Manhattan Mayhem edited by Mary Higgins Clark

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

From Wall Street and Greenwich Village to Chinatown, Harlem, and beyond, the street and skyscrapers are brimming with crimes and misdemeanors.  Now, best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark invites you on a tour of these iconic neighborhoods in Manhattan Mayhem, and anthology of all-new stories from Mystery Writers of America, produced to commemorate its 70th anniversary.  In Lee Child's "The Picture of the Lonely Diner," legendary drifter Jack Reacher interrupts a curious stand-off in the shadow of the Flatiron Building.  In Jeffery Deaver's "The Baker of Bleecker Street," an Italian immigrant becomes ensnared in WWII espionage.  And in "The Five-Dollar Dress," Mary Higgins Clark unearths the contents of a mysterious hope chest found in an apartment on Union Square.  With additional stories from T. Jefferson Parker, S.J. Rozan, Nancy Pickard, Ben H. Winters, Brendan DuBois, Persia Walker, Jon L. Breen, N.J. Ayres, Angela Zeman, Thomas H. Cook, Judith Kelman, Margaret Maron, Justing Scott, and Julie Hyzy, Manhattan Mayhem is teeming with red herrings, likely suspects, and thoroughly satisfying mysteries. 

I've never made a secret of the fact that I'm addicted to short stories.  There is almost nothing better than a perfectly crafted tale, told in a short amount of space, that doesn't leave you feeling cheated as you read the last word.  I've always been in awe of the ability it takes to take a story idea, to boil it down to it's core, all the while keeping it as complex and rewarding as a full length novel.  Some of my favorite authors, Shirley Jackson and Flannery O'Connor among them, were brilliant short story writers.  After reading Manhattan Mayhem, authors who I have always enjoyed, have now proven to me that they are just as good at writing a well crafted short story.

As in any short story collection, there were a few in this one that just didn't work for me, but that has more to do with taste, than the author's ability.  There are a few that are set in the past, including one with a bit of time travel, and since I've never been a huge fan of historical fiction, I could have done without them. And there were a couple that I could classify as short thrillers, more than mysteries, and I'm not a huge fan of those either.  Overall though, I think Mary Higgins Clark, and the Mystery Writers of America, put together a stunning anthology that worked to show of Manhattan in all it's diverse glory.

The collection starts with "The Five-Dollar Dress," by Mary Higgins Clark, and it was a fitting start.  For me, it was a perfect example of what a good short story should look like.  It was well crafted and concise, without robbing the reader of necessary information.  It told a complete story, beginning to end, but it left me wanting more.  I want to know what the character does with the information she discovers, of how she handles what can now be perceived of as the truth.

"White Rabbit," by Julie Hyzy, is a brilliant short that takes place within a time span of 30 minutes at the most, but the tension is so well done, I felt I was sitting on the Central Park bench for hours instead.  "Three Little Words," by Nancy Pickard brought me into the world of the elite residents on the Upper West Side.  At least those who are trying to keep family secrets hidden, and are willing to go to great lengths to do so.  "Damage Control," by Thomas H. Cook, while not a mystery in the strongest sense of the word, broke my heart in it's examination of human frailty and misunderstandings.  "Trapped!," by Ben H. Winters, an author I already love, allowed his cast of Chelsea actors to showcase his sense of humor and timing, proving that he is another Ira Levin.  "Red-Headed Stepchild," by Margaret Maron is what I would expect from the aforementioned Shirley Jackson, if she has been writing a story of selfish kids on the Upper East Side.  There were a few other stories I enjoyed, but these were the ones that truly blew me away.

This anthology has already added quite a few books to my ever expanding wish list, I'm just hoping that the Mystery Writers of America keeps these anthologies coming.  I'm not sure if this was a one time idea, but I can easily get behind books that explore the neighborhoods of Boston, New Orleans, or even Chicago.  As long as the murders, and other misdeeds, are as intelligently conceived as they are in Manhattan Mayhem, I'll be there, ready to dig in.

Crucible edited by Mercedes Lackey

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Valdemar's protectors are the ancient order of Heralds, trained as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, and warriors.  They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages - and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women.  They are Mindspeakers FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more.  Sought and Chosen by mysterious horselike Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures.  With their Companions, the Heralds of Valdemar ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peach and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, eighteen authors Join Mercedes Lackey, adding their own unique voice to the Heralds, Bards, and Healers of this well-loved fantasy realm.

Journey with Fiona Patton, Jennifer Brozek, Elizabeth A. Vaughn, Elisabeth Waters, and others in eighteen original stories, including a brand-new novella by Mercedes Lackey, to the magical land of Valdemar where:

A Herald must thwart a secession plot helmed by a pretender to the throne...

A nobleman and an heiress work together to dodge their own arranged marriage...

A mercenary, after her partner dies, completes their contract alone, and is drawn into a world of intrigue in the process...

Valdemar is my second home.  For some of you it's Hogwarts, others get lost in Narnia, and some of you like to wander around Middle Earth.  Don't get me wrong, I like those places too, but there is something about Valdemar, and it's surrounding lands, regardless of the time period, that feels like home.  It's the place I go to when I just need to hunker down and recharge.

When I'm not in the mood for a full length adventures, it's the anthologies that I turn to.  They are filled with quick little short stories so I don't have to invest a lot of time, seeing a long story line through to the end.  I can read one, or a few of them at a time, getting in my fix, but not taxing my busy schedule.  I hate when I get to a really good, or intense part of a book, to only be forced to put it down due to time constraints.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more frustrating when it comes to reading.

 In the past, I've recommended these anthologies to people who are unfamiliar with Valdemar and it's denizens, but I think I'm going to change my mind on that one.  After finishing the last story in Crucible, I realized a couple of things, or at least I put two and two together.  These books really are for the fans.  Fans who are already familiar with the timelines, peoples, and lands mentioned within their pages are going to get more out of these.  The stories jump around too much.  There is not sense of time or place among them, so if you aren't already familiar with the basics, you will quickly get lost.  And being lost in a foreign land, is never fun.

Crucible is the ninth such anthology, and I've read every single one of them.  The first three were devoured preblogging days, so there are no reviews for them, but I'm such I'll correct that over time.  Like any collection of short stories, Crucible has some that I like more than others, but they all collectively add to the richness of Valdemar.  As in previous collections, there are stories that continue form earlier anthologies, and a whole host of new characters to explore.  Each of them, including the ones I didn't fall in love with, makes my second home, all that much more real to me.  Each story, each character, adds another layer, another thread, shaping Valdemar into a more concrete place in my imagination, which in turn makes it an even better place to escape to.

No True Way edited by Mercedes Lackey

Synopsis From Back Cover:

An ancient order of Valdemar's protectors, the Heralds are trained to be emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, and warriors.  these heroes are drawn from all across the kingdom, from all walks of life, and at all ages - and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women.  They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more.  Sought and chosen by mysterious horselike Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic creatures, a powerful partnership that supports each Herald as he or she rides circuit throughout the kingdom.  Heralds of Valdemar are charged with protecting the peach,and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, sixteen authors join Mercedes Lackey, adding their own Heralds, Bards, and Healers to the well-loved fantasy realm of Valdemar.

A father and daughter circuit he kingdom together, after a Companion offers to accompany the child.... Twin brother and sister Heralds are stalked by a mysterious danger....  A widowed, middle-aged mother is unexpectedly Chosen by a Companion....  A Healer with Animal Mindspeech must save a village from a nightmarish beast....

This is the eighth anthology of short stories set in the kingdom of Valdemar and it's surrounding countries, and I'm already looking forward to the ninth.  If you guys have been reading this blog for any length or time, you know that I love Valdemar the way others love Hogwarts, Narnia, or Middle Earth.  If there was a teleportation portal that connected our two worlds, I would gladly go across.  It's the world I escape to when I'm needing to forget what is going on around me.  It's my second home, and I never miss an opportunity to visit.

What I love about these anthologies is that other authors get to add their imprint to the Valdemar.  They introduce us to new characters, some of which come back in several anthologies.  Some of the characters are from the past, enriching Valdemar's history, others are from the present, striving to make sure Valdemar has a future.  It's a way to make the world all that much concrete and vibrant, and I appreciate all the effort that goes into it.

While I loved all sixteen of the stories that were presented this time around, the one that really stuck out for me was "Written in the Wind" by Jennifer Brozek.  It's one of the shorter stories in the collection, and it's small in scope, but it's so powerfully moving, especially if you are familiar with the Vanyel and everything going on in his time period.  Vanyel doesn't make an appearance in this story, nor is he mentioned, but if you have read The Last Herald Mage trilogy, which I think everyone should, then you now this piece of Valdemar's history.  Someone is setting out to destroy the Herald Mage's and rob Valdemar of their strength.  It's not noticed at first since the casualty rate has always been high with Herald Mages, but it starts to take it's toll.  Fewer and fewer youngsters with the Mage ability are being chosen, and nobody seems to know why.  It seems as if someone is targeting the kids before they even have a chance to be chosen, killing them off, one by one.  This story is about Orun and Milla, twin brother and sister who not only have a Mage gift, but seem to have ForeSight as well.  For years now they have know they will be chosen on their birthday, and from that day onward, there are two paths.  One of them leads to a rich long life, the other to a short one ending in violent death.  Sadly it's that second one that find these two young people, and wipes them out before they even make it to Haven.  What I found remarkable about them,,and what I admire about anyone who is chosen to be a Herald, is the willingness to do what is needed of them, despite the dangers to themselves.  These two children knew they were probably going to die before they were even going to be able to start training, but they stepped up, got on the backs of their Companions, and set off to Haven in the hope that they could at least let others know what is going on.  They are remarkable kids, and this is really the first time we get a glimpse at what could have been.

While I do think you guys should start your explorations of Valdemar with the Last Herald Mage triogy; Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, and Magic's Price, the anthologies are a good way to step the toes in the water, and test out Valdemar for yourselves.

The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Edgar Award - winning editor Otto Penzler collects sixty of his all-time favorite yuletide crime stories - many of which are difficult or nearly impossible to find anywhere else.  From classic Victorian tales by Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Thomas Hardy, to contemporary stories by Sara Paretsky and Ed McBain, this collection touches on all aspects of the season, and all types of mysteries.  They are suspenseful, funny, frightening, and poignant.

When I'm able to combine my love of mysteries with my love of Christmas, I'm in heaven.  Make them short stories, and I'm soaring so far above heaven, the angels are having a hard time finding me.

Like any other collection of short stories, The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries has a few misses for me, but there are so many more hits.  Going into it, I knew there was no way I would end up liking all 60 stories.  What surprised me, was the fact that I enjoyed as many of them as I did.  Anyone who know me won't be surprised that I jumped for glee when I came across both stories by Agatha Christie, or that I about bust a gut when I stumbled upon the story by Mary Roberts Rinehart.  It's impossible for me to not like something either author has ever written.  Add in stories by G.K. Chesterton, Ngaio Marsh, and Arthur Conan Doyle, and it's a perfect Christmas miracle.

What may comes as surprise to some, is how many of the more modern stories I enjoyed just as much.  I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to mysteries, I'm a Golden Age fan all the way.  I tend to not even bother with some of the newer writers, and I can never get behind the whole "cozy" craze.  Maybe it's because of the main theme, but for the most part I really enjoyed what I read, regardless of who the author was.  One new author, to me anyway, that I really enjoyed was Peter Lovesey.  I'm pretty sure I'll be checking out more of his work.  Did I mention there is a whole section for scarier Christmas stories?  Loved them all!

This will be a collection I can see myself grabbing off the bookcase every year.  I may not read the whole thing through ever again, but I will read one or two of my favorites, or even decide to read through an entire section of stories.  Regardless of how I read them, I know I'll be reading them all again.

Challenges: Christmas Spirit

The Regatta Mystery by Agatha Christie

Synopsis From Back Cover:

There's a body in a trunk; a dead girl's reflection is caught in a mirror; and one corpse is back from the grave, while another is envisioned in the recurring nightmare of a terrified eccentric.  What's behind such ghastly misdeeds?  Try money, revenge, passion, and pleasure.  With multiple motives, multiple victims, and multiple suspects, it's going to take a multitude of talent to solve these clever crimes.

In this inviting collection, Agatha Christie enlists the services of her finest - Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Parker Pyne - and puts them each to the test in the most challenging cases of their careers.

You already know that I adore Agatha Christie and that I adore short stories, and for the most part, the combination is always a winner for me.  The fact that this collection features Jane Marple and Parker Pyne should have made my enjoyment a slam dunk, a touchdown, and a home run all rolled into one.  Sadly their involvement wasn't enough to save the overall collection for me, Jane only had one story.

I'm not saying I hated it, or even disliked it, because I didn't.  If these stories were written by any other author, I would probably be gushing right about now. Dame Agatha at her worst, is still better than most authors at their peak.  To put it simply, most of the stories were too easy to figure out.  With the Hercule Poirot stories, which there were too many of, I pretty much knew who the killer was going to be from the get go.  The clues weren't subtle enough, the conclusion almost too easy to figure out, and the killer was the obvious choice.  They seemed to lack her usual twists and turns, which she is so good at.  Granted, those twists can be harder to do in such a short piece of writing, but I don't seem to have had the same issue with her earlier short story collections.

Of all the stories, there was one that seemed to be quite a bit different from the vast majority of her writings.  "In a Glass Darkly", does not feature any of her regular characters, nor is anyone murdered.  There is no crime to solve, relationship to untangle, or problem to solve, at least not in the traditional mystery sort of way.  Instead it reads like something that should have appeared on CBS Mystery Radio, slightly dark and suspenseful, with just a touch of the paranormal.  It's so simple in its idea and execution, but it's the story that has the most impact.  After all that, it even ends with a happy ending.  It's the gem of the book, and the one story that will stick me with for a time to come.

Oddities & Entities by Roland Allnach

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Set in the mysterious space between the everyday world and an existence just beyond reach, Oddities & Entities traces a path through the supernatural, the paranormal, and the speculative.  With moments of horror, dark humor, and philosophical transcendence, these tales explore a definition of life beyond the fragile vessel of the human body.

It's not often that I agree to review a book by a small press or a self published author, but when Trish at TLC Book Tours is the one offering the book to me, it gets my attention.  This last round of offerings, I ended up picking up two such books, and Oddities & Entities by Roland Allnach, is the first of those two to be reviewed.

The collection of six stories started off with a bang.  The first story, "Boneview," was so good, it surpassed every expectation I had.  In "Boneview" a young woman can see through to the bones of everyone she sees, it allows her to see their overall health.  Her sight attracts an entity from the other side, an entity who befriends her with presents, but is so creepy, that it's fairly obvious the creature has an ulterior motive.  The story tracks her life from childhood to adulthood, it tells the tale of a young woman who goes from a artistic loner, to a happily married woman, and all the pain in between.  I'm not going to go to far into the details, because of all the stories in this book, it's the one I would want everyone to read.

The next two stories, while not as strong, still held my attention and kept me entertained.  The final three stories, I really could have done without.  They didn't seem as well constructed as the previous stories, nor did they feel as if they were as well grounded.  It was like a movie that starts of so strong, that you know you are going to love it.  Then for whatever reason, the director decides to make the movie way too long, which weakens the story and leaves it's audience bored by the end.  I'm not saying that I was bored by this collection, but I wish it had been shorter.

I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book.  Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.

The Confession & Sight Unseen by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Synopsis From Back Cover:

The Confession

A quiet, self possessed woman becomes slowly hypnotized by fear in an elegant mansion that reveals itself as a crypt of impassioned terror...

Sight Unseen

A beautiful young woman at a bizarre seance witnesses a crime of passion before it actually happens...

I just realized that I haven't been writing these reviews in the order I read the books in.  Maybe it's because I took that time off, but that doesn't seem to be all that important to me.  Right now, I'm just enjoying the fact I  can do what I want, when I want.  If I had been doing this in order, The Confession & Sight Unseen would have had a review a lot earlier than this, and the WOT books would come one after another.  But enough of that.  Let's talk about my first Mary Roberts Rinehart book of the new year.

To start things off, we have a country house mystery with all the usual trappings.  Elderly woman alone with a few servants rents a country home for the summer assuming that her nephew and his family will be joining them.  When his plans don't work out, she still takes the house, despite her maid's fears or dislike for the homes owner.  It's no long before the phone starts ringing in the middle of the night, with no one there.  Some unseen person is entering the home, candles are used up over night, and a general feel of unease stifles the air.  Add in a hidden confession to an old murder, stoic villagers, and atheism.  It's a well crafted, short mystery that didn't leave me guessing for long, but did leave me satisfied at the end.

The second story involves a group of neighbors who gather once a week for dinner and discussion.  On one of those occasions, one of the group arranges to have a medium drop in and do a seance.  What nobody knew, including the medium, is what her reading would uncover.  Everything goes according to plan, until the medium starts talking about a murder.  While notes were taken, nobody took it seriously until later that night when a murder in the neighborhood was discovered.  A murder described perfectly by the medium, hours before it happened.  It's up to the group to figure out who killed the man, before the medium has another vision.   I don't know if the shorter format made the story a little more cohesive than The Red Lamp, but I found the inclusion of the supernatural to be a better fit with this story.

Challenges:  A-Z, VM (Psychic Phenomena)

Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie

Synopsis From Back Cover:

How did a woman holding a pistol in her right hand manage to shoot herself in the left temple?  What was the link between a ghost sighting and the disappearance of top secret military plans?  Ho did the bullet that killed Sir Gervase shatter a mirror in another part of the room?  And should the beautiful Valentine Chantry flee for her life from the holiday island of Rhodes?

Hercule Poirot is face with four mysterious cases - each a miniature classic of characterization, incident, and suspense.

It feels good to have a Agatha Christie fix.  It's a pleasure that I have been ignoring, or not partaking in as much as I would like, lately.  That neglect is something I plan on doing something about this year.  In another review I commented on how a favorite book can fee like home.  I'm here to tell you that a favorite author can feel the same way.  No matter what else is going on in my life, even the worst book that Dame Christie wrote, can get me out of a funk and back into reading bliss.

When the first Christie book of the year is a collection of 4 short stories, that bliss is amplified.  While I may thoroughly enjoy her full length novels, I have a soft spot for her short stories.  She is so deft and brilliant at creating a believable plot line, well at least a plot line you can see happening, in her novels, that seeing her do the same thing in a shorter span of time, is a bigger treat.  She is able to form a full mystery story; plot, character development, and enough twists and turns to please even the harshest critic, even though the story may only be 80 or so pages.

I can't say I loved every story equally, because that will never happen.  I could have done without the second, and I absolutely loved the fourth.  Where Agatha Christie rises above the rest, is that even though I didn't enjoy the second story as much as the others, it was still better than most of the crap put out today.  That and the fact that Hercule Poirot is not one of my favorite creations of hers, doesn't help either.  I can only deal with him in small doses, so I don't tear through his books the way I do some of the others.

Challenges: A-Z, VM (Get Out of Jail Free: Short Stories)

Under the Vale edited by Mercedes Lackey

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Valdemar's Heralds are an ancient order.  Chosen from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages, these unusual individuals are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women.  They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more.  Trained to be emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, and even warriors, their unique inborn talents make them indispensable to their monarch and their realm.  Sought and Chosen by mysterious horselike Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. With their Companions, the Heralds of Valdemar ride circuit throughout the kingdom protecting the peace, and when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, eighteen authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique gifts to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this well-loved fantasy realm.

Join Tanya Huff, Fiona Patton, Rosemary Edghill, Larry Dixon, Elisabeth Waters, Nancy Asire and others in seventeen original stories, including an all-new novella by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon, set in in the magical lands of Valdemar, where:

A runaway orphan gets a chance for a new life in Haven... a human transformed into a magical creature struggles to reclaim his legal rights as a man... a Herald, blessed -or burdened - with a variant of the gift of Foresight that allows him to see through another person's eyes, witness an event so terrible that it's memory is slowly killing him, and finds restoration in a very unexpected way.

This is going to be a rather short review as I always seem to say the same thing when I do a review of a new Velgarth anthology.  I love the world of Valdemar and it's neighboring lands so much, that it's hard to find fault when I get the pleasure to visit the world again.  Once again, this collection features stories that exemplify the values and traditions that Mercedes Lackey has ingrained into her creation.

The collection starts off with "The Simple Gifts", a new novella by Mercedes Lackey.  In it, we meet a young man who has been practicing the oldest profession, and has been having some luck at it.  Older, wealthy women seem to prefer his company, over that of their neglectful husbands.  When he has to make a hurried escape, he ends up in Valdemar where his unique talents may be put to a better use.

I'm starting to notice a trend with these anthologies.  Instead of having brand new stories with new characters, the authors are continuing stories they already started in previous anthologies.  Many of these stories feature characters that have been in the last few.  I'm not normally a fan of doing it likes this, but so many of these characters are truly enjoyable that I'm finding myself loving the stories even more.  It's like attending a family reunion.  We get to have Ree and Jem back in "Heart's Peril" and "Heart's Place."  Herald Jors is back in "Family Matters", still trying to deal with the pain of his loss. In "In an Instant", we get to see the moment when Queen Selenay and Prince Daren acknowledge their bond.  Most of the stories are continuations of previous ones, I hope it's a trend that continues.

Episode of the Wandering Knife by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Synopsis From Back Cover: 

Someone Stabbed Sister
     In her fortress of a house - a front-page slaying and a murder weapon that mad the family rounds.

Someone Strangled Mother
     with a damp silk stocking while everybody but one slept.

Someone Smashed Aunt Alice
     at midnight in the kitchen while the family skeleton rattled in the dark.

Blood run thicker and thicker in these three tingling tales of murder and related villainy.

I'm trying to get caught up on reviews, so this one will be rather short and use less florid words than I normally would for a Mary Roberts Rinehart book.  I can promise though, that I could endlessly babble about the suspense that Rinehart is able to produce in these three short stories.  I could wax eloquent on the way Rinehart is able to slowly build the tension until it snaps and explodes of the page, bathing the reader in fearful death.  I could even, in minute detail, recreate the ingenious twists and turns that Rinehart throws out as red herrings to keep her reader on tenterhooks.  I could do all those things, but I think I will let the idea of them speak for themselves.

What I did want to mention, in a few sentences, is that I loved the return of Hilda Adams in the last story.  Her fans know her better as, Miss Pinkerton, the ingenious nurse who always seems to find herself in the middle of familial murders.  I don't know if she is the only reoccurring character that Rinehart created, but I do know that she is one of my favorite characters from any mystery writer.  She is one of those amazing creations that despite her fears and self doubts, never fails to summon the intelligence and courage needed to figure out why people are dying under her nose.  She may not like this part of her job, but when a certain police inspector asks for her help, our Miss Pinkerton is always willing to do what needs to be done.

I was going to continue along the same vein for the primary investigators in the other stories, but I think I would rather leave you with one further sentence.  If for whatever reason I have not managed to convince you that Mary Roberts Rinehart is a mystery writer that you need to read, please pick up one of her books and prove me right.

Challenges:  VM (Occupational Hazards)

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

Synopsis From Back Cover:

"The Lottery," one of the most terrifying stories written in the twentieth century, created a sensation when it was published in 1948.  Today it is considered a classic work of short fiction, a story remarkable for it combination of subtle suspense and pitch perfect descriptions of both the chilling and the mundane.  this collection, the only one to appear during Shirley Jackson's lifetime, unites "The Lottery" with twenty-four equally unusual stories.  Together they demonstrate Jackson's remarkable range - encompassing the hilarious and the horrible, the unsettling and the ominous - as well as her power as a storyteller.

I think everyone remembers the first time they read "The Lottery."  It's one of those stories that never seems to leave the corridors of your brain once the words have soaked in.  It's the type of story, that despite the "normalness" involved leaves you feeling unsettled from the first page.  As the growing feeling of dread starts to creep in, as a reader, you can't help but feel the ground shifting beneath you.  You know that there is something wrong, but no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to place your finger on it.  As each page is turned, that feeling of the world shifting does not go away.  Then the unimaginable happens.  Jackson lets you in on the horror of what the lottery really is.  As the last word is read, you just shake your head and sit there for a moment in shock.  But then you realize something.  It's really not the actions that horrify, it's the attitude of those involved, right down to the children.  It's the shock of what the lottery has done to the human soul that truly leaves you hoping against hope that people are better than this.  What really distresses me as that reader, is that I'm not convinced we are.

Until I had read this collection, I thought that was the extent of my experience with her short stories.  While I have read, and loved, The Haunting of Hill House many times, I didn't think I had read any of her other short stories.  But as I delved into a world that is uniquely Shirley Jackson's, I found myself experiencing deja vu.  At first I wasn't sure why, I'm pretty sure that I've never read the stories before, and except for one of them "Charles," I'm almost convinced I haven't.  Despite that, I could not shake the feeling of something being familiar and different at the same time.  As I got further into the collection, I put my finger on it.  It's not that I've read these stories before, but it's that I've read other authors try to copy Jackson's tone and style in their own writing.  It was like watching a decent remake of a movie, then seeing the original in all it's glory.  The imitators were good, but the real deal, is superb.

Jackson had a talent at taking the ordinary, and turning it into something that would leave a reader feeling as if something is wrong, but unable to vocalize it at first.  She got her characters to behave in ways that at first seemed normal, but would then take on a tone that just didn't mesh with the visuals.  It's a glorious talent to have, and not something most writers possess.  In each of her tales, whether they delve into gender roles, class distinctions, racial stereotypes, or a few hours of someones life, Shirley Jackson creates a fully fleshed out story that leaves the reader with their mouth open and their brain cells trying to process what they just read.

It's the unknowingly racist mother in "After You, My Dear Alphonse," that will have you shaking your head in disbelief.  It's the young wife and mother who can't seem to shake her own fear of respectability and race in "Flower Garden," that will leave you with a big hole in your heart at the missed opportunities to do what's right.  It's the flabbergasted parents who maybe don't know their own child in "Charles," that will make you smile and nod at their blindness.  It's the vitriol, suspicion, and fear instilled in young girls that will leave you with a sense of wanting to slap someone in "Dorothy and My Grandmother and The Sailors."  It's the chance encounter with the deranged in "The Witch," that will make a traveling parent nervous.  But most of all it's the uneasiness and sense of oddness that will stay with you long after you close the last page.

The Frightened Wife by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Anne Collier was certain that her husband, Fred, was trying to kill her.  The terrified beauty immediately went to probate lawyer Wade Forsythe's office to have a will drawn up.  In the event of her untimely demise, Anne wanted her hidden fortune in the hands of her six-year-old son, Billy, and out of the greedy grasp of her unsavory spouse.

But tides then turned.  Fred was put abruptly out of the picture by a bullet through his skull, Anne was confined to a hospital bed in an apparent botched suicide attempt, and little Billy has disappeared.  The frightened wife was not a frightened widow and, as far as the police were concerned, a cold, premeditated murderer.  But Forsythe knew Anne had to be innocent.  And he'd lay his career on the line... and perhaps his life as well to prove it.

This is the second time that Mary Roberts Rinehart has tricked me.  With her wonderfully composed teasers on the back of every paperback book I pick up, I'm instantly convinced that I'm about to dig into an elegant example of her brilliant mind at work.  I was sure that I would spend all 286 pages with Wade and Anne as they tried to defend her innocence and find the real killer who left her husband dead and her bleeding on the floor.  Boy was I wrong, instead of 286 pages, all I got with them were 116 heart pounding pages that had me on tenterhooks the entire time.  As it turned out The Frightened Wife isn't just the title of the book, it's also the name of the first of 5 well crafted short stories that Mary Roberts Rinehart was able to spring on me.  I really think I need to start checking the table of contents when I pick one of her books up.  This is the second time I picked up a book expecting a novel, and getting some of the best examples of mystery short stories.

Unlike the previous collection of her short stories, all 5 of these little gems featured my favorite crime of all, murder.  There is just something so glorious and fulfilling when you read about a bloodthirsty murderer being caught and either sent away or allowed to take a bit easier way out.  With each one of these stories, Rinehart shows of a mastery of storytelling that I don't think many of today's mystery authors could achieve.  The labor and pure genius it takes to display a meticulous crime and it's ramifications in such a short space of time, blows me away every time I happen to run across it.

I already have two other books of hers finished, both of them full length mysteries.  Hopefully I will be able to get to those reviews and the other various ones waiting to be written soon.  In the meantime, if I haven't convinced you to try this author out yet, please do so soon.  I promise you won't be sorry.

Challenges: VM (Occupational Hazards)

Moving Targets edited by Mercedes Lackey

Synopsis From Back Cover: 

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar is an ancient land where the peace is kept by a very special corps of protectors:  the Heralds.  Chosen from all across the kingdom, from all walks of life, and at all ages, these unusual individuals are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women.  They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and others who are uniquely suited to protect their realm.  Sough and Chosen by mysterious horselike Companions, they are trained to be emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, and even warriors.  Bonded for life to the Companion who chooses them, the Heralds of Valdemar ride patrol throughout the kingdom preserving the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, fifteen authors join Mercedes Lackey, adding their won magical touch to the heroes of this well-loved fantasy realm.  Ride circuit with Tanya Huff, Mickey Zuker Reichert, Fiona Patton, Judith Tarr, Rosemary Edghill, and other in fourteen original stories - including an all-new novella from Mercedes Lackey - to a world where:

An insecure Herald Trainee learns that her self-doubt can become the source of her strength...

An elderly Herald teaches a young Herald that a good story can protect a kingdom...

The selfless devotion of a servant girl elevates her stature higher than she could ever have dreamed...

I used to be such a huge fantasy fan, devouring almost every book I could get my hands on.  Over the years though, that passion for the genre has died down a bit, but I still have a handful of authors that I will read every chance I get.  Mercedes Lackey is one of them, and her Valdemar books are my favorite of all.  As usual, I love every time I get to escape into Valdemar and get immersed in the stories of the Heralds and their Companions.  Valdemar is that fictional kingdom, that if it actually existed, I would have ran away from home to go live there.

Because of that, when I got this one for Christmas, I couldn't wait to dive in and get lost once again.  Now this collection actually is before the other two anthologies that I have already reviewed.  I'm not sure how I managed to miss this one, but I'm glad that has been corrected as of now.

The biggest reason I loved this one was I got to see Ree and Jem again.  The stars of my favorite short stories from the last two anthologies I read, Ree and Jem already feel like old friends to me.  Instead of writing their own stories, as they did in the other two books, Sarah A. Hoyt and Kate Paulk wrote "Heart, Home, and Hearth" together.  I got to meet Ree and Jem before they make it to the old man's house and the relative safety he provided for them.  It was nice to see the two young men (one completely human, the other a changechild)  again.  They are such a terrific couple, who always look out for each other in a world that is dead set against them, a world that would be willing to kill one of them.  This story is about how Ree has to find shelter for the sickly Jem before the bitterness of winter really kicks in.  It's that journey that sends them stumbling into what they think is a abandoned farm house.  But instead of it being vacated by those who previously lived there, the two young me find the family and support that they are so desperately needing.

I've just now realized that I haven't read the anthology that comes before this one either, I'm hoping that one will tell me how these two young men met in the first place.

I don't think there was a story in this collection that I didn't love or feel as if it added to the history of Valdemar and it's people, but there was one other that just had me falling in love and hooting with laughter.  The title story "Moving Targets" is Mercedes Lackey's contribution.  I found the story to be a wonderful homage to Scooby-Doo, what is there not to like about that.  In the story a Herald Elyn is assigned the task of taking a group of four Herald Trainees out on their first circuit, as circuit that if successful will make all four full Heralds.  These four students though, while talented and uniquely gifted, are a tight knit group that just can't seem to stay out of trouble.    Because of the size of their group, they travel with a covered wagon.  In the fist hint of Scooby-Doo, the wagon is painted in the same colors as the Mystery Machine.  That paint is quickly covered up, but it's a great hint for what's to come.

Once out on the road they are caught up in what looks like a haunting designed to get people to flee their village.  It's through some careful investigation, trap setting, and mishaps that the foursome discover the truth.  The whole thing was set up by an old coot who needed people to leave so he could mine gold out of the stream.  When he's caught, he even whines about how he almost got away with it, it if just wasn't for those darn kids.  The story was hilarious, and for a kid who grew up with Scooby-Doo, it was wonderful.

Monsters of L.A. by Lisa Morton

Part Of The Synopsis From Back Cover: 

Frankenstein, Dracula, Mr. Hyde, the Phantom, the Hunchback... they're all here, the ones you grew up watching on the silver screen.  But these monsters aren't lumbering across a for-shrouded moor or clambering along the ramparts of a Gothic castle; no, they're here, in sunny modern-day Southern California, in place you know and may have visited.  That homeless vet with the rebuilt leg longing before the liquor store in Santa Monica - could that be Frankenstein's monster?  The eerie host making promised at the end of an Orange Country amusement park ride - is he really the Devil?  Some of these monsters you might recognize instantly - it's hard to disguise a Giant Monster, after all - but you'll never know what to expect in these stories that range from black humor to the farthest extremes of extreme fiction.

I've been on a huge short story kick this year, hopefully it will be a trend that continues into the next as well.  When I agreed to review this book, I wasn't sure what I had to look forward too.  Part of me was thinking that it would simply take the monsters I'm already familiar with and put them into L.A.  I really wasn't expecting what I got, though after reading the book, I'm doubly glad for it.

What Lisa Morton managed to do was way beyond what I thought this book would be about.  She was able to breathe new life into twenty staples of horror Hollywood.  Some of them are given new life by reinterpreting their original story.  Others are given the typical Hollywood treatment, but put into a situation that is new and fresh.  If you were reading her version of "The Phantom", you wouldn't recognize the character, but you would the basic concept behind it.  "The Haunted House" gives new meaning to the entire concept of what it means for a house to be haunted.  By the way, I want to move into that particular house.  "The Creature" is simply what it is, taken out of the Black Lagoon and inserted into the La Brea Tar Pits.  It's short and sweet and reminds me of the best moments in those old black and white movies.  "The Killer Clown" scared the hell out of me, of course it doesn't hurt that I'm petrified of the damn things.  The longest story, which is also my favorite, "The Urban Legend" was simply brilliant.  It took the legend of a race of lizard people living beneath the city and brought it to life through character and story.  It was a brilliant example of this authors work, work that I would love to read more of at some point in time.

The Doll by Daphne du Maurier

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Before she wrote Rebecca, the novel that would cement her reputation as a twentieth-century literary giant, a young Daphne du Maurier penned short fiction in which she explored the images, themes, and concerns that informed her later work.  Originally published in periodicals during the early 1930s, many of these stories never found their way into print again... until now.

Tales of human frailty and obsession, and of romance gone tragically awry, the thirteen stories in The Doll showcase an exciting budding talent before she went on to write of the most beloved novel of all time.  In these pages, a waterlogged notebook washes ashore revealing a dark story of jealousy and obsession, a vicar coaches a young couple divided by class issues, and an older man falls perilously in love with a much younger woman - with each tale demonstrating du Maurier's extraordinary storytelling fits and her deep understand of human nature.

I adore a well written short story more than I do the same writing in novel form.  The skill needed to tell a finely honed story in such a small amount of space, when done well, never fails to impress me.  This collection of thirteen stories blew me away, every single one of them made me laugh, shudder, and stare in amazement once I was done.

I don't know what to type next or even what to say if someone were to ask me about this one.  I think I would just stand there, tongue-tied, unable to fully express the way these stories affected me.  I would find myself being both fascinated and horrified at the same time.  I don't even know which story to start with, because there wasn't one of them that failed to impress.

The title story, "The Doll", is one that because of the subject matter, will never leave my brain.  Rebecca and her doll will wander the corridors of my imagination, doing things that I never even dreamed of, let alone want to do.  The young lady in "The Tame Cat", who comes home after years at school, only to be caught up in a web of jealousy involving her mother and her mother's lover, will find a a few brain cells to move into, and set up permanent residency.  "Maize" and her fellow prostitutes forced to live in dreams, and get back alley abortions, are frozen in time, right behind my optic nerves.  The manipulative harridan of "The Limpet", who just can't seem to understand why nobody loves her, made me pity and hate her at the same time.  She now whispers in my ear anytime she needs to whine about how unfair life is.

I had only just read Rebecca for the first time a month or so ago, and Daphne du Maurier blew me away with her lushness of style.  With these thirteen short stories, she is cemented in my brain as someone who I need to read more of, and I don't think I'll ever be disappointed.

I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read/review this book.  Please visit the tour page to read other reviews.

Alibi For Isabel by Mary Roberts Rinehart

There are two things I love in life, well more than that but only two that have anything to do with what I'm doing here, short stories and Mary Roberts Rinehart.  Now granted, when I got a hold of this book, I did not know that it was a collection of 9 short stories.  I thought I would be in store for another great mystery set around a wonderful heroine and an intriguing storyline.  What I ended up with was so much better.

Each one of the stories, mystery or not, showcases what Mary Roberts Rinehart was so good at.  In a rather short span of time, each story is around 13-15 pages, she was able to capture not only the characters but the atmosphere as well.  Each character, regardless of their circumstances, are fully fleshed out and capable of starring in their own full length novel.

The "feel" of the stories though is where, as usual, Rinehart shines for me.  She is capable of bottling the tension in the air in a way that I'm not sure most other authors could.  Every emotion and reaction are palpable as each page is turned.  The fear and desperation these characters feel, at times, chocked the air I was breathing.  It made me lose my sense of time and place as I got lost in their lives.

Since they aren't all mysteries, I would think this would be a good introduction to her writing style for those who have not read her before.  I think it would give somebody new to Rinehart a good sense of what she was capable of, without becoming too invested in a story that you may not like as much.  For anyone who hasn't been swayed by my previous reviews, I hope you will give this one a try.

Challenges: FM, VM

Ivan And Misha by Michael Alenyikov (Plus Giveaway)

Synopsis From Back Cover: 

As the Soviet Union collapses, two young brothers are whisked away from Kiev by their father to start life anew in America.  The intricately linked stories in this powerful debut, set in New York City at the turn of the millennium, swirl about the uneasy bond between fraternal twins, Ivan and Misha, devoted brothers who could not be more different: Bipolar Ivan, like their father, is a natural seducer, a gambler who always has a scheme afoot between fares in his cab and stints in Bellevue.  Misha struggles to create a sense of family with his quixotic boyfriend, Smith, his wildly unpredictable brother, and their father, Lyov ("Call me Louie!"), marooned in Brighton Beach yet ever the ladies' man.  Father and sons are each haunted by the death of Sonya, a wife to Lyov, a mother to his sons.  

First of all, I love short stories.  When they are done right, they are short, brilliantly told glimpses into the character's life as they experience some sort of conflict or decision.  When they are done wrong, they can be chaotic in pace and tell a story so full of holes, it seems you are reading a rather large piece of Swiss cheese.  Thankfully this collection falls into that first category. It's a fascinating novel told within the bounds of unsequential short stories.

What I loved about his book is how it, despite the secondary characters, narrowed in on the rather symbiotic (borderline parasitic) relationship between the two brothers, who are fraternal twins.  Relationships between siblings can often times be complicated, messy things with boundaries being crossed countless times.  Things are no different between Ivan & Misha.  They are constantly involved with the most personal things in each other's lives, sometimes making others a bit jealous.   They had a rather traumatic childhood, involving the the death of their mother and a sudden move to a new country, all at a very young age.  Those two events shaped the rest of their lives in ways both good and bad.

They never knew the truth of their mother's death because their father didn't want to burden them with the sickness that slowly took her life.  Instead he told them that she died after giving birth to them.  I think that's the first mistake he made.  That death, and as a result their mother, took on an almost mythical role in their lives.  The story of a mother who dies in able for her children to be born, becomes an example of love that nothing else can ever possibly reach.  It's an a goal that can never be reached by anyone else.  For me, it's that struggle for love that shapes both of their lives.

Because of that warped sense of what pure loves is, it sends both boys down roads and into relationships with those that can never truly be there for them.  Ivan, at a young age, becomes involved with an older man who can never fully commit and gives him HIV.  His next serious relationship, with Smith, is with a younger man who not only can't really commit to Ivan, despite really loving him, but can't commit to a name or an identity for himself.  Misha craves love from his father and anyone else that will have him.  He has an almost manic need to be wanted by someone, a need that he will turn back around on his brother.  It's that last part that shapes their bond more than anything else.

I know quite a few of the reviews I've read take issue with the way the second story ends in the book.  For some it was an action that came out of the blue or was added for the shock value.  When it first happened, I will admit to feeling a little unsure of it myself.  I wasn't able to understand why it was happening or the necessity for it.  Once I finished the book, it made a little more sense to me.  The action takes place in such a profound moment of grief and despair that they both need something to grasp onto as an anchor to keep them from slipping over the edge.  After getting to know them, I not only don't think it was out of character for their relationship, but I think that it was almost inevitable.  I could be off base and totally wrong, there may have been another reason for it to happen, but I don't think it was for the shock value.

Ivan & Misha was one of those rare books that keeps my attention long after I've finished it.  Michael Alenyikov writes with one of the most lyrical voices I've had the pleasure to read in a very long time.  He is able to create unique characters and put them into a world that I found both real and unsettling at the same time.

I would like to thank Lisa of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read/review this book.  Visit the tour page to read other reviews.

Now for the giveaway.  One lucky commenter, US/Canada only, will win a brand new copy of the book.  All you need to do is leave a comment with your email address.  If you want to let me know of a short story or short story collection that you loved, feel free to do so.  The giveaway will run until 11:59 PM CST on 10/3/11.

Challenges: GLBT

Triton's Little Adventure (A Short Story I Wrote In High School)

I was digging through some boxes the other day, don't remember what I was looking for anymore, when I found an old literary anthology from high school.  I had four items published in this one, three poems and a short story.  Though the anthology was published my senior year, I think I wrote the story in 1993, my junior year.

When I first reread it the other day, all I could do was notice the grammar mistakes I had made and the narrative flaws within the story.  In high school, I think I was really proud of it though.  If I remember right, it was an assignment in honor's English.  We had to take the idea of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and write a short story that captured that same idea.  I'm actually thinking of rewriting it now, but haven't made up my mind on that one.

For some bizarre reason, I thought I would share with everyone my feeble attempt at creative writing when I was only 16.  So with no further ado, I present to you.....

"Triton's Little Adventure"

One day a little merboy who went by the name of Triton decided to go for a short swim in the coral forest just behind his house.

After a while he came upon a small, humble sand castle tucked away in the tall green and red coral towers.

When he swam up to the door, to get a closer look, he saw a note that said the tuna fish family who lives here went to the store and would be right back.

Being the curious little boy that he was, he decided to go in and look around.  As soon as he swam in, he was amazed by what he saw.  There were soft comfortable sofas and chairs, pictures of different fish all over the walls, and a pale pink coral table with a white marble chess set, that had green and blue coral merpeople as pieces.

One of the walls held nothing but a collection of books by Herman Shellville, Agatha Porpsie, Nathaniel Fishthorne, Frogert Burns, and Oyster Wilde.  As he was looking at A Picture of Dorian Stingray, by Oyster Wilde, he knocked over a bust of Sandson, a hero from a popular Elbib story.  Unfortunately the bust landed on the large chess set, not only breaking the bust, but also breaking the chess set in half.

Just about then, the fish family came home.

Since little Triton knew that if he got caught he would get in trouble from his parents and the local porpoise department, he decided to get out of there immediately.

As he left the coral forest, all events of the incident left his memory, and he thought of what future adventures lay ahead.

Ten Adventures of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

In this collection of ten short stories published between 1911-1927, the ingenious Father Brown uses his brains and insights to solve crimes both large and small.  Created by G.K. Chesterton, Father Brown is rather dumpy Catholic priest who has an uncanny ability to peer into the evils of the human heart and walk away unscathed.  He uses intuition rather than deduction to discover the culprit behind the crime.

This was a new mystery series for me as I've never read anything by Chesterton before.  I must say that I'm really regretting the fact that I'm almost 35 years old and just discovering one of the most fascinating characters to grace mystery pages.  I've tended to stray away from mystery series that star religious figures.  I don't know that I would ever say it was a bias, but I never got the impression that I would enjoy them. I think it has more to do with the "Father Dowling Mysteries" TV show.  I'm not sure what it was, but I could never get into that show.  It actually bugged me quite a bit.

Father Brown, even though he is a priest, doesn't really "preach" while he is solving the crimes.  His religion never really enters into it, though I think because he's a priest he is able to look at the situation differently.  He is a man used to hearing other people's confessions.  He has probably heard people confess to things that would make most of our toes curl.  He puts himself in the criminals shoes and takes the place of the murderer.  He becomes the murderer in his mind and using the insight gained to solve the mystery.  It's a refreshing change from the classic detective who uses clues to accomplish the same goal.  The other aspect  I found fascinating was how Father Brown, who has to believe in the divine workings of God, doesn't allow himself to be distracted by supernatural explanations.  He scoffs at the idea and always discovers the more rational, human solution.

As for the stories themselves, they were all previously published in other collections and I must assume that they are a good look at Chesterton's writing style.  They are all well thought out, meticulous mysteries that don't drop a lot of clues.  Instead you are brought along on a journey with Father Brown as he processes the information.  I think some people would classify them as unfair since the solution doesn't follow a set of clues. I don't think that's fair though.  There is no solution that doesn't make sense in the context of all the information given.  Nothing seems to come out of the blue.  It's a great way to tell a story and I must confess, I can't wait to read more of them.

Challenges: M&S, VM

Wizards edited by Jack Dann

Part Of Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

Throughout the ages, the wizard has claimed a spot in human culture - from the shadowy spiritual leaders of early man to precocious characters in blockbuster films.  Gone are the cartoon images of wizened, a gray-haired men in pointy caps creating magic with a wave of their wands.  Today's wizards are more subtle in their powers, more discerning in their ways, and - in the hands of modern fantasists - more likely than ever to capture your imagination...


I'm going to be honest right now, the biggest reason I bought this book was because of the gorgeous cover.  I love the use of color and shading and the way the stars on the wizard's cloak shine with a goldish sparkle.  I love the way the rocky background frames the wizard and draws the eye to him.  Of course the fact that this anthology has contributions from some of the best writers in the genre didn't hurt either.

This is a fantastic colleciton of stories, not one of which I didn't like.  The first story in the anthology is from Neil Gaiman.  "The Witch's Headstone" showcases a young boy who's only friends and teachers are the ghosts inhabiting a old, lonely graveyard.  They teach him history and about life outside of the cemetery.  When he wanders a little outside the boundaries of the consecrated boundaries he meets the ghost of a witch who's only wish is to have a headstone for her grave.  Patricia A. McKillip, one of my favorite fantasy authors, contributes "Naming Day" about a young girl who is going to have to pick her secret, magic name but instead has to deal with one of the worst days of her life.  Other contributors include Garth Nix, Tad Williams, Tanith Lee, Terry Dowling, Orson Scott Card,  and Gene Wolfe.