. I enjoy them both!

Dark & Merciless Things by Kate Ellis

ASIN: B008FB9A2K

Kate Ellis © 2012

eBook, 138 pages

Short Stories

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon. 

Dear Mr. Holmes: Seven Holmes on the Range Mysteries by Steve Hockensmith

First Line (from Introduction): It all began with a short story.

Sometimes I just want to have fun while I'm reading, and when that mood swept over me this month, I found myself turning to Steve Hockensmith's collection of seven short stories about the Amlingmeyer brothers-- the cowboy detectives of the Old West. It did not disappoint.

When reading the author's collection of Christmas short stories, I learned to read everything included so I wouldn't miss a single laugh, and the same thing holds true for Dear Mr. Holmes. Since most of these stories were originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, there are several copyright notices. Read 'em. All of 'em. And the introduction contains not only a few chuckles, but the tale of just how Old Red And Big Red Amlingmeyer came into existence, which is very interesting indeed.

The seven stories contained in this collection are "Dear Mr. Holmes," "Gustav Amlingmeyer, Holmes of the Range," "Wolves in Winter," "Dear Mr. Watson," "The Water Indian," "The Devil's Acre," and "Greetings from Purgatory!"  Every one is a gem.

Each one is written in the form of a letter to various magazines of the day, or to someone like Dr. Watson himself, and Big Red invariably mentions a manuscript or story that he'd mailed earlier. He usually takes a while to shoot the breeze with the letter's recipient before he actually begins telling his tale, and as I read I couldn't help but think that I wouldn't mind receiving a few of these letters from that tall, red-headed cowpoke. The stories move from being hilarious to downright creepy, and the Old West feels so real that I swear I could hear the jingle of spurs as I turned the pages.

If you've been intrigued by Steve Hockensmith's series of mysteries featuring two cowboy sleuths in the American West of the 1890s, but you haven't really wanted to invest the time it would take to read one of the books, this collection of short stories is an excellent place to start. Once you've sampled how Old Red and Big Red Amlingmeyer solve a case, I wouldn't be at all surprised if you headed straight out to the corral to rope a few of those books. It's real easy to take a shine to these two brothers.

Dear Mr. Holmes: Seven Holmes on the Range Mysteries by Steve Hockensmith

© Steve Hockensmith, 2011

eBook, 210 pages

Short Stories

Rating: A

Source: Purchased as an eBook from Amazon. 

Naughty: Nine Tales of Christmas Crime by Steve Hockensmith

First Line (from Introduction): Reading this collection, you might get the impression that I don't like Christmas.

Once you begin reading these nine short stories, you will know that first line simply is not true. Steve Hockensmith loves Christmas, he loves writing about crime, and when he can combine the two, it's magic.

Sometimes when I see a book cover or a title, I just know that I'm going to love the book, and this is what happened to me with Naughty. The nine stories run the gamut of yuletide criminal activity, and you'll be hard pressed not to read the entire collection with a smile on your face.

"Fruitcake" is a grin-inducing tale about the love-crazed shenanigans of an old woman in a nursing home. A young woman hired as an elf in a shopping mall tells us how "I Killed Santa Claus." The guy in the office that we all love to hate has an interesting experience with his "Secret Santa." In "Humbug" we learn that Scrooge is dead. A gift wrapper in the mall decides to get even with a "Naughty" lecher. In perhaps the most touching of the tales, a little girl and her even younger brother find a gift in their mother's closet in "Hidden Gifts." There's a plot against Santa in "Red Christmas," and two dim-witted burglars attempt to rob a church on Christmas Eve in "Naiveté." The last tale, "Special Delivery," about a trucker trying to deliver a shipment of Cabbage Patch dolls in time for Christmas, struck a special chord with me, since I worked retail during that particular toy craze. Occasionally characters from one tale will appear in another, and you'll greet them with a smile and a "Hey, I know you!"

These stories are little marvels that induce smiles, laughs, tender feelings, personal memories-- everything that the holiday season is about. It's a bonus for all crime fiction fans that they also contain a little murder and mayhem. I urge you all to read these short stories, and-- when you do-- read every bit of them: acknowledgements, notes, dedications... every single solitary scrap. You see, Steve Hockensmith sprinkles joy and laughter throughout the entire collection, and I wouldn't want you to miss a single comma, dot, or dash.

Naughty: Nine Tales of Christmas Crime by Steve Hockensmith

ISBN: 9781477421857

CreateSpace © 2012

Paperback, 212 pages

Humor, Short Stories

Rating: A+

Source: Downloaded as an eBook from Amazon. 

Edie Kiglatuk's Christmas by M.J. McGrath

First Line: The shortest day of the year didn't count for much up on Ellesmere Island.

It's just a few days before Christmas on Ellesmere Island, a remote area in the Nunavut Territory bordering Greenland, and it's been dark for two months. A body is found in the snow, and what others at first believe to be a drunken accident, Edie Kiglatuk sees as a fight that turned deadly. If it was a fight, everyone thinks only one person could be responsible, and when that person goes into hiding with the victim's three-year-old daughter, Edie knows she has to find them before a vigilante search party does.

I've been reading good things about M.J. McGrath's books White Heat and The Boy in the Snow, so when I had the opportunity to read this short story, I couldn't say no. I've found these digital "extras" to be the perfect way to introduce myself to new books and authors, and "Edie Kiglatuk's Christmas" was no exception. The description of the setting had me appreciating the land's bleak beauty while thinking I had to snap icicles off my earlobes. Edie herself is just the type of character I can get attached to, and with a magical twist at story's end, what can I say? Those two M.J. McGrath novels have moved from my wish list onto a purchase receipt. I definitely want to know more about Edie and the country she calls home.

"Edie Kiglatuk's Christmas" by M.J. McGrath

Digital short story, 66 pages

Penguin Books © 2013

Short Story

Rating: B

Source: NetGalley

Death Before Compline: Short Stories by Sharan Newman

First Line: (From the Introduction) The seven stories in this collection were written between 1996 and 2011.

It's been a while since Sharan Newman's last Catherine Levendeur mystery, so I was thrilled to hear of this collection of short stories set in twelfth century Europe. This slim little volume begins with a special introduction in which Newman gives an overview of the series in its entirety. If I hadn't already read the books, this overview would have had me ordering them straight away.

Each of the seven stories focuses on an aspect of the family and of medieval France. The first, "The Beast Without," is based upon a story by the twelfth-century writer Marie de France. I felt as if I'd walked into a fairy tale, and as it so happens, "The Beast Without" is one of my favorites in this book.

"Conventual Spirit" takes place before the start of the mystery series and gives us a glimpse of Catherine in a convent in Brittany-- and why she didn't fit in with the nuns there. "Death Before Compline" is my other favorite in this selection and is the reason for the recipes that are included in the back of the book.

Each story begins a bit of background in which we learn that Newman wanted to explore a certain character's life, or that it was written with a certain theme in mind. I do enjoy this glimpses into the writing process, and each one adds to its short story.

Death Before Compline will appeal to all: those who are already fans of Catherine Levendeur, and those who have yet to read the books. In fact, these short stories are an excellent introduction to the series, so if you're an historical mystery lover who's thinking of trying Sharan Newman's books for the first time, this would be a good place to start. 

Death Before Compline by Sharan Newman

ISBN: 9780866988001

Bagwyn Books © 2012

Paperback, 126 pages

Short Stories, Historical Mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen

Christmas in Absaroka County by Craig Johnson

Any time I hear of the availability of new Craig Johnson books or stories, I drop what I'm doing and head on over to get my copies because I know good, enjoyable reading awaits.

This compilation of Christmas-themed short stories featuring Craig Johnson's Sheriff Walt Longmire of Absaroka County, Wyoming, shows us four short glimpses into Walt's life during various holiday seasons.

"Ministerial Aid" shows Walt in a beat-up bathrobe and nursing a mean hangover while dealing with a delusional elderly victim of domestic abuse.

"Slick-Tongued Devil" shows Walt blindsided by grief when his wife's obituary reappears in the newspaper and a stranger knocks on his door two days before Christmas.

"Toys for Tots" sends Walt out Christmas shopping with his daughter Cady, and while Cady is inside the mall, Walt just may be able to grant the Christmas wish of a young Navy chaplain.

Last but not least, "Unbalanced" has Walt picking up a young female hitchhiker and trying to help her whether she wants it or not.

All four stories show that-- even when Walt's at his worst-- he's still miles better than most of us on our best days. That's because he genuinely cares about people, no matter if he's hung over or grumbling about human stupidity, and he's willing to go that extra two miles. Like Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, Sheriff Walt Longmire believes that "everyone counts, or nobody counts." We all know we should be like those two men and live that belief, too-- but they're much better in their follow-through.

If you've watched A&E's Longmire series based on Craig Johnson's books and you've wanted to see what his writing is like, or if you've just heard someone raving about how good this author is, these four short stories will be perfect introductions to his main character without committing yourself to a full-length book. Trust me-- once you've read them, keep on reading because chapter one of the first Walt Longmire book, The Cold Dish, is included. Once you've read that, you're going to be a goner... and a happy one at that.

For those of us who are long-time Craig Johnson fans, three of these short stories will be familiar, but we won't care. We'll re-read short stories, we'll watch a TV series, we'll do practically anything to get a Walt Longmire fix until that next book comes out!

"Christmas in Absaroka County: Walt Longmire Christmas Stories" by Craig Johnson

ISBN: 9781101623718

Penguin © 2012

eBook

Christmas-themed short stories showcasing the character of Sheriff Walt Longmire

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon and downloaded to my Kindle.

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

First Line: "The spirits are strong in this one," says the man in the white robe and gumboots.

For any fan of Elly Griffiths' Dr. Ruth Galloway mystery series, the man in the white robe and gumboots will be recognized immediately as Ruth's friend, Cathbad, and with that bit of familiarity, the aforementioned fan will settle in for an all-too-short but enjoyable read.

Forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway has never done Christmas before, but now that her daughter is a year old and can actually enjoy it a bit, Ruth wants the entire celebration to be memorable and perfect. It's three days before Christmas, it's bitterly cold in Norfolk, England, and Ruth has to get a tree, decorations, food, presents, clean the house, and cook. But the more plans and good intentions Ruth has, the more difficulties seem to be arising to waylay each and every one.

This is a short story meant to give fans of the mystery series a special little glimpse into Ruth's personal life when she's not busy trying to solve a murder. As such it's a neat little gem of a story, but if a reader comes to this expecting to be introduced to the series, it is more apt to confuse than to welcome. Newcomers may feel that the characters are not given a proper introduction, and that too much information is given in the space of a few pages.

If you're new to Elly Griffiths' Dr. Ruth Galloway series and decided to "test the waters" with this free short story, welcome aboard. If you read the story and feel a bit like an outsider, try the first book in the series (the award-winning The Crossing Places). If you haven't fallen in love with the Norfolk setting and the character of Ruth Galloway within the first few chapters, I'd be very surprised.

For established fans-- like me-- it's a wonderful little glimpse into Ruth's life to help tide us over until the next book.

"Ruth's First Christmas Tree" by Elly Griffiths

ISBN: 9780544147775

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt © 2012

eBook short story FREE on Kindle or Nook

A Christmas-themed short story for fans of the Dr. Ruth Galloway series

Rating: B

Source: Downloaded to my Kindle from Amazon.

The Gun Also Rises by Jeffrey Cohen

Title: The Gun Also Rises
Author: Jeffrey Cohen
Format: eBook
Genre: Cozy, Amateur Sleuth, Short Story, Humorous Mystery, Prequel to the Aaron Tucker mystery series
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased from Barnes and Noble.

First Line: "So he pulled a gun out of his pocket."

It's not easy being a freelance reporter and work-at-home dad. Aaron Tucker is hired to write a piece on a local minor league baseball player and discovers that the young man died under mysterious circumstances. He's having a difficult time focusing on the assignment because his six-year-old son, Ethan (not yet diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome), has been framed with a dastardly crime: bringing a water pistol to his first-grade class.

There's not much to say about this short story without giving a whole lot of good stuff away. What I will say is that it's short, breezy, and fun-- a perfect introduction to the Aaron Tucker mystery series (and I happen to have the first book waiting for me on my well-stocked to-be-read shelves). I have yet to read anything by Jeffrey Cohen/E.J. Copperman that I haven't liked, and I think it's safe to say that this trend will continue well into the foreseeable future.

The only other thing that I'm willing to divulge is this: "The Gun Also Rises" is hilarious and not suitable for reading in bed while your partner is asleep. Trust me.

The Gun Also Rises for Your Kindle.

The Gun Also Rises for Your Nook.

Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler

Title: Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop
Editor: Otto Penzler
ISBN: 9781593156176
Publisher: Vanguard Press, 2010
Hardcover, 256 pages
Genre: Short Stories
Rating: B
Source: Paperback Swap

From the Introduction: As a way of thanking our customers for their support, I have commissioned an original story from some of the finest mystery writers in America each Christmas season for the past 17 years.


As owner of fabled The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, Penzler laid out a few ground rules for these stories:

1. The story must be a mystery/crime/suspense story.
2. It must be set during the Christmas season.
3. At least some of the action must take place in The Mysterious Bookshop.

In their entirety, this collection of short stories has a lot to say about The Mysterious Bookshop and its owner. I would love to pay a visit there to see how closely fiction resembles truth.

There are seventeen stories in this book written by famous mystery writers and some who may not be quite as famous, but are just as skilled. As a whole, it's a strong collection that any mystery reader should enjoy.

For me, the strongest stories in the book had humor, irony and the occasional touch of poignancy. Stories like Ron Goulart's "Murder for Dummies," Ed McBain's "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus," "The Grift of the Magi" by S.J. Rozan, and "Christmas Spirit" by Michael Malone.

Any way you serve it up, Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop is a perfectly murderous way to put yourself in the holiday spirit!

Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop at Amazon.

Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop at The Book Depository.

Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop at Your Favorite Indie Bookseller.