Short Story Wednesday: Three Strikes-You’re Dead! Edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley

 

After an interesting introduction by SJ Rozan that points out the parallels connecting sports and crime, it is on to the fourteen stories that make up the anthology, Three Strikes-You’re Dead! The entering anthology edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley was published in April 2024. While it has been in my massive TBR pile for months, that is only because I am way slower in everything I do these days.

 

One thing that has never changed is I read anthologies straight through from front to back. I have always believed that, even when I don’t necessarily see it, and editor or editor has a plan and thus the stories are set up in the sequence they want readers to read the book.

 

So, the stories I briefly cover below are my personal favorites in the order that they appear in the read. All the stories in the anthology are very good. These are just the ones that resonated with me the best.

 

P. J. “Bulldog” Johnson provided the heroics that propelled his team to victory and their shot in the World Series. He then went and died at the plate in “Murder At Home” by Alan Orloff. Now the Mets General Manager, George Willingham, wants to know what happened and has tasked Assistant Hitting Coach Rick Baines with the job of finding out.

 

Elspeth Mead knows what she knows about bounty hunting from watching some videos and extensive reading of the Stephanie Plum series of books by Janet Evanovich. (Editorial note---the early books are good and then the series got way too predictable and I dropped it.) She lives in Massachusetts and found her own bail bondsman to work for by the name of Antonio Raffagino. As the short story, “The Ultimate Bounty Hunter,” by Sherry Harris begins, she is doing better than her idol in one respect—no cars have blown up to this point in her career. But, she is freezing as she lies on the nearly frozen ground at 11:30 at night as she watches a house and waits for a sign of Culver Krantz.

 

Detective Paddy Doyle is grinding out his last few weeks on the job as carefully as he can so that he can get his pension. Kennedy and Johnson are now in office, things are looking good for the country, and his plan is to keep his head down and not rock the boat. Then the journeyman boxer walks into the precinct and finds his desk. Johnny “Tag” Rowley shows up and wants to get his name cleared. Considering what he did, that is nearly an impossible task.

 

Instead of trying to fix a reputation, getting even is the theme of “Runny Interference” by Kathryn Prater Bomey. Elena Martinez deserves her moment as the star of the band show. With that now in jeopardy, Kinsey Kennedy plans to even the scales of justice.

 

Though sports are involved, “Of Mice And (Murdered) Men” by Rosalie Spielman is a bit of a departure from what is expected. It is also highly entertaining. Zooey isn’t human. She is a member of a large group that calls themselves “Transfigurateurs” or “Tfigs.” Basically, she is a shape shifter, and has the power to shape shift into any creature. That ability means she can go places and see things while being ignored by people unless she does something really obvious. So, you know she is going to witness a murder, right?

 

Back in the day, Mitchell Street was a cop. These days he runs a dojo and also works as a private investigator. That means he knows how to work the case when his friend, Sister George, comes to him about a serious problem. She has known Rory Alvarado since he started coming to the local community center many years ago. In the here and now, he was about to be called up to the majors. But, he failed a drug test. Sister George is sure he isn’t using steroids and wants Street to prove it and clear his name in “Cui Bono” by F. J. Talley.

 

No doubt your favorites would and will be different from mine. Regardless of that simple fact, all the stories in the anthology are good ones. Three Strikes-You’re Dead! is a mighty good read and is sure to score with you.

 

What? You thought I would not make at least one sports related Dad joke? It had to be done. Put the whistle away.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3H9aQ5p

 

I bought this read in digital format many months ago using funds in my Amazon Associate Account.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

Short Story Wednesday Review: Angel City Beat: A Sisters in Crime Los Angeles Anthology Editor Barb Goffman

 

I’m not one to get excited about book covers. In my opinion, book cover reveals, especially these days, are utterly meaningless. But, when Angel City Beat: A Sisters in Crime Los Angeles Anthology came out and I saw the cover, I was hooked. I thought it was a very cool cover and would be a book of police procedural short stories. After all, with a police badge prominently displayed on the cover, that was the visual impression for this reader. So, I didn’t pay much attention to the synopsis when I picked it up by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.

 

To be fair, Angel City Beat: A Sisters in Crime Los Angeles Anthology, edited by Barb Goffman, does have a few police procedurals in it. But, the vast majority of stories are not. As made clear in the introduction written by Naomi Hirahara, the goal was to go beyond police stories and include stories that were reporter based, screenwriter based, musician based, and other folks that have a “beat” in what they do. Set in various places across the county of Los Angeles, the resulting anthology of fifteen short stories is an interesting and entertaining read.

 

“The Missing Mariachi” by Aime Kluck starts off the stories with a missing person’s case. In Boyle Heights, a woman has been abducted. She is part of a mariachi band playing at a quinceañera and was taken from a banquet hall. The description of the abductor is lousy, but they do have a photograph of the vehicle the suspect was driving. For Isabella “Izzy” Zavala, Major Crimes Unit Detective, LAPD, it is a start and not nothing.

 

A fellow member of the writers’ room for the show, Murder Unjustified, is now dead in “Murder Unjustified” by Daryl Wood Gerber. Her best friend, Suzy, is dead and Angelica might have been the last person to see her alive before she was killed. There had been a lot of tension in the writers’ room and a lot of personal drama. Angelica was in charge, but had no knowledge of the many things that were going on behind her back. Being a suspect pushes her to investigate everything and everyone.

 

It is after 9 in the morning and yet the fog is still hanging in when reporter Charie Walter shows up on the scene. Detective Galuppo gives her a few details off the record. A finger was found by a hiker walking his dog. Detective Galuppo believes, based on the finger and other evidence, that the body is of a USC student who went missing ten years ago. If it is him, thanks to the internet, she now knows the names of some folks she should hunt down and talk to in “Getting Warmer” by Kate Mooney.

 

 

It is 1998 in “What’s Really Unforgettable” by Ken Funsten, CFA. Quentin Kieper runs a hedge fund, Acorn Financial, in Greenwich Connecticut. Detective Hank Chinaski calls with questions as a beaten and unconscious man was found at a parking structure near LAX. The victim had nothing on him except Mr. Keiper’s business card. As they talk, Mr. Kieper realizes that the man could be Wyatt Hu. The same Wyatt Hu who was about to take his company public in a deal would be worth a lot of money. Keiper has a lot of reasons to help the LAPD and that means he has to go to Los Angeles and get directly involved in the case.

 

It could easily be argued that Lace and Lisa are in the wrong place at the wrong time even though all they are doing is their jobs. It is Christmas Eve and they are in De La Rosa’s fish market selecting items for the dinner party they are to cater for a wealthy client. That is if they make it out alive in “The Feast of the Seven Fishes” by Gail Alexander.

 

As one who went through a very hard hospice situation with my late wife, the next story was really tough for me to read. Not that the story is a bad one. It certainly isn’t. It just brought up a lot of very painful stuff. The people who work hospice are very special folks and I don’t know how they do it.

 

Ella is a hospice nurse who usually works the night shift in “Death Beat” by Meredith Taylor. Of course, this is hospice care, so folks are going to die and soon. But, she has noticed that some patients seem to be dying too fast. She has her suspicions and investigates.

 

It is a few years into the future and water scarcity has become a huge problem in California. So much so there are distribution centers, severe water rationing, armed guards, and desperate people in “Everything’s Relative” by Jenny Carless. Blanca and Gemma each want more out of life in this science fiction tale and are intent on getting it for their family.

 

Somebody is killing in ingenuous ways those who would become the lead conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in “Settling The Score” by Anne-Marie Cambell. The outgoing music director, Octavio Herrera, has culled the list of qualified applicants to take over from him to a final four. Each person will perform an audition of sorts in public with the full orchestra. Assuming they each live long enough to perform.

 

It is a day in early May of 2024 and a female grad student is relaxing with a book when the diver’s body washed up on the Santa Monica beach. She was there and watched it happen. For reasons soon detailed, her life just got a bit better in “A Thesis On Murder” by Paula Bernstein. Her life also got more complicated.

 

The movie Paige watched on television that evening was very familiar as ‘Underbelly” by Jaquie Wilvers begins. It sure should be as she wrote the screenplay. The version on her tv is slightly different in a couple of spots, but clearly it is her stolen work. Thanks to the credits at the end, she knows the identity of the thief. The question is what to do about it.

 

Ken Funsten, CFA, has a second story in the book. “A Dead Hire” is focused on a young guy working in a boiler room. Not only is the gig a better deal than what his parents wanted him to do over the summer, the entire room is filled with fellow high school students and they are all female. Each person has a list of names to cold call and work and Brent figures it will be fun and easy. Will it?

 

Michaela Franklin found the body in the library. Now she is waiting for the police to arrive in “Fatal Return” by Sybil Johnson. She knew what to do, and more importantly, what not to do when she found Library Director Janice Appleton very much dead that morning. She also knows Detective Ben Dewey who has questions for her and others on staff.

 

Two interconnected parts drive “Crime Doesn’t Pay” by Norman Klein. The NYPD Detective is on vacation with his family when his boss called the Beverly Hills Police Chief to offer the vacationing detective’s services. After all, he is in the area. The two bosses know each other and the case is getting massive media attention. The unconscious man in the hospital needs help. That case will play a role in the second case in this story.

 

Daisy Campbell is a professional pet psychic. She has been brought in to work with the exceptional race horse, Frontier Justice. His jockey, Rob Cushing, died just days earlier after falling off the stallion during a workout and getting trampled by the horse. Daisy Campbell has been brought in to assess the mental state of the horse in “Unbeatable” by Melinda Loomis. The Santa Anita Handicap is just days away and the wealthy owners need to know what the horse is thinking about it all.

 

In the final story of the anthology, Barbie Bivens and Madison McKay are reporters at the LA Times. It is fitting with her name and her dad’s connections, that Barbie covers entertainment. Madison McKay has general assignments for the main news section of the paper. It is 1998 and actress Mimi Howards, Oscar winner, has been arrested for the murder of her husband, Steve Sloan. Witnesses and evidence indicate she did it in “Byline For Murder” by Nancy Cole Silverman. Editor Harry Simms wants the two reporters to work together, no matter how they feel about it and each other, and cover the story. Easier said than done.

 

Angel City Beat: A Sisters in Crime Los Angeles Anthology, edited by Barb Goffman, is an entertaining read. The fifteen stories presented here are all complex tales that bring their settings alive while also providing, in each case, a mystery or a crime well worth your time and attention. Showcasing a variety of writing styles and perspectives, there is sure to plenty here for you to read and enjoy.

 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3X0uR2M

 

 

As noted, my digital ready copy came by way of an Amazon purchase as the Dallas Public Library System was not going to carry it. I used funds in my Amazon Associate account.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

Little Big Crimes: Golden Parachute, by Travis Richardson

Little Big Crimes: Golden Parachute, by Travis Richardson:   "Golden Parachute," by Travis Richardson, in Murder, Neat, edited by Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, Level Short Books, 2024 ...

Little Big Crimes: A Matter of Trust, by Barb Goffman

Little Big Crimes: A Matter of Trust, by Barb Goffman:  "A Matter of Trust, by Barb Goffman, in Three Strikes -- You're Dead!, edited by Donna  Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley,...

Little Big Crimes: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bled, by Joseph S. D'Agnese

Little Big Crimes: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bled, by Joseph S...:  "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bled," by Joseph S. D'Agnese, in Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology, edited by Michael...

Short Story Wednesday Review: Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology

Reviewing an anthology is not easy. One wants to mention every story and not give away any spoilers. The result is that on some stories I go into a little more detail than others. One can see that below and it does not mean anything regarding the merits of the story, my preferences, or anything else. Some were just easier to comment on than others.

 

Murder Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology is a highly entertaining read from Level Short, a new imprint of Level Best Books. Edited by Michel Bracken and Barb Goffman, the read features twenty-four mystery tales by twenty-four authors that are all part of the SleuthSayers blog gamily. If you are not reading their various columns at website, you really should be as there is a lot of good stuff there.

 

After a short introduction by Robert Lopresti in which he explains the background of the site and how this anthology came to be, it is on to the stories. The tales involved vary in location and time period, but they all have one thing in common – bars.

 

The book opens with “Lyrics And Music” by Mark Thielman. Jimmy West is locked in to performing at a certain bar as he signed a contract with Mathew long ago. There is no escape for the faded star. Or, is there?

 

We move to a bar in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The place was an Irish Mob hangout in the day. All these years later when he comes back after getting out of prison, the place has radically changed in “The Atonement Of Michael Darcy” by David Dean. He has a lot to atone for and the score is not yet settled.

 

Leopard Longshanks, known as “Shanks” to most folks, was looking forward to lunch with Connor Davins in “Shank’s Sunbeam” by Robert Lopresti. The place Shanks selected is in Greenwich Village and they serve great food. The problem is Proctor Ade has spotted them and wants to join for lunch. That wasn’t the plan at all.

 

He can be counted on to show up at a certain tavern in “The Colonel” by Janice Law. His routine, in and outside of the place, never changes. That predictability means he has a ready made alibi for his plan.

 

In “Bourbon And Water” by John M. Floyd, maybe it was all a dream. At least, Sue Ellen thinks it was all a strange dream. But, was it?

 

Thomas Nest has his usual seat at the place in “When Lilacs Last In The Dooryard Bled” by Jospeh D’ Agnese. Among other things, he is a people watcher and draws people. His current subject is the theatre critic, Ponder, as he sits across the room from him. The same theatre critic person who dies at his table in Manhattan in1859.

 

Leon came across a river side baptism as “Bad Whiskey” by Jim Winter begins. He decided on the spur of the moment to be baptized. Did it take? Or is he what he is and he can’t be saved from her and the power of her tarot cards?

 

Elizabeth Zelvin takes reads to a bar in a village in the Alpes-Maritimes by way of her story, “A Friendly Glass.” The place is where Eleanor, Julie, and others hang out every night. It is also the place to keep an eye on others and gossip. It is also where a married woman has suddenly died. The situation is complicated by culture, language, and more, and Julie could find herself in serious trouble if she is not extremely careful.

 

The barely dressed woman claims that her name is “Crystal.” Sandy, one of two sisters that own and run the bar, is sure she is going to get far more than she is looking for thanks to the way she is dressed. Crystal claims otherwise in “When You Walk Into The Room” by Steve Liskow. It is certainly going to be a memorable evening.

 

Mickey is supposed to keep Gerry Tyrone safe from harm in “Shuffle Off To Buffalo” by David Edgerly. When the boss of the Irish mob on the West Side gives you a job, you do it and you do what you are told. They have a train to catch up in Hudson, just south of Albany, and Tyronne has to be put on it, alive and well.

 

Donnie Brewster wants to get his drunk on, but that isn’t going to happen in “Bar None” by Michael Bracken. His brother, Johnny Brewster, owns the place and sets the rules. That means Donnie is cutoff. For Tim, the guy running the place, it is going to be rough few days in more ways than one.

 

The place has not changed over the years. In “The Mob, The Model, And The College Reunion” by Melodie Campbell, what has changed is the brainpower of those who would rob the place and the patrons inside of it. In the old days, this would have never happened. Good thing she is there to handle business and everything else.

 

It is a Tuesday night in November,1999. Tim is at an old wooden table in a place that is a fixture in this part of London. He has his knife. He is ready in “Room Of Ice” by Stephen Ross.

 

Sandra wants more from Wylie. Possibly more than he can offer in “Two For One” by Art Taylor. Wylie is an accountant and tallies everything into credits and debits. His ledger is going negative in her mind and she wants more out of him.

 

He staggered into the place out of the storm. It was a rough night out there and not just because of the weather. He has been shot, Anna is alone, and things are going to get worse in “Flesh Wounds” by O’Neil De Noux.

 

A lot is going on in “Not Yo Mama’s IPA” by Kristin Kisska. A tale that follows Lynn, Jack, their individual plans leading up to, and including, their anniversary.

 

An aging rocker, Mosh, these days runs a winery in Tennessee. He has summoned his manager, Freilich, there in “Noble Rot” by Robert Mangeot. It is October, cold, and Frelich isn’t his only guest this night.

 

Barney is closing the place in “Razing The Bar” by Leigh Lundin. Just about everyone is gone. That is except the one customer who has a different agenda than calling it a night and going home.

 

The band members took a break to drink at the bar across the street. Nothing different than normal in doing that. But, it made them all suspects in ‘The Catherine wheel” by Brian Thornton. The tale also reminds readers to make sure the tattoo is correct before it is applied to your body.

 

Up in a certain town in South Dakota, a certain bar is known as the oldest. A recently released con just might be a problem in “Bad Influence” by Eva Fister. Josh Dahlberg is back home, hanging out at the bar, and pretty much unwanted by all.

 

The bar is old and not much to look at in “The Bar” by R. I. Lawton. It isn’t a safe place and it is one that even law enforcement avoids, due to the reputation of the place. It is a place where it is best to not ask the questions when things happen. Things certainly do happen in this tale.

 

Youngman Fennel is just trying to go the bathroom in peace as “Deep Time” by Lawrence Maddox begins. The man wearing headphones won’t let him. The guy might be crazy. He might be telling the truth. Regardless, he is blocking the exit.

 

He just got fired from the company he started and made successful. Mr. Dorrett plans to make one heck of an exit in “Golden Parachute” by Travis Richardson. It was one heck of an exit. The aftermath of what he did makes life difficult in the following hours for Dorrett,

 

In the final story, it is March 1989, and Tamara is hanging out in a bar in “Near Have I Ever” by Barb Goffman. She is drinking with friends, but can’t stop thinking about Dustin. She met him in this same bar two months ago just after the semester started. That meeting changed everything in so many ways.

 

Brief bios of the contributors, editors, and listings of books written and/or edited by the editors, brings this enjoyable anthology to a close.

 

Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology is a highly entertaining mix of crime fiction. Some are noirish while others are a bit lighter in tone. The stories take readers to a variety of locations across many time periods. Some are revenge orientated while others are a cautionary tales of lives lived to excess.

 

The common denominator, beyond bar settings, is the fact that each and every short story is a solidly good read. Each one pulls you deep into an intoxicating tale. There is not a bad read in the bunch.

 

Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology is strongly recommended and very well worth your time.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/48sEjix

 

 

My reading copy was a digital ARC by way of one of the contributors. There was no expectation of a review.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

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