Anthology Review: "A Woman’s Touch- 11 Short Stories of Murder and Misdemeanors"

Like the anthology Killer Fiction: 11 Short Stories of  Killers, Fixers, and P.I.’s  the anthology does not waste time with an introduction of some type.  While the Killer Fiction anthology had a decidedly noir bent in style, A Woman’s Touch- 11 Short Stories of Murder and Misdemeanors anthology is much more on the cozy side of reading with some stories being very predictable for seasoned mystery readers. 

This anthology published by Sniplits Publishing in 2010 opens with the very talented Libby Fischer Hellman. Larry and Marge Falls took the trip to Vegas in “House Rules” because Marge desperately wanted to do something new and different. But the trip is not going well and the side trip to Red Rock Canyon hasn’t helped. It’s time for change.

Momma was almost always “Crazy” in this story by Laura Hartman. That was hard back in 1956 and that was before Daddy went missing.

Miles Archer follows with his story, “Never Kill a Cat.”  Dolores is elderly and has four cats in her home as her companions. When one of her cats is murdered and hung in her tree, Dolores has a very good idea who did it and how to handle things.

The strange return of a relative who was supposed to have died long ago is the focus of “Aunt Charlotte” by Courtney L. Mroch.  It was June in Tennessee when the car showed up while Ashley Beth was reading on the porch. The lady says she is Ashley Beth’s Aunt Charlotte.  The same woman who supposedly died before Ashley Beth was born thirteen years ago. Lies have been told and that isn’t all as Aunt Charlotte is in real trouble.

Marianne Crone comes next with her flash fiction tale  “Victory” where not listening can get you dead. Are you listening?

The last thing you want in the restaurant you own is a dead man.  Even worse is the fact it was murder.  In “A Feast for Fools” by JoAnne Lucas a local radio host is dead and this is not the kind of publicity they needed at all.

Lerone Johnson testified against a neighbor boy, a gang banger, and now she is very scared in “Do the Right Thing” by Karen Burgess. The gang banger got off and now Lerone and her daughter are in serious danger. Good thing she knows Detective Kathy Martinez who is going to help. She should since she was the one to convince Lerone to testify in the first place.

Libby Fischer Hellman is up again with her story “The Murder of Katie Boyle.” Katie Boyle apparently had been perfect in nearly every sense of the word.  At least she had been perfect while she was alive. Now she is very much dead and stuffed in a closet of her own workout studio on North Shore of Chicago. Elle Forman found her and also knows a few things that might help investigators, Officer Georgia Davis and Detective Matt Singer.

Denise Dietz follows with her story “Annie’s Blue Christmas” where Annabelle Lee knows the news from doctor won’t be good. A terminal disease can be liberating in so many ways for so many people.

“Pyro” by Tracie McBride is a tale where Julie is more than a little sick of her drunken boyfriend Ralph. First he shows up, makes a mess of things, and then passes out in her bed loudly snoring and stinking to high heaven. At least when the next knock on the door happened she wasn’t asleep. This time it was the police telling her Ralph’s car was burning in front of her house.

The final story is “Ants” by M.M. De Voe. The ant on the kitchen counter was a life changer-at least in the mind of one person.  It is a sign and one that has to be acted upon.

The 11 tales that make up the  A Woman’s Touch anthology vary tremendously in writing styles, characters, and situations. All eleven are stories that tend toward the cozy side of things and all are comfortably good. Nothing here pushes boundaries or will shock readers. These are well done stories that often unfold in fairly predictable ways for seasoned mystery readers.

A Woman’s Touch- 11 Short Stories of Murder and Misdemeanors

Sniplits Publishing

http://www.sniplits.com

September 2010

E-Book

$2.99

Material supplied by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2012

Review: "Killer Fiction: 11 Short Stories of Killers, Fixers, and P.I.’s"

With the subtitle of “11 Short Stories of  Killers, Fixers, and P.I.’s” you know exactly what you are getting in this primarily hard-boiled read from Sniplits. Unlike many anthologies that often waste several pages with a well-meaning introduction of some type, this one gets straight into the action.

“Vista with Player” by R. A. Allen opens the book.  Our narrator, an unhappy car salesman, is not having a good day for a variety of reasons. Not just because he can’t hit his golf shots on the course in Memphis, Tennessee. Or that it is the holiday and his kids are in Phoenix with his second ex-wife. Until today, he just thought he had problems. Now, he really does and not just because he never has had any luck in this noir style story.

Mike Wiecek follows with “Chain of Command” in a tale about “day labor for the corporate elite.”  Since the corporate elite are involved, their requirements for day labor are far different than the normal media version of day labor. For one thing, limos are usually involved.  For another, the problem usually involves a lot of money and stock. Both are at play in this one where the financial books are a problem that has to be dealt with quietly and permanently.

Sal knows something is up when her half-brother, Terry calls and then shows up in “Call Out” by Adrian Magson. Maybe it is because…

 “Terry was what some referred to as a career suspect. He acted bent, looked bent and how he’d escaped doing time was beyond me.”

Whatever the deal he is cooking up this time it is most likely going to be trouble. The only real question is what will it cost her?

“Henderson’s Place; The Girl With The Summer Eyes” by Mort Castle follows next.  Dreams are one thing and they may be beautiful. Reality is for different and not so pretty.  In fact, it is boring. Henderson isn’t the only one to feel that way in this very disturbing and very strange story.

Ralph knew he made a mistake when he popped off with a crack about needing more workouts.  A month later Micki presented him with a gift certificate to a nearby fitness center as “Fit to Die” by Thomas Millstead opens. It is also something he can’t decline since she is his fiancée.  At least the upside in showing up at the fitness center is that it will give this private investigator his first homicide case.

McCool is your classic hung over detective in “The Art of War” by Miles Archer. Thank god for coffee, aspirin and secretary like Barbara. Steven Mori is the client this brutal hung-over morning. He owns a waste hauling business on the south side of San Francisco. Organized crime in the form of another waste hauling company wants his company and Mori needs help. To make their point, the family dog is dead. Next it will be his 7 year old son if Mori does not give up his company. He needs a smart solution to his problem that does not involve the feds or local law.

The trip to see the old woman had been bad enough for Terry. It clearly had been a waste of time and a reminder how the rich get richer while the rest of us get screwed. That was the worst of it until the other driver headed eastbound on Ninety-Four between Indiana and Michigan decided it was time to mess with her in “Detour” by Libby Fischer Hellmann. It might not be some random driver. It might be connected to her last job. Could be something else. Whatever reason he has for messing with her, he presents a problem.

Simon Wood comes next with his tale titled “Father Figure.”  Childs is on the job. It is a personal one and he isn’t about to tell anyone about it. It might be his biggest score yet.

Hawaii based private investigator Val Lyons is trying to protect Paula Evangelista in “Kill Leader” by Mark Troy. Her client is a power house on the volleyball court.  So much so, somebody is making threats.  Paula Evangelista is a difficult client, to say the least, and Val is having a very hard time identifying the person or persons behind the threats in this complicated tale. Not only is her client driven to succeed so too is the person trying to get her.

Sydney isn’t getting good customer service at the diner in “Sioux City Express” by Laird Long.   This despite the fact he is a frequent customer. He is about to get a job thirty years in the making and one this  private investigator can’t turn down.

“And Miles to Go” by J. R. Chabot fittingly brings this well done anthology to a close.  A lonely out of the way diner, a weary traveler, and an inconvenience that must be dealt with. Even if it is 1:30 in the morning and all he wanted was a cup of coffee.

Available as single short stories as well, this anthology features eleven good stories. The strong stories in this first anthology are complex tales featuring well developed characters, interesting situations, and the settings as varied as are the writer styles show cased here. The result is an entertaining read.

Killer Fiction: 11 Short Stories of  Killers, Fixers, and P.I.’s

Sniplits Publishing

http://www.sniplits.com/

October 2010

$2.99

Material supplied by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2011