Back
in April 2012 I first told you about Warning
Signs by Jan Christensen. Four years later and for this first Friday in
November, I remind you why this short story collection is a good one. For the
full list of other reading suggestions, head on over to Patti Abbott’s blog.
Warning Signs by award winning author Jan
Christensen is made up of three short stories that were previously published in
print and online markets. This collection is a bit less than 19, 000 words and
each story is a good one. Each story has a small intro, a brief explanation of
how the story came about, and details on where the piece first appeared.
The book opens with the longest story “Warning Signs.” Rhoda isn’t happy with her
ex-husband Hank for a lot of reasons. For one thing, he isn’t paying his child
support for their daughter Tiffany. To draw attention to the problem, Rhoda had
a bright idea to put up a few wanted posters with Hank’s picture prominently
displayed along a local highway. He owes fourteen thousand in back child
support and with Tiffany in kindergarten and other issues, Rhoda is desperate.
Somebody put up a “For Sale” sign in
her front yard and Rhoda is sure Hank did it. She decides to retaliate by
placing “garage sale” signs in his new more expensive neighborhood so that Hank
and his new wife Melanie can get a dose of their own medicine. It is going to
be a busy Saturday for Hank and his wife and serves them right.
The war takes a new turn that Sunday
morning when she comes outside to find her ex dead beside her car with the
apparent murder weapon, one of her old iron skillets, on the ground next to
him. Rhoda takes the skillet, washes it, and puts it away where it belongs in
her kitchen before calling 911. Rhoda soon learns she wasn’t the only one angry
at Hank and possibly wanted him dead.
28 year old Connie is not divorced yet
but the divorce is coming in “Overkill.”
She is supposed to meet with her divorce attorney, Jerry, but one thing after
another happens delaying her arrival at his office. When she finally does get
there she finds him apparently dead at his desk. The murder weapon still
embedded deep in his chest.
Soon named as a suspect and arrested,
Connie has no choice but to take help anywhere she can get it to clear her
name. That includes her soon to be ex-husband Howard who has more on his mind
then clearing her name.
The final story titled “Quack” involves
a kidnapping. Awhile back Josie defended a guy, Harley Summers, who shot
up a local coffeehouse. Fortunately, he didn’t hit anyone but he still ended up
serving jail time. He is now out supposedly none too happy about having
had to serve jail time. That makes him the obvious suspect when Josie
disappears and her aunt Reba is told that the ransom is 50K. The police
can’t be involved and fortunately, Reba is not only also a lawyer, but a
resourceful woman who has people she can trust.
Coming in a bit less than 19,000 words
this small short story collection is a fun and fast read full of mystery and
double dealing with the occasional flash of humor. These three stories feature
women who can handle their business and deal with whatever comes their way.
Feisty and independent, the heroines don’t wait to be rescued but take action
on their own to get the job done. Violence is kept at a minimum in these three
stories as are the body counts and descriptions of the death scenes. Instead,
the focus in Warning Signs is more on the psychology of people and their
relationships and how folks may interact in ways that are not revealed until
the aftermath of a murder.
The award winning author has publicly
stated Warning Signs is the first of a collection series with more
around various themes planned in the future.
Warning Signs (Warning Signs #1)
Jan Christensen
April 2012
ASIN# B007ROBUOC
E-Book
$1.99
Material supplied by the author in
exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2012, 2016
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1 comment:
I enjoy reading Jan Christensen's mystery fiction. Kevin, you always write insightful reviews.
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