First and foremost, I would like to apologize for being so late with today’s entry for Friday’s Forgotten Books. It has been a very long day. The good news is that her doctor is shocked and amazed at how well she is doing at this point. Everything she has been dealing with is normal and so far she is doing far better than expected. Her next round of chemo is scheduled for the 17th and hopefully in the meantime everything will keep holding steady overall.
Secondly, it seemed fitting after recently reviewing MURDER NEW YORK STYLE: FRESH SLICES which is the second book in the series that I repeat my 2007 review on the first book---MURDER NEW YORK STYLE. The complete list of book recommendations is available again this week on Todd Mason’s excellent blog, Sweet Freedom. Spend some time over there as it will be well worth your time.
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Regional anthologies, as opposed to ones on a certain literary theme or device, seem to be very popular these days. Usually it is a state or a region of the country but in this case it is a city. One would think it would be published by a publisher there. Instead, and what pulled my attention to it in the first place, was the fact that it was done by the same Texas publisher that did Sylvia Dickey’s “Dance On His Grave” novel. L&L Dreamspell seems to be doing a lot of interesting things in a wide variety of areas.
Showcasing New York past and present, these twenty one tales by authors of the Sisters in Crime New York/Tri State Chapter contain murder and mayhem in a variety of forms.
“Name Tagging” by Randy Kandel, who pulls double duty as editor and also serves as President of the chapter, revolves around murder and deception at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Friendship leads to murder in “Mister Right” by Ronnie Klaskin in a way you will never see coming.
New York very well could be the shopping capital of the world especially in terms of fake goods. A certain knock off purse in “the Knock Off” by Chelle Martin just might be more trouble than it or the real counterpart is worth.
Bodies in the backyard should not appear before ten in the morning—especially on a Saturday. If one does, it would be nice not to have Mrs. Zablonksky living next door. Once she starts screaming about the body in the backyard there is no way Lydia is going to get back to sleep in “Out In The Cold” by Meredith Cole.
Being the adult child of a cop as well as a cop herself isn’t easy for Ellie in “NYPDaughter” by Triss Stein. Such a situation makes one see the world very differently.
Lies take on a life of their own in “The Lie” by Anita Page. It may be forty years later but the lie never went away.
Teaching business at Hudson College isn’t the background one really needs to catch a test thief in “None of the Above” by Deirdre Verne. Professor Zoe Johnstone is not about to let that stop her as she hunts for a thief.
Also included in this anthology are stories from Cynthia Baxter, Fran Bannigan Cox, Peggy Ehrhart, Erica Harth, Marianna Heusler, Nan Higginson, M. E. Kemp, Margarret Mendel, Terrie Farley Moran, Dorothy Mortman, R. M. Peluso, Pearl Wolf, Lina Zeldovich, and Elizabth Zelvin. The sketches that frame the eight sections of the book were done by Kat (no last name listed) and the cover art was done by Rebecca A. Kandel.
Featuring diverse backgrounds and varied settings such as belly dancing in a nightclub, a vice president’s office, a mill factory, each story is clearly and distinctively New York. Each story features rich characterizations and an avoidance for the most part of graphic violence. Humor occasionally plays a part in these tales which often unroll at a sedately pace whether set now or far in the past. The result is an anthology that will bring hours of pleasure for those so inclined to partake and serve not only to entertain with mystery but to provide a sort of cultural roadmap to the city.
Murder New York Style: 21 Stories By Authors Of Greater New York
Edited By Randy Kandel
L & L Dreamspell
http://www.lldreamspell.com/
November 2007
ISBN# 978-1-60318-032-0
Large Trade Paperback
339 Pages
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9 comments:
Thanks for the good news, as well as the review, of a book mostly by names I'm slightly familiar with but I suspect I've barely read yet...should fix that...
Thank you for everything, Todd.
WONDERFUL news that Sandi is doing better than even her doctor expected. Yay.
That it is, Lisa. I think "stunned" applies based on the visit today.
Kevin, as one of the contributers to Murder New York Style, I very much appreciate your nice review.
Glad to hear your good news about Sandi.
Terrific news about Sandi's progress, Kevin. :) And thanks for showcasing the first MURDER NEW YORK STYLE (2007), which was the first publication for me and a number of the other authors. BTW, Catherine Maiorisi, who has an outstanding story in MURDER NEW YORK STYLE: FRESH SLICES, is the current president of the New York chapter of Sisters in Crime. Anthologies like these not only illuminate the life and crimes of a city or region, but provide great opportunities for writers.
Thank you Anita and Elizabeth. I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment.
So nice of you to take the time, when there's so much going on, Kevin. Very glad to hear that Sandi, who seems paradoxically not only tough but a sweet peach of a gal, is doing well with her treatment, and I hope you're feeling some better, too!
Thank you, Clar2e.
I'm just trying to keep things going here as best as I can--on all fronts. :))
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