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ccgwalt's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 B+ Overall
I enjoyed this anthology immensely. I was only disappointed that we were told in the prologue several stories were the start of a new series, but in reality only one novella (Twelve Seconds) has a followup.
The novellas are narrated by either Joel Leslie or Kale Williams, and all the narrations are excellent. I definitely recommend this on audio! Almost 29 hours of enjoyable mm suspense.
1- Entree to Murder by Nicole Kimberling is sort of a cozy mystery. I wish it were a series because I'd enjoy reading more. Narration by Kale Williams. B
2-Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry involves a murder investigation during a failed rocket launch. I enjoyed the investigation and the relationship. Narrated by Joel Leslie. B
3-Reality Bites by SC Wynne, narrated by Kale Williams. Good characters, interesting mystery. B
4-SKIPPED: Blind's Man Bluff by LB Gregg. I can't speak to the quality, only that after listening a little while I realized it wasn't my thing. I thought the characters were early 20's from their actions, but they were 30.
5-A Country for Old Men by Dal Maclean, expertly narrated by Joel Leslie (there was a fair amount of Gaelic). This was beautifully written even if the pacing was a little slow, or perhaps languid is a better term. I loved the emotional story and the second chance romance. One of my favorites! A-
6-Pepper the Crime Lab by Z.A. Maxfield, narrated by Joel Leslie. This was a fun mystery and would make a nice cosy-esque series. B+
7-Lights, Camera, Murder by C.S. Poe, narrated by Kale Williams. One of my favorites of the anthology,this has a great mystery and a sweet romance. I wish this was a series, too. A-
8-Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon, narrated by Joel Leslie. While the mystery wasn't quite as complex as some of the others, the resolution caught me by surprise and I enjoyed it. I liked the main characters. Nice story made better by Joel's narration. B
I enjoyed this anthology immensely. I was only disappointed that we were told in the prologue several stories were the start of a new series, but in reality only one novella (Twelve Seconds) has a followup.
The novellas are narrated by either Joel Leslie or Kale Williams, and all the narrations are excellent. I definitely recommend this on audio! Almost 29 hours of enjoyable mm suspense.
1- Entree to Murder by Nicole Kimberling is sort of a cozy mystery. I wish it were a series because I'd enjoy reading more. Narration by Kale Williams. B
2-Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry involves a murder investigation during a failed rocket launch. I enjoyed the investigation and the relationship. Narrated by Joel Leslie. B
3-Reality Bites by SC Wynne, narrated by Kale Williams. Good characters, interesting mystery. B
4-SKIPPED: Blind's Man Bluff by LB Gregg. I can't speak to the quality, only that after listening a little while I realized it wasn't my thing. I thought the characters were early 20's from their actions, but they were 30.
5-A Country for Old Men by Dal Maclean, expertly narrated by Joel Leslie (there was a fair amount of Gaelic). This was beautifully written even if the pacing was a little slow, or perhaps languid is a better term. I loved the emotional story and the second chance romance. One of my favorites! A-
6-Pepper the Crime Lab by Z.A. Maxfield, narrated by Joel Leslie. This was a fun mystery and would make a nice cosy-esque series. B+
7-Lights, Camera, Murder by C.S. Poe, narrated by Kale Williams. One of my favorites of the anthology,this has a great mystery and a sweet romance. I wish this was a series, too. A-
8-Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon, narrated by Joel Leslie. While the mystery wasn't quite as complex as some of the others, the resolution caught me by surprise and I enjoyed it. I liked the main characters. Nice story made better by Joel's narration. B
kiki124's review against another edition
3.0
Came for Maclean; stayed
for Gregg and Lanyon. Meh.
Finally finished.
for Gregg and Lanyon. Meh.
Finally finished.
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
4.0
I loved almost every single story on this anthology, and the ones that I didn't love, I liked very much.
So, let's go with each one of them.
Entrée to Murder by Nicole Kimberling
I really liked this one. The mystery is really well done, gripping and very entertaining. The strained relationship between Sam and Drew is the perfect background to all what's going on. Now, regarding the romance, I have only one complaint: after the original description of Big Mac, I couldn't help to picture him as Hoss Cartwright, from Bonanza. Do you remember him? Not the best image for a romance :P
Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry
Oh, I liked both, the mystery and the romance here. And I loved how smart is Justin :) I'm not a great fan of dual POV's, but then, that's me :P And it was a nice introduction to someone who is a new author for me.
Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne
Okay, full disclosure: I LOVE S.C. Wynne's writing. Truly love it. So I went to read this already knowing that I was in for a treat :P And, of course, the story didn't disappoint me. A very well done mystery, an opposites-attract romance with characters I really liked and a fabulous ending. What else could I wish?
Blind Man's Buff by L.B. Gregg
Okay, this reads like a horror movie. c'mon! Beautiful people stranded in a closed-off mall with a serial killer on the loose? Classical! The story is gripping, exciting and full of tension. Believable, as all the people participating in the game is at their peak physically. There is no romance, really. Except is you want to consider this as WORST FIRST DATE EVER. If it were been a date. Which wasn't, no matter what Tommy and Jonah where expecting :P
Really entertaining.
A Country for Old Men by Dal Maclean
Hands down, my favourite story. Beautiful, mournful, permeated with a sense of loss almost until the very end, this is one of these stories that stay with you for a long, long time. The writing is simply gorgeous, poetic and evocative. The description of that town frozen in time is perfect; for moments you forget that this is going on at the present times, until something (a cell phone, a mention to Twitter) reminds you.
Calum's story is... heartbreaking. That he's willing to betray himself to fit in what he thinks is his destiny and his duty...
And those letters! Those letters that Calum is getting in his email and that seems to fit so well whit was going on!. Even the mystery is surrounded by lore and old stories. What can I say? It's wonderful. But then, it's a Dal Maclean's story :)
Pepper the Crime Lab by Z.A. Maxfied
And this one is the one I liked the less. Maybe coming after 'A Country for Old Men' has something to do with it, I don't know...
I really didn't engage with the characters and when one of the MCs is an ex-cop, now bodyguard, you'll expect that he'll be, at the very least, helping to solve the mystery. And yet... the mystery is solved by accident :/
Sorry, but not my cup of tea.
Lights, Camera, Murder by C.S. Poe
Another one of my favourite authors, and another great story. The characters are simply fantastic. And Marion! Oh, Marion is just... perfect! The mystery is really well done and keeps you wondering until the end, so masterly executed! And I love that is Marion, at the end, who saves the day (and Rory's life).
Another fantastic read, and I really, really hope will be seeing more of these two =D
Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon
Josh Lanyon is another favourite (yes, I'm a lucky girl, all of my favourites in one anthology :P), so it will come as no surprise at all that I loved this story, too. The setting is simply perfect: an old house, filled with childhood memories, that suddenly feels less than welcoming; an old crush who (maybe without even noticing) inflicted a life-defining hurt; a dead man at the bottom of a magnificent marble stair, crushed by a huge bronze sculpture; little objects missing...
And I was so wrong about the culprit! *laughs* Another excellent story :)
So, if you, for whatever reason, wasn't sure about going for this anthology, go for it! I can't recommend it more.
So, let's go with each one of them.
Entrée to Murder by Nicole Kimberling
I really liked this one. The mystery is really well done, gripping and very entertaining. The strained relationship between Sam and Drew is the perfect background to all what's going on. Now, regarding the romance, I have only one complaint: after the original description of Big Mac, I couldn't help to picture him as Hoss Cartwright, from Bonanza. Do you remember him? Not the best image for a romance :P
Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry
Oh, I liked both, the mystery and the romance here. And I loved how smart is Justin :) I'm not a great fan of dual POV's, but then, that's me :P And it was a nice introduction to someone who is a new author for me.
Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne
Okay, full disclosure: I LOVE S.C. Wynne's writing. Truly love it. So I went to read this already knowing that I was in for a treat :P And, of course, the story didn't disappoint me. A very well done mystery, an opposites-attract romance with characters I really liked and a fabulous ending. What else could I wish?
Blind Man's Buff by L.B. Gregg
Okay, this reads like a horror movie. c'mon! Beautiful people stranded in a closed-off mall with a serial killer on the loose? Classical! The story is gripping, exciting and full of tension. Believable, as all the people participating in the game is at their peak physically. There is no romance, really. Except is you want to consider this as WORST FIRST DATE EVER. If it were been a date. Which wasn't, no matter what Tommy and Jonah where expecting :P
Really entertaining.
A Country for Old Men by Dal Maclean
Hands down, my favourite story. Beautiful, mournful, permeated with a sense of loss almost until the very end, this is one of these stories that stay with you for a long, long time. The writing is simply gorgeous, poetic and evocative. The description of that town frozen in time is perfect; for moments you forget that this is going on at the present times, until something (a cell phone, a mention to Twitter) reminds you.
Calum's story is... heartbreaking. That he's willing to betray himself to fit in what he thinks is his destiny and his duty...
And those letters! Those letters that Calum is getting in his email and that seems to fit so well whit was going on!. Even the mystery is surrounded by lore and old stories. What can I say? It's wonderful. But then, it's a Dal Maclean's story :)
Pepper the Crime Lab by Z.A. Maxfied
And this one is the one I liked the less. Maybe coming after 'A Country for Old Men' has something to do with it, I don't know...
I really didn't engage with the characters and when one of the MCs is an ex-cop, now bodyguard, you'll expect that he'll be, at the very least, helping to solve the mystery. And yet... the mystery is solved by accident :/
Sorry, but not my cup of tea.
Lights, Camera, Murder by C.S. Poe
Another one of my favourite authors, and another great story. The characters are simply fantastic. And Marion! Oh, Marion is just... perfect! The mystery is really well done and keeps you wondering until the end, so masterly executed! And I love that is Marion, at the end, who saves the day (and Rory's life).
Another fantastic read, and I really, really hope will be seeing more of these two =D
Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon
Josh Lanyon is another favourite (yes, I'm a lucky girl, all of my favourites in one anthology :P), so it will come as no surprise at all that I loved this story, too. The setting is simply perfect: an old house, filled with childhood memories, that suddenly feels less than welcoming; an old crush who (maybe without even noticing) inflicted a life-defining hurt; a dead man at the bottom of a magnificent marble stair, crushed by a huge bronze sculpture; little objects missing...
And I was so wrong about the culprit! *laughs* Another excellent story :)
So, if you, for whatever reason, wasn't sure about going for this anthology, go for it! I can't recommend it more.
ctsquirrel's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 overall, best anthology yet this year.
Entrée to Murder by Nicole Kimberling
4/5
Tags: small town murder mystery, chef, an island in Puget Sound, Washington State, law enforcement
Quote: On considering suspects “There’s nothing that prohibits a vegetarian from committing murder; just from eating the body”
Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry
4/5
Tags: journalists, military (Air Force Special Agent ["the NCIS of the Air Force"]), law enforcement, Florida (Cape Canaveral/Patrick AFB)
Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne
3/5
Tags: law enforcement, California (Hollywood/LA), TV Producer, Reality TV
Blind Man's Buff by L.B. Gregg
3/5
Tags: Teachers, Action, Adventure, Teachers, Friends to Lovers, Thriller, No Sex
A Country for Old Men by Dal MacLean
2.5 My notes say my reason for rating is that is it was "too Scottish," but there was a Scots Gaelic glossary at the end.
Tags: Scotland (Stornaway), Law Enforcement, Archaeology (Viking settlements in Scotland)
Pepper the Crime Lab by Z.A. Maxfield
4/5 Very funny, but the murderer was easy to figure out because
Tags: Chef, No sex, Dogs (labrador in the title, belgian malinois, pug, and shih tzu), bodyguard (former cop/current private security)
Quotes: Lonnie's telling the cop why his knives are portable “Do you leave your weapon at home in the hope that someone has a nice one you can borrow at a dangerous traffic stop?”
Lonnie Boudreaux on his ex's Cajun fetish "I didn’t have a Cajun accent, I rarely cooked Cajun food, and Dillon’s fetish creeped me out. It forced me into a boudin casing that didn’t fit."
Lights. Camera. Murder. by C.S. Poe
4/5 Good mystery, I didn't guess it.
Tags: Age Difference (45yo PI and 15-20yrs younger actor), Actors, New York City
Quotes: Rory on his PA supervisor "I was certain Davey held his dick with five fingers and pissed on four of them."
Rory on Marion (and about to get on Marion) "He wore a suit like it’d be a sin to undress him."
Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon
3/5
Tags: Montreal Quebec, Teachers, Artists, Art Theft
Entrée to Murder by Nicole Kimberling
4/5
Tags: small town murder mystery, chef, an island in Puget Sound, Washington State, law enforcement
Quote: On considering suspects “There’s nothing that prohibits a vegetarian from committing murder; just from eating the body”
Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry
4/5
Tags: journalists, military (Air Force Special Agent ["the NCIS of the Air Force"]), law enforcement, Florida (Cape Canaveral/Patrick AFB)
Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne
3/5
Tags: law enforcement, California (Hollywood/LA), TV Producer, Reality TV
Blind Man's Buff by L.B. Gregg
3/5
Tags: Teachers, Action, Adventure, Teachers, Friends to Lovers, Thriller, No Sex
A Country for Old Men by Dal MacLean
2.5 My notes say my reason for rating is that is it was "too Scottish," but there was a Scots Gaelic glossary at the end.
Tags: Scotland (Stornaway), Law Enforcement, Archaeology (Viking settlements in Scotland)
Pepper the Crime Lab by Z.A. Maxfield
4/5 Very funny, but the murderer was easy to figure out because
Spoiler
of the dog's reactionTags: Chef, No sex, Dogs (labrador in the title, belgian malinois, pug, and shih tzu), bodyguard (former cop/current private security)
Quotes: Lonnie's telling the cop why his knives are portable “Do you leave your weapon at home in the hope that someone has a nice one you can borrow at a dangerous traffic stop?”
Lonnie Boudreaux on his ex's Cajun fetish "I didn’t have a Cajun accent, I rarely cooked Cajun food, and Dillon’s fetish creeped me out. It forced me into a boudin casing that didn’t fit."
Lights. Camera. Murder. by C.S. Poe
4/5 Good mystery, I didn't guess it.
Tags: Age Difference (45yo PI and 15-20yrs younger actor), Actors, New York City
Quotes: Rory on his PA supervisor "I was certain Davey held his dick with five fingers and pissed on four of them."
Rory on Marion (and about to get on Marion) "He wore a suit like it’d be a sin to undress him."
Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon
3/5
Tags: Montreal Quebec, Teachers, Artists, Art Theft
suze_1624's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely collection of 8 stories linked by death and murder mysteries!
We have chefs, space rocket launches, a creepy game of hide and seek with a serial killer, old poignant love letters, dogs, tv show sets and lots of dead bodies!
All the stories are complete and more than short stories. Some left a few hanging threads and one generated a tear in my eye.
I enjoyed them all
We have chefs, space rocket launches, a creepy game of hide and seek with a serial killer, old poignant love letters, dogs, tv show sets and lots of dead bodies!
All the stories are complete and more than short stories. Some left a few hanging threads and one generated a tear in my eye.
I enjoyed them all
caterina_1212's review against another edition
5.0
Sure some are three stars, but A Country For Old Men was ten, and Twelve Seconds and Entree to Murder were good, too.
mwana's review against another edition
5.0
Come for [a:Josh Lanyon|359194|Josh Lanyon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1289326144p2/359194.jpg], stay for [a:Dal Maclean|15408926|Dal Maclean|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1470182224p2/15408926.jpg].
These two authors are the reason why I jumped on the arc so fast when it was shared online.
But I read "all" the stories like the good lil girl I am.
STORY 1: Entree to Murder by [a:Nicole Kimberling|1035116|Nicole Kimberling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207612752p2/1035116.jpg]
Chef Drew Allison moves to the town of Orca's Slough with his bff Sam to start a new restaurant called Eelgrass. Their relationship is on the rocks and we are reminded of that frequently. Although, poetically. When the body of the drug dealing kitchen staff is found in the basement of the Eelgrass, Drew is forced to investigate the murder (somewhat unwillingly) because the police force of Mackenzie, Mackenzie and Mackenzie somehow thinks he's involved in whatever the hell is going on in Orca's Slough.
The mystery is well written. Gripping and isn't sidetracked by the drama surrounding Drew's life.
These two authors are the reason why I jumped on the arc so fast when it was shared online.
But I read "all" the stories like the good lil girl I am.
STORY 1: Entree to Murder by [a:Nicole Kimberling|1035116|Nicole Kimberling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1207612752p2/1035116.jpg]
Chef Drew Allison moves to the town of Orca's Slough with his bff Sam to start a new restaurant called Eelgrass. Their relationship is on the rocks and we are reminded of that frequently. Although, poetically. When the body of the drug dealing kitchen staff is found in the basement of the Eelgrass, Drew is forced to investigate the murder (somewhat unwillingly) because the police force of Mackenzie, Mackenzie and Mackenzie somehow thinks he's involved in whatever the hell is going on in Orca's Slough.
The mystery is well written. Gripping and isn't sidetracked by the drama surrounding Drew's life.
marlan's review against another edition
4.0
I've been trying to read more romance - one of the genres I don't regularly read - and I've found that mystery/romance satisfies both sides of my brain. All the plot and puzzles of a mystery with all the relationship development of a romance. This was a great sampler piece, introducing me to several authors.
Entré to murder by Nicole Kimberling ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A chef in a small island town gets entangled in a murder - and the local cop.
Good introductory story. I loved the banter between the two leads and their semi-antagonistic roles. Reminded me of 40s-style comedies like His Girl Friday.
Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry ⭐
An investigator and space reporter look into the explosion of a Elon-Musk-style rocket.
The one dud in the bunch. If you came here because you got stuck on this story and wondered if it was worth reading on - yes, it is. Just skip this one. Poor characterization and relationship development ("Justin shared [Greg's] enthusiasm for fishing, reading, travel, and classic rock." A romance for the ages!) I don't even remember who the murderer was, as it had so little emotional impact. I'm also sick of reading about billionaires and their toy rockets, so that may have colored my opinion.
Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne ⭐⭐⭐
Lights. Camera. Murder. By C.S. Poe ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm grouping these together because they're similar in premise and tone: a hard-nosed detective/P.I. investigates the set of a TV show. Both stories are told in a clipped noir style. Of the two, I enjoyed "Lights" more. The characters felt more well-rounded, showing anger, insecurity, and wit. The mystery was multi-layered. And it did a better job of parceling out the resolution in stages. Maybe it's a genre convention, but a lot of the stories had a villain monologue to explain the mystery at the end, which was too much info to absorb at once. "Lights" gave me more time to process, and felt more satisfying as a result.
Blind Man's Bluff by L.B. Gregg ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A group of teacher friends go play capture the flag in an abandoned mall and get trapped inside with a killer.
This was almost horror/romance, albeit on the light side of horror. A nice change of pace mid-book (whoever organized the stories did a great job). A bit rushed in the ending, but the descriptions of the decaying mall set a delightfully creepy tone. I think the author was going for a theme on immature adults growing up, but often it felt like a YA book where the characters had been aged up at the last minute. Still great fun, but an odd duck in this anthology.
A Country for Old Men by Dal MacLean ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A closeted police officer moves home to the Outer Hebrides (western Scottish isles) and investigates a murder where a possible ancient artifact is found at the scene.
One of the best in the anthology. In addition to a romance and mystery, there is a bit of history and terrific world-building. The Outer Hebrides felt very specific and real as a location and culture, and the resolution of the three mysteries all had emotional resonance. I teared up at the end.
Pepper the Crime Lab by Z.A. Maxfield ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A man recovering from a long illness moves into a new apartment and discovers a dead man next door.
Comedy rarely gets the same respect as drama, and I feel like this story is just as good as A Country for Old Men, with the added challenge of being funny. The relationship between Lonnie and his dog is endearing, and it ties into his emotional development and the themes of the story. There were so many interesting background details to the characters - I felt like there was more story to tell.
Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon ⭐⭐⭐
An art teacher moves into a mansion he mysteriously inherits...but strange things are happening there at night.
Miles was incredibly appealing as a main character, and this was probably the most mysterious of the mysteries: an old mansion inherited for unexplained reasons, a suspicious death, a creepy housekeeper. The twists never quite felt twisty enough, though. I also couldn't stop thinking about how a teacher would pay property taxes on a $9 million mansion, which is probably a sign that the story wasn't gripping me enough to shut down the nit-picking part of my brain.
Overall: this was a great vacation read. A nice long book that is just challenging enough to be diverting, with a group of well-selected stories that clipped along.
Entré to murder by Nicole Kimberling ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A chef in a small island town gets entangled in a murder - and the local cop.
Good introductory story. I loved the banter between the two leads and their semi-antagonistic roles. Reminded me of 40s-style comedies like His Girl Friday.
Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry ⭐
An investigator and space reporter look into the explosion of a Elon-Musk-style rocket.
The one dud in the bunch. If you came here because you got stuck on this story and wondered if it was worth reading on - yes, it is. Just skip this one. Poor characterization and relationship development ("Justin shared [Greg's] enthusiasm for fishing, reading, travel, and classic rock." A romance for the ages!) I don't even remember who the murderer was, as it had so little emotional impact. I'm also sick of reading about billionaires and their toy rockets, so that may have colored my opinion.
Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne ⭐⭐⭐
Lights. Camera. Murder. By C.S. Poe ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm grouping these together because they're similar in premise and tone: a hard-nosed detective/P.I. investigates the set of a TV show. Both stories are told in a clipped noir style. Of the two, I enjoyed "Lights" more. The characters felt more well-rounded, showing anger, insecurity, and wit. The mystery was multi-layered. And it did a better job of parceling out the resolution in stages. Maybe it's a genre convention, but a lot of the stories had a villain monologue to explain the mystery at the end, which was too much info to absorb at once. "Lights" gave me more time to process, and felt more satisfying as a result.
Blind Man's Bluff by L.B. Gregg ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A group of teacher friends go play capture the flag in an abandoned mall and get trapped inside with a killer.
This was almost horror/romance, albeit on the light side of horror. A nice change of pace mid-book (whoever organized the stories did a great job). A bit rushed in the ending, but the descriptions of the decaying mall set a delightfully creepy tone. I think the author was going for a theme on immature adults growing up, but often it felt like a YA book where the characters had been aged up at the last minute. Still great fun, but an odd duck in this anthology.
A Country for Old Men by Dal MacLean ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A closeted police officer moves home to the Outer Hebrides (western Scottish isles) and investigates a murder where a possible ancient artifact is found at the scene.
One of the best in the anthology. In addition to a romance and mystery, there is a bit of history and terrific world-building.
Spoiler
And while I understand the sentiment that LGBT stories need to move past the coming-out drama, I feel like there are still plenty of settings where that is appropriate. Not every story is set among generation Z in NY and California.Pepper the Crime Lab by Z.A. Maxfield ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A man recovering from a long illness moves into a new apartment and discovers a dead man next door.
Comedy rarely gets the same respect as drama, and I feel like this story is just as good as A Country for Old Men, with the added challenge of being funny. The relationship between Lonnie and his dog is endearing, and it ties into his emotional development and the themes of the story. There were so many interesting background details to the characters - I felt like there was more story to tell.
Stranger in the House by Josh Lanyon ⭐⭐⭐
An art teacher moves into a mansion he mysteriously inherits...but strange things are happening there at night.
Miles was incredibly appealing as a main character, and this was probably the most mysterious of the mysteries: an old mansion inherited for unexplained reasons, a suspicious death, a creepy housekeeper. The twists never quite felt twisty enough, though. I also couldn't stop thinking about how a teacher would pay property taxes on a $9 million mansion, which is probably a sign that the story wasn't gripping me enough to shut down the nit-picking part of my brain.
Overall: this was a great vacation read. A nice long book that is just challenging enough to be diverting, with a group of well-selected stories that clipped along.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
This anthology had stories by several of my favorite authors, and I enjoyed them quite a bit. Mostly 4-star stories, in part because it's really hard to create a satisfyingly complex mystery and do character development in the short span of an anthology entry. Several of these would have been even more satisfying expanded to a greater length, but only one really missed the mark for me. My favorite, and the one I'd give 5 stars to, was A Country for Old Men by Dal Maclean. The main character had depth and poignancy, and there was a real sense of place to it.
If you enjoy mysteries with a gay romance element, and like the fun of shorter lengths and a range of author voices, this is a worthwhile anthology to pick up.
If you enjoy mysteries with a gay romance element, and like the fun of shorter lengths and a range of author voices, this is a worthwhile anthology to pick up.