FFB Review: Murder to Mil-Spec: A Crime Fiction Anthology to Benefit Homes For Our Troops Editor Tony Burton

From the massive archive and in honor of veterans and active duty members everywhere every single day….

 

Wolfmont Publishing has a history of publishing a holiday anthology to benefit a charity group. Last year’s holiday anthology titled, Murder to Mil-Spec, provided another good read of strong stories. As in other holiday anthologies published by Wolfmont Press, crime is at center stage. Unlike previous anthologies that restricted events to the holiday season, this time the stories can happen anytime and anywhere. The pursuit of justice is a frequent theme in these stories and can take many forms. Sometimes righting a wrong happens fairly swiftly while in other cases it may take years, even decades, for justice to finally be served.

After a brief forward by editor and publisher, Tony Burton, the anthology begins with "Meet Me by the Priest" by Terrie Farley Moran. The allies are on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany and Corporal Billy is back home in New York for a month leave. The habits of an old friend are going to get Corporal Billy into real trouble if he isn't very careful.

World War Two is also relevant in "Dart Champ" written by Dorothy B. Francis. In a departure from her very good `Key West Mystery' series ("Killer In Control" comes out next June) Agnes Brown is on a mission to recover her very important ring. The ring, made to replicate her hard earned bronze star, is a family heirloom she wants back and Agnes is not about to wait for the local police to solve the case.

Lt. Rongo Layton should have died one way or another during the Korean War for the sins he committed. He didn't. Instead, he came home in one piece and continued to sin. Clooney plans to rectify that in "Tripwire" written by Big Jim Williams.

Elizabeth Zelvin is making quite a name for herself in crime/mystery fiction with her novels "Death Will Get You Sober" and "Death Will Help You Leave Him" along with numerous short story credits in anthologies and magazines. Her story "Choices" is proof that sometimes it is a good thing when the woman walks into your particular gin mill.

The only story to use the current war in Afghanistan as a backdrop is the "The Gift of Life" by Lina Zeldovich. A very moving story that is as much about the clash of cultures as it is about the core of humanity which links us all together.

It is back to World War Two with the next story, "Justice at Sea" by Charles Schaeffer. Aboard the USS Flagstaff there is a killer on board. While many don't care, Johnny Shepherd intends to find out who murdered the Japanese prisoner of war.

It wasn't a murder but a rape that drives events forward in "Tourada A Corda" written by Howard B. Carron. Set in Terceira, Azores, the story features a case where a local girl has been assaulted. Since she is a friend of the family, the narrator intends to find out who did it and provide some justice.

Brendan Dubois comes next with the tale "One More Mission." Back in the day, McIntosh Air Force Base was part of the Strategic Air Command and provided security for the nation and its people. Now days, the place is now McIntosh International Tradeport and nearly everything John Regan remembers is long gone. But, there is still a debt and it has to be repaid.

An airport is also part of the next story. When the airport is closed, the murder suspects are few in "Danger From Within" by Janis Patterson. Fans of the "locked room" type of mysteries will surely enjoy this very good tale where the suspects are few and motivated.

Pranks are a part of most annual games between strong rivals. Occasionally they go wrong. Not usually as wrong as it did here before the Army/Navy game in 1972. "An Officer and a Gentleman's Agreement" written by Barb Goffman shows the wait to right a wrong can be very long indeed.

They may be retired sitting on park benches but senior citizens Joe and Benny know something is off in "Warriors Know Their Duty" written by S. M. Harding. Will anyone listen and take them seriously?

Iraq finally makes an appearance at the end of the anthology with "Salome's Gift" by Dianna Catt. Salome's big brother is fighting in Iraq and, while the news about his status is not good, his package home to her is very special. If only she can find the courage to open it.

The anthology closes with six pages of detailed author bios that include numerous titles of short stories and novels for yet more reading pleasure from these talented authors.

Unlike previous holiday anthologies from Wolfmont Press, these stories are not humorous and there is hardly a humorous line around in any of these very good tales. Instead, the tone of the anthology as a whole is somber. Respect for those who served honorably is present as is disdain for those who did not. Often the point of the story is to serve justice out to those who would be served in an effort to finally address events that happened long before. As such, flashbacks are present in most stories along with brief history lessons.

Murder To Mil-Spec is a good read featuring a lot of strong stories supporting a good cause. Thanks to medical advances military personnel are now surviving catastrophic injuries and come home to discover their homes need major modifications. Proceeds from the sales of this anthology will be donated to "Homes For Our Troops" charity found at http://www.homesforourtroops.org/site/PageServer to assist returning military personnel with their needs.

Not only can you enjoy a really good book, but you can also help the men and women who need our help to fully come home.

 

Murder to Mil-Spec: A Crime Fiction Anthology to Benefit Homes For Our Troops

Tony Burton, Editor

Wolfmont Press

http://www.wolfmont.com

October 2010

ISBN#978-1-60364-028-2

Trade Paperback

234 Pages

Material provided by editor/publisher Tony Burton in exchange for my objective review.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2010, 2011, 2021

FFB Review: "Seven by Seven: Seven Deadly Tales Of The Seven Deadly Sins From Seven Deadly Authors" Editor/Publisher Tony Burton

This week for Friday’s Forgotten Books hosted by Patti Abbott it seemed to me that it was a good time to run again my 2006 review of this collection. With all the hype regarding anthologies these days, this book was around ling before the current craze. Published by Wolfmont Publishing nearly a decade ago, Seven by Seven: Seven Deadly Tales Of The Seven Deadly Sins From Seven Deadly Authors edited by Tony Burton. Not only is the anthology a good one, it features earlier work from a number of authors who should be very well known now in and outside the mystery community.

Other than cleaning up a typo here and there and blowing the dust off, the review below is as it was published back in 2006. For your reading pleasure.....

When this anthology was first proposed, I withdrew from submitting to it because I believed it was a topic done to death. As a reviewer, a month does not go by without an author querying me about reviewing his or her new book involving the seven deadly sins. Of course, there are the movies with too many to name here. There was also the Prime Time Live Special last fall on the subject and I believe Dateline did one as well early last spring. Still, I was interested in the general idea and interested to see how it would be executed.

After an interesting forward by G. Miki Hayden and an introduction by editor Charles A. “Tony” Burton that amazingly manages to never once mention Dante or for that matter Shakespeare, (both considered well known writers on the subject to put it mildly) the reader gets to the short stories and numerous black and white illustrations. The first sin to be considered is “Lust.”

The highlight of the section is the story titled "True Colors” by John M. Floyd. The backdrop of a workplace shooting is complicated when the investigating officers can’t understand the witness clearly. But, at least they do have a witness.

“Gluttony” follows next and is showcased by “Refrigerator Raid” penned by Kimberly Brown. Hunger can drive one to do stupid things as Bennie and Clive soon learn.

Most of the stories in this anthology aren’t funny and aren’t meant to be. This is not true in “Catnapping” written by John Floyd. It is the highlight of the “Sloth” section and provides an answer about how to solve the annoying problem of the wife’s cat. It might just be the solution for other things as well.

Seeking personal solutions is also a component of the highlight story of the “Greed” section. Written by Deborah Elliott-Upton, “Money For Nothing” immediately reminds one of the song. In this case, the chicks aren’t free and will cost big time.

Taking a different track on the same background idea is B. J. Bourg in his story “Shot of Anger” located in the middle of the “Wrath” section. Bourg’s story takes dead aim at unfaithfulness and manages to twist reader expectations right at the end.

Frank Zafiro in his story “Wish” details the hopes and dreams of one man. The highlight of the “Envy” section considers what all of us have contemplated more than once.

The final sin covered is “Pride” and the highlight story for this reader is “Montgomery’s Marvelous Time Machine” written by Kimberly Brown. As she does in each section, Kimberly Brown weaves a tale much different than expected in an anthology of this type and yet her tale always fits the theme very well. This particular story revolves around a device mentioned in the title and the consequences of using said device.

In addition to the authors mentioned above, authors Sunny Frazier, (who soon will have her own novel out from this publisher) and Gary Hoffman have stories in each section as well. Author Frank Zafiro also has a novel currently out from this publisher titled Under a Raging Moon which will be reviewed here and elsewhere in the near future.

The 49 tales in this book along with the numerous illustrations provide a quick fun read. The highlighted stories were my personal favorites and your results may vary.

Seven by Seven: Seven Deadly Tales Of The Seven Deadly Sins From Seven Deadly Authors

Editor/Publisher Charles A. “Tony” Burton

Wolfmont Publishing

April 2006

ISBN# 0-9778-4020-4

Large Trade Paperback

212 Pages

$10.95

The material was provided by the editor in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2006, 2010, 2015

Reviewing: "Carols and Crimes, Gifts and Grifters" Edited by Tony Burton

Having had the pleasure of reading last year’s offering By The Chimney With Care published by Wolfmont Publishing to benefit the Marine Corp “Toys For Tots” campaign I have been eagerly awaiting my copy of this year’s effort. It finally arrived and was well worth the wait. The anthology titled, Carols and Crimes, Gifts and Grifters is a real treat for mystery readers and serves a great cause with proceeds going to the campaign.

Carols and Crimes, Gifts and Grifters
Edited By Tony Burton
Wolfmont Publishing
http://www.wolfmontpublishing.com/
October 2007
ISBN # 978-1-60364-002-2
260 Pages
Large Trade Paperback


This anthology of fifteen stories kicks off with “Ho Ho Homicide: An Odelia Grey Short Story” by Sue Ann Jaffarian. Odelia Patience Grey did what any daughter does when her father asks. She took her step mother Gigi shopping. If that wasn’t enough, like some spy novel, Odelia is soon confronted at the mall by a woman with a gun and man in a trench coat and fedora with a heavy European accent. Not to mention being hassled by a Santa whose beard is certainly not white as snow as well as the cops. And she thought escorting the non stop talking Gigi would be the worst part of her day.

Earl Staggs offers the charming story, “Robbery On Christmas Eve.” It tells the tale of a theft of church money. For Sheriff Mollie Goodall, it is particularly annoying as it is Christmas Eve with her own husband out of town and a church and adjacent community hall full of suspects. One gets the feeling readers might just see Sheriff Mollie Goodall again.

Also using Christmas Eve as a backdrop to events is Thomas H Cook’s story titled, “The Lesson Of The Season.” Veronica Cross works part-time at the Mysterious Bookshop and is just fifteen minutes away from closing when a frequent customer walks in. In this personal favorite from the anthology and powerfully moving story, Veronica deals with her own echo of the pain. You simply have to read this work to understand because it isn’t going to be explained here.

Redemption is a frequent them of most of the stories in this anthology and is certainly at work in “Santa And The Poor Box” by Gail Farrelly. The story is about how a local Santa was accused of stealing from the poor box at the church. Pushed by her daughter Lily, Roberta Mchlugh has connections and begins to work the case with Lily’s eager help with a plan to clear him by Christmas.

“The Proper Trimmings” by Nick Andreychuck plays off a concept frequently reported in the media regarding men in prison and the women who begin romances with them. Russ just got out of prison after ten long hard years and meets his female pen pal, Anna. He comes to her home for dinner and something more if she meets expectation and she does and then some.

“The Grinch and I” by Herschel Cozine revolves around George. An average man, George took the job of Mall Santa for one simple reason. A plan honed by years of practice always works best when you are Santa.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading the “River City” novels from Frank Zafiro or many of his stories in various anthologies and elsewhere, you have another chance. Police officers have a hard time getting time off, especially during the holidays. Something that Detective Katie Macleod’s mother doesn’t get in “Home For Christmas.” Crime doesn’t take a holiday and before very much of Christmas Day passes; Detective MacLeod is hard at work on the trail of a thief.

Traditions are important and they certainly take precedence for George Grimble in “The Christmas Tree Thief” by Chris Grabenstein. Before his three young sons can open their gifts on Christmas morning, George always lights up the baby Jesus as a reminder to all of the real purpose of the day. Something someone apparently didn’t understand when they cut down part of his pine tree in his yard and ruined Christmas morning.

“A Piece Of Christmas” by Deborah Elliot-Uptown is the story of Arlen. Arlen isn’t very happy working as private security for rich folks. But, you do what you have to especially with Christmas next week and at least the rich folks in this case pay in cash. When you destroy your won police career, your marriage and just about everything in your life your options are few and everyone deserves their own piece of Christmas booty.

Jan Christensen often creates tales that are just a little off in a way that isn’t easy to put a finger on and always delight readers. In “Santa Solves A Murder” the gorgeous Mrs. Cary MacIntyre hires private investigator to find her husband Jimmy MacIntrye who disappeared three days ago. She had no idea that he also worked a second job down at the local mall playing Santa. He does and while dressed in full Santa regalia spots the missing husband and the chase is on. Something Mall Manager Ingrid Scruggs isn’t thrilled about but you don’t tell Santa what to do while he is checking his list and adding up the clues.

“Mystery On Capital Street: A Hannibal Jones Short Story” by Austin S. Camacho also appears in this anthology. All four of the novels featuring Hannibal as well as the two thrillers were good ones and this is no exception as Mr. Camacho has penned an excellent story. Just two nights before Christmas, Private Detective Hannibal Jones has plenty of things to do before being detoured by events on his way home. Events, like dominoes, that once set into motion lead Hannibal in a new direction down a dark and twisting trail.

Editor Tony Burton offers his own story, “The Christmas Cut Out Caper.” The for local teenagers called themselves “The Fantastic Four” but as far as most adults in the area were concerned they are known by worse names for very good reason. Since a year has passed since the last prank, some of the adults are starting to relax. When the Christmas crèche figures suddenly are missing from the outdoor display at the church, the suspects are obvious.

Virtually any woman is afraid of being confronted by a man with bad intentions on his mind in an empty building. That is precisely what happens in “Ballet Exercises” by Gay Toltl Kinman when she is confronted by a perverted Santa who wants to deliver a present she does not want.

Margaret Fenton offers “Christmas Every Day” where lifting the wallet was the easy part. For the thief, it set into motion events she never foresaw in her wildest dreams.

The anthology closes with “Have A Harpy Christmas” by Peggy Jaegly. A kidnapped Rebecca is found backstage at the Theater by her agent Manny. Despite her ordeal, the show must go on and Manny intends to find out who was behind everything.

The anthology this year while not darker in tone does not have the humor that the one last year had. Which isn’t to say this one is a bad one. If anything, the effort is superior in terms of the quality of the stories as well as the diversity in styles and tones. The really nice thing is the proceeds still go to a wonderful cause. Copies may be ordered directly from Wolfmont Publishing at http://wolfmontpublishing.com and you can help make Christmas a joy for a little girl or boy and get a very good anthology in the process.




Kevin R. Tipple © 2007