Short Story Wednesday Review: Thuglit Presents Cruel Yule

 

In honor of the season, I remind you of this one …

 

Known for their very good bimonthly magazine of crime fiction (often very dark and twisted), the Thuglit folks put together their first themed holiday collection. Thuglit Presents Cruel Yule is an anthology of 11 twisted stories set during the holiday season. If you have ever considered the idea that Santa Claus was a peeping tom pervert who stalked people long before the NSA decided to track everyone, this is the book for you.

 

After a very brief introduction from Editor Todd Robinson it is on to the stories. “The Santa Con” by Rob Hart gets things going by way of having some Santas in full costume rob a bank. The robbery has been timed to coincide with SantaCon in New York City where hundreds of folks show up dressed like Saint Nick. A perfect plan destined to fail because this is a Thuglit production. The real question is how spectacularly wrong will it go?

 

 

Sometimes one can get nitrous oxide outside of going to the dentist and needing a procedure. If you were lucky and at a certain concert out west--- usually some sort of hippie jam or electronic dance festival---- you might have come across a certain van. Led by a normal seeming guy by the name of Chris who was clearly psycho the more time you spent around him he had connections that would get the nitrous. The group would sell the balloon hits that would give you a buzz. In “Christmas Morning Coming Down” by Jordan Harper things were okay until Jimmy got stabbed and everything went wrong out in the desert that Christmas.

 

Sexual harassment is the backdrop to “Mistletoe” by Hilary Davidson. The holiday party is just an excuse for Ian Wainwright to go after Sadie. She knew almost from her first day of work what kind of guy he was and had managed to avoid things until now. With few options and no help by way of HR Sadie is a millennial that will have to learn a new life skill.

 

A child of divorce learns mad skills. Some of those skills in negotiation can make one a very good arbitrator. Such a job can be lucrative as noted early on in “Letters to Santa” by Thomas Puck. There are also consequences in a story that has a touch of the Halloween season in it.

 

It is Christmas day in 1837 as “Okeechobee” by Ed Kurtz begins. In a swamp of the same name, the 4th infantry regiment of a 1000 men has come to quell the Creek and Seminole. While most of the men have the killing of Indians on their mind, a soldier by the name of Parker Getts has a more personal target in mind. Finally, after eleven long years, Parker Getts is going to get payback. His annual Christmas Day prayer has apparently finally been answered.

 

Discovered by Johnny Shaw, “Feliz Navidead” by Brace Godfrey tells the tale of the world’s deadliest Mexican. He is also the world’s greatest Mexican lover and a few other things. His name is Chingón and men who go up against him die the most gruesome deaths.  He loves grenades. Women love him and can’t keep their hands off of him. A former member of an elite team known as the Explosioners that had battled and defeated numerous foes including Dr. Pervert’s mutant army of sex ogres, Chingón has determined that it is time to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see the old gang again. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for Chingón, sex and death are on the menu at the reunion.

 

The usual poker game is in play as “The Brass Coin” by Justin Porter begins. Dre, a writer, is having a hard time of things. His money situation is not helpful to the goal of buying a nice present for his son. Desperate times call for desperate measures including giving up a very special coin.

 

When a bodyguard by the name of “Krampus” is driving somebody by the name of “Krissy Kringle” around in her Geo Tracker as a story starts, you know things are going to be weird. In “A Very Blacky Christmas” by Angel Luis Colón, Krissy wants a guy named Black Jaguar dead. Christmas, Florida is her small town and Blacky must die. The problem is he is crazier than she is. The town is going to be a war zone when everything is said, burned, fried, blown up, dead, and done.

 

For the children of Joseph Ketler a hard life is made worse by an abusive father. Kids playing around just before dinner has consequences in “Fork” by Jan Conley. For some of us, this very well done story brings back some hard memories.

 

No one will hear Roger Cobb sing “O Holy Night” on Christmas morning in “Unholy Night” by Terrence McCauley. There is no one for miles around the abandoned resort deep in the jungle. That also means nobody is around to hear his prisoner scream. It is time for negations to begin.

 

The cellar was supposed to have a band for Christmas Eve. But, there is no music and the man known to all as “Boo” is not a happy man. He is less happy when Caleb shows up with a lady Boo vaguely knows. Her name is Darla and she should have way better taste in men. Things are about to get messy in “’Twas The Night Before….” by editor and contributor Todd Robinson.

 

The 11 tales included in Thuglit Presents Cruel Yule are all dark ones that have virtually nothing in common with the idea of goodwill to all men. Instead, bad will to all is often the theme though there are occasional moments of humor. Dark and twisted as one would expect from Thuglit with some mighty good noir style holiday tales.

 

Hopefully, this is not the last of the themed holiday collections. After all, Valentine’s Day is coming up which is good for a massacre or two. Then after that somebody has to slaughter all those rabbits for Easter. Not to mention the fact that the Fourth of July demands somebody to take an explosive firework up the rear. Heck of a way to rob a bank. There is a lot of dark potential in holidays for Thuglit to mine.

 

  

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015, 2022

Short Story Wednesday Review: Thuglit: Issue 21 Editors Todd Robinson, Allison Glassgow, and Julie Mccarron

As this review came up in my Facebook feed yesterday, it seemed to be a good time to remind you of this review from five years ago.

 

Thuglit: Issue 21 continues the anthology tradition of hard hitting noir stories. Eight new stories that tell tales of folks living on the edges doing what needs to be done due to compulsion or to survive. Of course, since these are short stories, it is not possible to say much as to do otherwise would create spoilers. It can be said that, as always, these tales will make you consider your own circumstances and the realization that things could be far worse.

 

It was a street kid and his dog near an on ramp in Sacramento that caused Alan to stop in “The Long Drive Home” by William R. Soldan. Hopper and his dog, Maggie, are headed to Chicago to see family. Maggie is a far better traveling companion.

 

If you have kids you are probably well aware of the issue of life threatening nut allergy as no doubt at least one kid in the school your child attends has this life threatening problem. “Nut Lobby” by Preston Lang takes a different tack on the idea by focusing on the lobbyists of both sides who make presentations before school boards and the like. For Lydia Todd of the national peanut council it is a life and death battle as well.

 

At least this time when he wakes up Fred does not find a dead hooker in the bed with him. Still, he knows Connor did something really bad. He is about to find out what that was in “Being Fred” by Travis Richardson opens thanks to a phone call from Vladmir Dvoynev. A wakeup call from him, or any other time, can’t be a good thing.

 

Back in Oct. 2012, the gigantic statue known as “Big Tex” burned down to its metal frame at the Texas State Fair. It was not terrorists, as first reported by local television stations, but a simple electrical short. A fictionalized version of that fire is just part of the deal in “The Night They Burned Ol’ Big Tex Down” by Christopher Fulbright. All Darla-May and Ray have to do is get rid of Toby when the moment is right. Fair Park in Dallas is a long way from Afghanistan, but a bullet does the same damage/death thing everywhere.

 

Jamie insists on being a virgin and plans to remain so. They have known each other since the first grade as Jamie lives down just down the street. It isn’t surprising that sometimes the narrator goes to the woods behind the house to check out the bedroom view in “Virgin Sacrifice” by David Rachels. Graduation is coming and there are plans.

 

Cici has been gone for a few years, but is back in Maui. In “Paradise” by Rena Robinett, Trelani is missing and Cici is on the hunt as a mother does what she has to do. 

Bad enough to come home and find your place ransacked. Your daughter’s toys were one of the few things not messed with while you and your family were at the movies. Especially annoying to find out that your two AR-15s are gone. In “A Nice Pair Of guns” by Nick Kolakowski the hunt is on for the guns and these responsible.

 

His father Hal told him to only trust his eyes and ears and ignore what was on television and in the paper. He apparently never said a word about watching out for stuff falling on your head by the way of a crane on the hard docks of Oakland. He certainly isn’t going to say anything at all how thanks to the blow caused by six tons of Malaysian tin hitting his head. Jimmy is still coping with the aftermath of that is so many ways in “Mercy” by Dale Sandlin.

 

The bios of eight authors involved and the editors Todd Robinson, Allison Glassgow and Julie Mccarron bring the latest issue to a close.

 

If you have read Thuglit before you know what you are in for as this issue meets high standards. If you have not, this series is not about unicorns and rainbows. If any are present, they are because of your imagination is in whacked out over drive as you have been chasing meth and alcohol the last 36 hours in a desperate attempt to get some money together in a cock eyed plan to rip somebody off. Or, somebody hit you over the head and you had strange dreams while lying unconscious as god knows what went on around you and to you. Thuglit: Issue 21 is another dark read and another good one. 

 

  

Material was purchased to read and review back in late January by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.

  

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016, 2021

Review: Thuglit: Last Writes Editors Todd Robinson, Allison Glasgow, and Julie McCarron

Thuglit: Last Writes is the latest, and unfortunately, the last issue of Thuglit franchise. The final issue contains twelve quality stories that are very good in their own right as well as also honoring what has come before them.

After a very short introduction from Editor Todd Robinson, Nick Kolakowski is up with his story “A Bad Day in Boat Repo.” The client is Clive Stevens and he has a cargo vessel in Cuban waters. The crew was paid off to walk away from it and the harbormaster wants an incredible amount of money to release the ship. Mr. Stevens can’t use the normal channels, won’t pay the money, and wants the narrator to repo the vessel and bring it back to the Bahamas. Since Mr. Stevens is adamant against employing the authorities clearly means the cargo is something illegal and most likely drug related. That is the first strike against taking the gig and there are a number more culminating with the fact it is in Cuban waters. But, there is a lot of money at stake so soon the repo man and his number two, Limonov, have a plan and are on the way from the Bahamas to Cuba.

Ray did not want a baby in “What’s A Jim Hat?” by Nick Manzolillo. But, things have changed and he knows he has to do what needs to be done. His woman, Snack, is pregnant and he has to provide. He’s going to talk to Lou because Lou is his local conduit to the local crime boss. Hopefully, there is something he can do. All he is looking for is an opportunity as he needs the money bad.

Somebody should have shot Richie Vaillard years ago. He would have been shot down in the states. But, this is Canada and so it took way longer for Richie to get his. In “The Missing Piece” by Aaron Fox-Lerner, Guy did it. Now his big brother has to keep his baby brother safe and out of a mess that seems to getting bigger and worse by the hour.

He knows his meeting with Jackie is a last supper of sorts. Differences have to be settled in “Separate Checks” by Mike McCrary. Hunter has his gun, has made plans, and is keenly aware of what she can do as he has seen her kill a lot of people.

Duchamp is taking Sara out to the ghost town in the swamp. Mid-August and the heat and humidity take their toll on the two in the small boat. But, what is coming up out of the swamp thanks to Westerfield Chemical is far worse in “The Last Living Thing” by Andrew Paul.

Willie Lynn isn’t in the best of moods in “Flip the Record” by Patrick Cooper. The August sun and humidity certainly isn’t helping him as he lives out his days at the retirement community. The property manager of the place in Boca Raton isn’t helping either. Jazz records and his friend Henry keep him centered in the moment. Though he isn’t always with it, Willie has got a plan to liberate some cash so the two of them can get out of the Gracious Homes Retirement Community hellhole and go hang out on a Mexican beach.

Abby has been having a hard time of late in “Juke” by Kyle Summerall. It hasn’t been easy on her partner. The stress and all has taken a huge toll. At least there is always Larkin’s Bar for some escape from reality with folks who don’t know his personal situation.

It never is a good idea to date a coworker. Especially if it the hired help. Amber didn’t check in and he knows that means the worst. Not only for her, but for him too in “Forever Amber” by Dale T. Phillips. The only question is how many he can take out first.

A screaming child in your backseat will drive any parent insane. The jackknifed tractor trailer, the gridlocked road covered in ice, and everything else isn’t helping Travis Hayes in “All Things Come Around” by William Soldan. Trying to get home any way he can and to escape the gridlock, he follows a number of cars off the nearest exit only to then realize he is back in the old neighborhood where he had a far different life and plenty of memories.

Lonnie leads the life of a scammer and a thief so Vanessa isn’t supposed to know where she lives. But, she is in his place as “Prowl” by James Queally begins and that is most definitely not a good thing. The big Armenian with her who is built like a linebacker is going to have to be dealt with the hard way.

Despite the drought, the almond trees around them have somehow thrived. For Colby and Trav the plan is to do some payback to Galinger Farmworks. These folks have been taking all the water in the Central Valley of California, among other things, and they have to be stopped and sent a message. That is easier said than done in “Tulare” by Blair Kroeber.

The candy apple red Plymouth Duster in the far corner of the garage has caught the customer’s eye in “Slant Six” by S. A. Cosby. He wants to buy it and thinks he made a good offer. The customer has no idea what the car represents and why it would not be for sale. The car cost far too much and more than he could ever get back.

As one expects in the Thuglit series, the nine tales in this last issue are all solidly good ones. Thuglit: Last Writes features crime fiction at its best as well as subtle and not so subtle social commentary.  The struggle to survive permeates every story to its core. Thuglit: Last Writes is not only a highly entertaining read, it is a fitting end to what has been a great ride in the passenger seat as the black sedan, driven by a succession of talented folks, sped down shadowy dangerous streets.

Thuglit: Last Rites

Editors Todd Robinson, Allison Glasgow, and Julie McCarron

Thuglit Publishing

June 2016

ASIN: B01HLC62XS

eBook (print format available)

171 Pages

$2.99

Material was picked up back in late June to read and review by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016

Review: "Thuglit: Issue 21" Editors Todd Robinson, Allison Glassgow, and Julie Mccarron

Thuglit: Issue 21 continues the anthology tradition of hard hitting noir stories. Eight new stories that tell tales of folks living on the edges doing what needs to be done due to compulsion or  to survive. Of course, since these are short stories, it is not possible to say much as to do otherwise would create spoilers. It can be said that as always these tales will make you consider your own circumstances and the realization that things could be far worse.

It was a street kid and his dog near an on ramp in Sacramento that caused Alan to stop in “The Long Drive Home” by William R. Soldan. Hopper and his dog, Maggie, are headed to Chicago to see family. Maggie is a far better traveling companion.

If you have kids you are probably well aware of the issue of life threatening nut allergy as no doubt at least one kid in the school your child attends has this life threatening problem. “Nut Lobby” by Preston Lang takes a different tack on the idea by focusing on the lobbyists of both sides who make presentations before school boards and the like. For Lydia Todd of the national peanut council it is a life and death battle as well.

At least this time when he wakes up Fred does not find a dead hooker in the bed with him. Still, he knows Connor did something really bad. He is about to find out what that was in “Being Fred” by Travis Richardson opens thanks to a phone call from Vladmir Dvoynev. A wakeup call from him, or any other time, can’t be a good thing.

Back in Oct. 2012, the gigantic statue known as “Big Tex” burned down to its metal frame at the Texas State Fair. It was not terrorists, as first reported by local television stations, but a simple electrical short. A fictionalized version of that fire is just part of the deal in “The Night They Burned Ol’ Big Tex Down” by Christopher Fulbright. All Darla-May and Ray have to do is get rid of Toby when the moment is right. Fair Park in Dallas is a long way from Afghanistan, but a bullet does the same damage/death thing everywhere.

Jamie insists on being a virgin and plans to remain so. They have known each other since the first grade as Jamie lives down just down the street. It isn’t surprising that sometimes the narrator goes to the woods behind the house to check out the bedroom view in “Virgin Sacrifice” by David Rachels. Graduation is coming and there are plans.

Cici has been gone for a few years, but is back in Maui. In “Paradise” by Rena Robinett, Trelani is missing and Cici is on the hunt as a mother does what she has to do.

Bad enough to come home and find your place ransacked. Your daughter’s toys were one of the few things not messed with while you and your family were at the movies. Especially annoying to find out that your two AR-15s are gone. In “A Nice Pair Of guns” by Nick Kolakowski the hunt is on for the guns and these responsible.

His father Hal told him to only trust his eyes and ears and ignore what was on television and in the paper. He apparently never said a word about watching out for stuff falling on your head by the way of a crane on the hard docks of Oakland. He certainly isn’t going to say anything at all how thanks to the blow caused by six tons of Malaysian tin hitting his head. Jimmy is still coping with the aftermath of that is so many ways in “Mercy” by Dale Sandlin.

The bios of eight authors involved and the editors Todd Robinson, Allison Glassgow and Julie Mccarron bring the latest issue to a close.

If you have read Thuglit before you know what you are in for as this issue meets high standards. If you have not, this series is not about unicorns and rainbows. If any are present, they are because of your imagination is in whacked out over drive as you have been chasing meth and alcohol the last 36 hours in a desperate attempt to get some money together in a cock eyed plan to rip somebody off. Or, somebody hit you over the head and you had strange dreams while lying unconscious as god knows what went on around you and to you. Thuglit: Issue 21 is another dark read and another good one.

Material was purchased to read and review back in late January by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016

Review: "Thuglit Presents Cruel Yule" Editor Todd Robinson

Known for their very good bimonthly magazine of crime fiction (often very dark and twisted), the Thuglit folks put together their first themed holiday collection. Thuglit Presents Cruel Yule is an anthology of 11 twisted stories set during the holiday season. If you are have ever considered the idea that Santa Claus was a peeping tom pervert who stalked people long before the NSA decided to track everyone, this is the book for you.

After a very brief introduction from Editor Todd Robinson it is on to the stories. “The Santa Con” by Rob Hart gets things going by way of having some Santas in full costume rob a bank. The robbery has been timed to coincide with SantaCon in New York City where hundreds of folks show up dressed like Saint Nick. A perfect plan destined to fail because this is a Thuglit production. The real question is how spectacularly wrong will it go?

Sometimes one can get nitrous oxide outside of going to the dentist and needing a procedure. If you were lucky and at a certain concert out west--- usually some sort of hippie jam or electronic dance festival---- you might have come across a certain van. Led by a normal seeming guy by the name of Chris who was clearly psycho the more time you spent around him he had connections that would get the nitrous. The group would sell the balloon hits that would give you a buzz. In “Christmas Morning Coming Down” by Jordan Harper things were okay until Jimmy got stabbed and everything went wrong out in the desert that Christmas.

Sexual harassment is the backdrop to “Mistletoe” by Hilary Davidson. The holiday party is just an excuse for Ian Wainwright to go after Sadie. She knew almost from her first day of work what kind of guy he was and had managed to avoid things until now. With few options and no help by way of HR Sadie is a millennial that will have to learn a new life skill.

A child of divorce learns mad skills. Some of those skills in negotiation can make one a very good arbitrator. Such a job can be lucrative as noted early on in “Letters to Santa” by Thomas Puck. There are also consequences in a story that has a touch of the Halloween season in it.

It is Christmas day in 1837 as “Okeechobee” by Ed Kurtz begins. In a swamp of the same name, the 4^th infantry regiment of a 1000 men has come to quell the Creek and Seminole. While most of the men have the killing of Indians on their mind, a soldier by the name of Parker Getts has a more personal target in mind. Finally, after eleven long years, Parker Getts is going to get payback. His annual Christmas Day prayer has apparently finally been answered.

Discovered by Johnny Shaw, “Feliz Navidead” by Brace Godfrey tells the tale of the world’s deadliest Mexican. He is also the world’s greatest Mexican lover and a few other things. His name is Chingón and men who go up against him die the most gruesome deaths.  He loves grenades. Women love him and can’t keep their hands off of him. A former member of an elite team known as the Explosioners that had battled and defeated numerous foes including Dr. Pervert’s mutant army of sex ogres, Chingón has determined that it is time to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see the old gang again. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for Chingón, sex and death are on the menu at the reunion.

The usual poker game is in play as “The Brass Coin” by Justin Porter begins. Dre, a writer, is having a hard time of things. His money situation is not helpful to the goal of buying a nice present for his son. Desperate times call for desperate measures including giving up a very special coin.

When a bodyguard by the name of “Krampus” is driving somebody by the name of “Krissy Kringle” around in her Geo Tracker as a story starts, you know things are going to be weird. In “A Very Blacky Christmas” by Angel Luis Colón, Krissy wants a guy named Black Jaguar dead. Christmas, Florida is her small town and Blacky must die. The problem is he is crazier than she is. The town is going to be a war zone when everything is said, burned, fried, blown up, dead, and done.

For the children of Joseph Ketler a hard life is made worse by an abusive father. Kids playing around just before dinner has consequences in “Fork” by Jan Conley. For some of us, this very well done story brings back some hard memories.

No one will hear Roger Cobb sing “O Holy Night” on Christmas morning in “Unholy Night” by Terrence McCauley. There is no one for miles around the abandoned resort deep in the jungle. That also means nobody is around to hear his prisoner scream. It is time for negations to begin.

The cellar was supposed to have a band for Christmas Eve. But, there is no music and the man known to all as “Boo” is not a happy man. He is less happy when Caleb shows up with a lady Boo vaguely knows. Her name is Darla and she should have way better taste in men. Things are about to get messy in “’Twas The Night Before….” by editor and contributor Todd Robinson.

The 11 tales included in Thuglit Presents Cruel Yule are all dark ones that have virtually nothing in common with the idea of goodwill to all men. Instead, bad will to all is often the theme though there are occasional moments of humor. Dark and twisted as one would expect from Thuglit with some mighty good noir style holiday tales.

Hopefully, this is not the last of the themed holiday collections. After all, Valentine’s Day is coming up which is good for a massacre or two. Then after that somebody has to slaughter all those rabbits for Easter. Not to mention the fact that the Fourth of July demands somebody to take an explosive firework up the rear. Heck of a way to rob a bank. There is a lot of dark potential in holidays for Thuglit to mine.

Thuglit Presents Cruel Yule

Editor Todd Robinson

Thuglit Publishing

http://www.thuglit.com

November 2015

ASIN: B0189UMF4G

E-Book (Paperback also available)

173 Pages

$3.99

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

Review: "Thuglit Issue 12" edited by Todd Robinson

The latest collection of eight stories edited by Todd Robinson features the noir tales one expects from the Thuglit series. Whether it be fate that puts these characters in bad situations, bad decisions as that simplistic Facebook meme that some folks must unthinkingly share week in and week out, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, many of these characters are not living, working, or even walking down the sunny side of the street. Heck, they can’t even see the sunny side of the street from where they live.

Though you would think the first couple in the opening story would have some idea since they pretty much are living the dream financial security wise. “The Opposite of Bonnie and Clyde” by Kevin Garvey features a young power couple who are driven to be the opposite of the legendary bank robbing duo simply because they share the same last names. It is the wife's idea as Madison Clyde is convinced they could successfully rob a New York bank and has a multi-page business plan detailing how to do it. Since she is a VP at a bank the plan is as meticulous as possible. Tyler Bonnie isn’t as taken with the idea as wifey is in the beginning.

In “Grenoble” by Edward Hagelstein, Ruben Caro has lived in a RV the last three years. 54 years old with no real pressing business he drifts south for the winter months and north from the summer months and avoids thinking about his past. He actively works at it until his estranged wife, Carole, sends him an email asking him to call her. Morning in New Mexico means evening in Paris and she had a very good reason for wanting Ruben to call.

Running a taco truck in New York City is no easy feat. This is especially true when crap keeps sabotaging your hard working efforts in “Confessions Of A Taco Truck Owner” by Rob Hart. As a certain anchor is known to say “Boy... That escalated quickly.”

Cinco Putas Medico is a hideously bad place and Mr. O' Shaunessey has many reasons to regret taking the recovery job in “Good Luck In Puertos Del Oro” by Justin Porter. He was supposed to get himself down to this worthless area in South America and find a missing archeologist who is supposed to have an artifact for his client, Mr. Debonaire. For the recovery the client will pay him an unspecified amount of money via PayPal as that is the easiest way to do it these days. One of a number of amusing little points in this very twisted story.

A shooter is at work “The Termination” by Leon Marks. For this Iraq war veteran the area at home is turning into a battlefield.

It is a foggy Kansas evening at a seedy motel as “The Hard Sell” by J. R. Sinisi begins. The motel has been a site for a murder case one which made the headlines and folks still talk about so one knows the place is not a location for good things or above board business meetings. Connie Merchant, Tate Purbin, and Franny are there to consummate the deal. That deal may make them some money, get them killed, or both.

The pain of others has a special significance in “Suicide Chump” by T. Maxim Simmler. Thanks to hindsight it is easy to see where things began to go wrong. Simon explains all in this tale from merry old England where many are not merry at all.

The pain of a person is also part of the next story titled “The Hurt Business” by Mike Miner. As in the previous story, the psychological pain is important when Frankie Long Legs come to collect the debt. Legs has a special talent for getting the job done as he learned his skills via his dad.

These short books consistently deliver noir style stories that work on all levels. As always, while the small snippets above give you a spoiler free idea of what the tale is about far more is going on than mentioned here. In each tale there is plenty of complicated backstory and other storylines at work as the read takes you around the world to a variety of settings. The latest in a long line of Thuglit series books, Thuglit Issue 12 is another good one where things are often not remotely what they seem and end in unexpected ways. Humor is a rarity, but when it appears it hits with venom as the authors involved weave noirish style of mystery and redemption.

Thuglit Issue 12

Editor: Todd Robinson

Thuglit Publishing

June 2014

ISBN # 978-1500269227

E-Book (Print also available)

125 Pages

$0.99

Material purchased by this reviewer via funds in his Amazon Associate account for use in an objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014

Review: "Thuglit: Issue Nine" Edited by Todd Robinson

Thuglit: Issue Nine opens with “How to Make the Perfect New York Bagel” by Rob W. Hart. Mikey, like his father before him, makes bagels either plain or with salt. While the neighborhood on the Lower East Side is changing around him, he isn’t about to change the way he makes bagels or the way he handles his business. At his age he isn’t about to change in a story that is as much about the past as it is about the present. Sometimes old school is still the best way no matter how things are done now.

“Feeling Good” by Max Sheridan comes next featuring a guy who has his life and business all figured out. Unlike Mikey in the previous story, this guy is firmly in control professionally and personally and made calculated choices to get ahead in the world of publishing. He was able to do that because he has a clear idea what will sell in today’s market. He does what he has to do and that starts with drawing you in.

Romantic relationships that don’t work out well are a constant theme on daytime talk shows and, of course, in crime fiction.  That is certainly the case in the next two stories starting off with “Visitor at Copenhagen Street” by Jen Conley. She smells the hash as soon as she opens the door at her London apartment. Clearly, her boyfriend, Colin, has a guest and she knows the role she is expected to play. Colin has certain expectations and the 23 year old Amy knows to earn his love and good graces she best follow his expectations and plans as she is far from home.

Jason is sure his wife is cheating on him. He wants to hire a private detective in “The Bottom of My Heart” by Adam McFarlane. Natalie is the wife in question in a case full of pain and more questions than answers.

Dispensing justice is often necessary and one does not look to law enforcement to do it. You take care of your own and that is readily apparent in the next several stories which begin with “Redline” by Eddie McNamara. Tommy “Devs” Riordan runs the neighborhood his way building off a hard earned reputation. He wants his street team of young adolescents to do what he says that summer of 1989 during the bike wars.

Nathan Rhodes isn’t doing very well these days in “Catch and Release” by Harry St. John. While things have clearly taken a toll on him based on his physical appearance e, he still has not suffered enough for what he did. Others involved have not suffered enough either which results in a reunion of sorts.

“She Died With Grace” by Stuart Smith and Stephen Zippilli follows with a family on the run and looking for a specific isolated cabin. Like the characters in the proceeding story they can’t run from the threat or their shared past.

Selling weed in the summer of 1976 is what started things sideways in “Pimp Game ’76” by R. J. Martin Jr. Tony King got into the pimp game because of what he started learning that summer. One always has to respect the game no matter what it is, but especially the pimp game.

As always in each Thuglit edition, the tales presented here are solidly good ones featuring characters on the edge in so many ways. Some by deliberate choice, others by circumstance, the characters involved will not make you feel good about humanity in general. If you learn nothing else from reading this latest edition, understand that you can’t run from your past and you always better respect the game.

Thuglit: Issue Nine

Edited by Todd Robinson

Thuglit Publishing

http://www.thuglit.com

ISBN-10: 1494861399

December 2013

E-Book (also available in paperback)

151 pages

$0.99

Material was purchased to read/review using funds thankfully available to me via the Amazon Associate program.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014