Short Story Wednesday Review: Guilty Crime Story Magazine: Issue Three, Winter 2022

Guilty Crime Story Magazine: Issue Three, Winter 2022 opens with “Oksana” by Robb T. White. Miko has a plan for he and Frank to make some money thanks to a spy camera and the wealthy women who come to the hotel. It could have worked.

 

Stacy also has a plan to get rich in “Soft Mouths” by Dustin Walker. ­­_­­­Her target, Lewis, is also being uncooperative and not paying what he owes. She worked far too hard to let Lewis slide. She has to send a message and make it clear that she means business.

 

The fact that Danny, a friend of the family, killed Frank right in front of her made our narrator mad in “Red Heels On Linoleum” by Ethan Robles. The fact that he would walk in, put two in her husband’s chest like it was just business, and leave is not remotely acceptable. It can’t be allowed to stand.

 

“Simple” by Brandon Barrows comes up next where Liam Burke is deeply troubled by a secret. He uncovered what was going a few weeks back and has been justifiably upset. It has taken him some time to wrap his head around the issue and come up with a plan. The truth has not set him free, so far, but that is about to change.

 

“Tibet Has A Book Of The Dead, Too” by Roy Hall features a card reader who claims to be able to speak to the dead. A man who works for a rich elderly woman will bring her to him for a cut of the money she pays for the reading. The man will also provide details so that the reader can work his scam to perfection. All he has to do is reference Egyptian stuff as the woman is into the Egyptian culture and mythology. That was the plan. 

He knows that the beautiful woman that just sat down two stools away from him in the bar has selected him as her target for the evening. He does not yet know why as “Mark” by Mike McHone begins. She has a plan. He does as well. The first step in his plan is to determine what she wants with him.

 

Bruce Harris is up next with “Aleatory” by Bruce Harris. Eddie Blunt has a facial deformity and wants it fixed. He also wants to get even with a bully from school. Both of his wants come together in a plan that he is sure will work.

 

The issue concludes with a detailed review by Anthony Perconti of Bad Boy Boogie by Thomas Pluck.

 

Having a plan is the theme of Guilty Crime Story Magazine: Issue Three, Winter 2022. Previous issues have established that this magazine leans toward the noir side of the crime fiction ledger and that continues here. So, there is no reader surprise when most, if not all, of the plans do not work out as originally intended. Or, just maybe, they did work out exactly as the fickle finger of Fate intended all along. One never knows if one really charts one’s own destiny or everything was set in motion before conception.

 

Guilty Crime Story Magazine: Issue Three, Winter 2022 are all good ones and with your time. 

 

My July 2021 review of the first issue can be found here.

My September 2021 review of the second issue can be found here.

 

 

I purchased my reading copy at the pre-publication opportunity in late December 2021 before publication day on January 1^st. Like everything here, I was just slow to read it and even slower to review it.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2022