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lit_with_leigh's review
3.0
One sentence review: A rollercoaster in regards to quality and comprehension LOL
SYNOPSIS
An anthology of crime stories by leading female crime fiction writers.
MY OPINION
As you may have seen, I've been on a bit of a short story bender. I find heavy-handed prose more tolerable in these micro doses LOL. I downloaded this because 1) it's free with Kindle Unlimited and 2) Jane Casey, a fave of mine, wrote a story in this collection. Obviously the title is a bit of a spoiler: you know that all the killers are women. This is less about leaving you shook with twists and more about symbolism and storytelling. I did enjoy the lil author interviews at the end as well. It was interesting to learn about their backgrounds.
Since this was a real mixed bag, I decided to break down each story with the rating and a short review:
1. The Window Man by Louise Millar: 5 stars because WTF. I would love to see this as a movie. Very creepy. The twist was expertly foreshadowed.
2. On the Undercliff by Alex Marwood: 3 stars. There was mad potential with the simmering tension between a couple in their early days on holiday. Only the strongest couples can survive an off-resort vacay LOL. The ending was giving me Fred Flinstone.
3. The Previous Tenant by Tammy Cohen. 3.5 stars. Cool concept; I do often wonder who moves into a murder apartment/home but the MC's psyche needed to be flushed out more.
4. Schiaparelli Pink Bikini by Melanie McGrath. 4 stars. I went through a real rollercoaster of emotions during this lil ride. The MC is one you hate and have trouble sympathizing with despite the unfortunate events she experienced. However, Melanie made her point, and I have to respect that.
5. The Edge by Colette McBeth. 5 stars. One of the more complex stories. Intelligently written and executed. I liked this approach of unmasking Mr. Nice Guy.
6. The Rat Trap by Jane Casey. 3.5 stars. Creepy but too open-ended. The big reveal had me pulling out a calculator because it just wasn't adding up???? I've only read her police procedurals so this citizens gone rogue story was a first for me.
7. Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Erin Kelly. 5 stars. Wonderfully executed dual timelines. Showing vs telling was on pizzzoint. What's fact? What's fiction? All I know is don't fk with June!!!
8. El Lloron Borrego by Sarah Hilary. 2 stars. Maybe I missed something? I read the author's inspo for the story but it seemed she forgot to add some thoughts to the plot LOL. Motive? Never heard of her.
9. Stop the Pigeon by Louise Voss. 2.5 stars. I'm sensing a theme here: interesting premise that falls short because the psychological motivations of the MC are nowhere to be seen. I did like the POV of Ashley. She wrote a great douchebag.
10. Day of the Dead by Alison Joseph. 3 stars. Very meh. Much meh.
11. The Secret Ingredient by Helen Smith. 1 star. Could barely get through it, and that's saying something given the length. Also this quote had me like ???? why did you choose this simile??? "She attacked the compost heap with the determination of a land girl looking for a Nazi paratrooper hidden in a haystack during the Second World War." tbh I think. the adverb "ferociously" would've sufficed in this case but... go off I guess??
12. Witch by Kate Medina. 1 star. Without the author's note and the title the whole witch thing would'e flown right over my head. Thought it was just a bum ass mom.
13. Stevie by D.E. Meredith. 2.5 stars. FFS not a corrupt law enforcement twist in a short story. It could've been solid af but she had to sprinkle a lil 007 nonsense in there. BYE.
14. Chance by Laura Wilson. 1 star. Absolute ass. One of the longest stories which sucked because it was undoubtedly the worst. Dislocated my jaw yawning.
15. Natural Justice by Kate Rhodes. 4 stars. The theme is so straightforward it'll slap ya in the face, but I liked it. He got what he deserved. Just sayin.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: a variety of stories; no two tales were alike
Cons: a variety of quality. motives were as MIA as my dad's support... I mean..... as a Nazi stormtrooper who landed in a haystack??? halp
SYNOPSIS
An anthology of crime stories by leading female crime fiction writers.
MY OPINION
As you may have seen, I've been on a bit of a short story bender. I find heavy-handed prose more tolerable in these micro doses LOL. I downloaded this because 1) it's free with Kindle Unlimited and 2) Jane Casey, a fave of mine, wrote a story in this collection. Obviously the title is a bit of a spoiler: you know that all the killers are women. This is less about leaving you shook with twists and more about symbolism and storytelling. I did enjoy the lil author interviews at the end as well. It was interesting to learn about their backgrounds.
Since this was a real mixed bag, I decided to break down each story with the rating and a short review:
1. The Window Man by Louise Millar: 5 stars because WTF. I would love to see this as a movie. Very creepy. The twist was expertly foreshadowed.
2. On the Undercliff by Alex Marwood: 3 stars. There was mad potential with the simmering tension between a couple in their early days on holiday. Only the strongest couples can survive an off-resort vacay LOL. The ending was giving me Fred Flinstone.
3. The Previous Tenant by Tammy Cohen. 3.5 stars. Cool concept; I do often wonder who moves into a murder apartment/home but the MC's psyche needed to be flushed out more.
4. Schiaparelli Pink Bikini by Melanie McGrath. 4 stars. I went through a real rollercoaster of emotions during this lil ride. The MC is one you hate and have trouble sympathizing with despite the unfortunate events she experienced. However, Melanie made her point, and I have to respect that.
5. The Edge by Colette McBeth. 5 stars. One of the more complex stories. Intelligently written and executed. I liked this approach of unmasking Mr. Nice Guy.
6. The Rat Trap by Jane Casey. 3.5 stars. Creepy but too open-ended. The big reveal had me pulling out a calculator because it just wasn't adding up???? I've only read her police procedurals so this citizens gone rogue story was a first for me.
7. Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Erin Kelly. 5 stars. Wonderfully executed dual timelines. Showing vs telling was on pizzzoint. What's fact? What's fiction? All I know is don't fk with June!!!
8. El Lloron Borrego by Sarah Hilary. 2 stars. Maybe I missed something? I read the author's inspo for the story but it seemed she forgot to add some thoughts to the plot LOL. Motive? Never heard of her.
9. Stop the Pigeon by Louise Voss. 2.5 stars. I'm sensing a theme here: interesting premise that falls short because the psychological motivations of the MC are nowhere to be seen. I did like the POV of Ashley. She wrote a great douchebag.
10. Day of the Dead by Alison Joseph. 3 stars. Very meh. Much meh.
11. The Secret Ingredient by Helen Smith. 1 star. Could barely get through it, and that's saying something given the length. Also this quote had me like ???? why did you choose this simile??? "She attacked the compost heap with the determination of a land girl looking for a Nazi paratrooper hidden in a haystack during the Second World War." tbh I think. the adverb "ferociously" would've sufficed in this case but... go off I guess??
12. Witch by Kate Medina. 1 star. Without the author's note and the title the whole witch thing would'e flown right over my head. Thought it was just a bum ass mom.
13. Stevie by D.E. Meredith. 2.5 stars. FFS not a corrupt law enforcement twist in a short story. It could've been solid af but she had to sprinkle a lil 007 nonsense in there. BYE.
14. Chance by Laura Wilson. 1 star. Absolute ass. One of the longest stories which sucked because it was undoubtedly the worst. Dislocated my jaw yawning.
15. Natural Justice by Kate Rhodes. 4 stars. The theme is so straightforward it'll slap ya in the face, but I liked it. He got what he deserved. Just sayin.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: a variety of stories; no two tales were alike
Cons: a variety of quality. motives were as MIA as my dad's support... I mean..... as a Nazi stormtrooper who landed in a haystack??? halp
becandbooks's review
2.0
I had expectations about this anthology that just were not met. I was expecting quirky, witty stories of crime - similar to that riddle about the woman who kills her husband with a frozen ham and then serves the murder to the cops for dinner. Instead, I got a lot of meh, a little bit ahh... okay and a not much that was memorable.
Nothing really stood out to me. Except for the one with the crows which quite frankly was more of a horror short story than a crime short story?
It passed the time as an audiobook but honestly not much else.
My hopes were murdered in a very insignificant fashion, much like many of the characters throughout this book.
Nothing really stood out to me. Except for the one with the crows which quite frankly was more of a horror short story than a crime short story?
It passed the time as an audiobook but honestly not much else.
My hopes were murdered in a very insignificant fashion, much like many of the characters throughout this book.
girlwiththepinkskimask's review
3.0
One sentence review: A rollercoaster in regards to quality and comprehension LOL
SYNOPSIS
An anthology of crime stories by leading female crime fiction writers.
MY OPINION
As you may have seen, I've been on a bit of a short story bender. I find heavy-handed prose more tolerable in these micro doses LOL. I downloaded this because 1) it's free with Kindle Unlimited and 2) Jane Casey, a fave of mine, wrote a story in this collection. Obviously the title is a bit of a spoiler: you know that all the killers are women. This is less about leaving you shook with twists and more about symbolism and storytelling. I did enjoy the lil author interviews at the end as well. It was interesting to learn about their backgrounds.
Since this was a real mixed bag, I decided to break down each story with the rating and a short review:
1. The Window Man by Louise Millar: 5 stars because WTF. I would love to see this as a movie. Very creepy. The twist was expertly foreshadowed.
2. On the Undercliff by Alex Marwood: 3 stars. There was mad potential with the simmering tension between a couple in their early days on holiday. Only the strongest couples can survive an off-resort vacay LOL. The ending was giving me Fred Flinstone.
3. The Previous Tenant by Tammy Cohen. 3.5 stars. Cool concept; I do often wonder who moves into a murder apartment/home but the MC's psyche needed to be flushed out more.
4. Schiaparelli Pink Bikini by Melanie McGrath. 4 stars. I went through a real rollercoaster of emotions during this lil ride. The MC is one you hate and have trouble sympathizing with despite the unfortunate events she experienced. However, Melanie made her point, and I have to respect that.
5. The Edge by Colette McBeth. 5 stars. One of the more complex stories. Intelligently written and executed. I liked this approach of unmasking Mr. Nice Guy.
6. The Rat Trap by Jane Casey. 3.5 stars. Creepy but too open-ended. The big reveal had me pulling out a calculator because it just wasn't adding up???? I've only read her police procedurals so this citizens gone rogue story was a first for me.
7. Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Erin Kelly. 5 stars. Wonderfully executed dual timelines. Showing vs telling was on pizzzoint. What's fact? What's fiction? All I know is don't fk with June!!!
8. El Lloron Borrego by Sarah Hilary. 2 stars. Maybe I missed something? I read the author's inspo for the story but it seemed she forgot to add some thoughts to the plot LOL. Motive? Never heard of her.
9. Stop the Pigeon by Louise Voss. 2.5 stars. I'm sensing a theme here: interesting premise that falls short because the psychological motivations of the MC are nowhere to be seen. I did like the POV of Ashley. She wrote a great douchebag.
10. Day of the Dead by Alison Joseph. 3 stars. Very meh. Much meh.
11. The Secret Ingredient by Helen Smith. 1 star. Could barely get through it, and that's saying something given the length. Also this quote had me like ???? why did you choose this simile??? "She attacked the compost heap with the determination of a land girl looking for a Nazi paratrooper hidden in a haystack during the Second World War." tbh I think. the adverb "ferociously" would've sufficed in this case but... go off I guess??
12. Witch by Kate Medina. 1 star. Without the author's note and the title the whole witch thing would'e flown right over my head. Thought it was just a bum ass mom.
13. Stevie by D.E. Meredith. 2.5 stars. FFS not a corrupt law enforcement twist in a short story. It could've been solid af but she had to sprinkle a lil 007 nonsense in there. BYE.
14. Chance by Laura Wilson. 1 star. Absolute ass. One of the longest stories which sucked because it was undoubtedly the worst. Dislocated my jaw yawning.
15. Natural Justice by Kate Rhodes. 4 stars. The theme is so straightforward it'll slap ya in the face, but I liked it. He got what he deserved. Just sayin.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: a variety of stories; no two tales were alike
Cons: a variety of quality. motives were as MIA as my dad's support... I mean..... as a Nazi stormtrooper who landed in a haystack??? halp
SYNOPSIS
An anthology of crime stories by leading female crime fiction writers.
MY OPINION
As you may have seen, I've been on a bit of a short story bender. I find heavy-handed prose more tolerable in these micro doses LOL. I downloaded this because 1) it's free with Kindle Unlimited and 2) Jane Casey, a fave of mine, wrote a story in this collection. Obviously the title is a bit of a spoiler: you know that all the killers are women. This is less about leaving you shook with twists and more about symbolism and storytelling. I did enjoy the lil author interviews at the end as well. It was interesting to learn about their backgrounds.
Since this was a real mixed bag, I decided to break down each story with the rating and a short review:
1. The Window Man by Louise Millar: 5 stars because WTF. I would love to see this as a movie. Very creepy. The twist was expertly foreshadowed.
2. On the Undercliff by Alex Marwood: 3 stars. There was mad potential with the simmering tension between a couple in their early days on holiday. Only the strongest couples can survive an off-resort vacay LOL. The ending was giving me Fred Flinstone.
3. The Previous Tenant by Tammy Cohen. 3.5 stars. Cool concept; I do often wonder who moves into a murder apartment/home but the MC's psyche needed to be flushed out more.
4. Schiaparelli Pink Bikini by Melanie McGrath. 4 stars. I went through a real rollercoaster of emotions during this lil ride. The MC is one you hate and have trouble sympathizing with despite the unfortunate events she experienced. However, Melanie made her point, and I have to respect that.
5. The Edge by Colette McBeth. 5 stars. One of the more complex stories. Intelligently written and executed. I liked this approach of unmasking Mr. Nice Guy.
6. The Rat Trap by Jane Casey. 3.5 stars. Creepy but too open-ended. The big reveal had me pulling out a calculator because it just wasn't adding up???? I've only read her police procedurals so this citizens gone rogue story was a first for me.
7. Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Erin Kelly. 5 stars. Wonderfully executed dual timelines. Showing vs telling was on pizzzoint. What's fact? What's fiction? All I know is don't fk with June!!!
8. El Lloron Borrego by Sarah Hilary. 2 stars. Maybe I missed something? I read the author's inspo for the story but it seemed she forgot to add some thoughts to the plot LOL. Motive? Never heard of her.
9. Stop the Pigeon by Louise Voss. 2.5 stars. I'm sensing a theme here: interesting premise that falls short because the psychological motivations of the MC are nowhere to be seen. I did like the POV of Ashley. She wrote a great douchebag.
10. Day of the Dead by Alison Joseph. 3 stars. Very meh. Much meh.
11. The Secret Ingredient by Helen Smith. 1 star. Could barely get through it, and that's saying something given the length. Also this quote had me like ???? why did you choose this simile??? "She attacked the compost heap with the determination of a land girl looking for a Nazi paratrooper hidden in a haystack during the Second World War." tbh I think. the adverb "ferociously" would've sufficed in this case but... go off I guess??
12. Witch by Kate Medina. 1 star. Without the author's note and the title the whole witch thing would'e flown right over my head. Thought it was just a bum ass mom.
13. Stevie by D.E. Meredith. 2.5 stars. FFS not a corrupt law enforcement twist in a short story. It could've been solid af but she had to sprinkle a lil 007 nonsense in there. BYE.
14. Chance by Laura Wilson. 1 star. Absolute ass. One of the longest stories which sucked because it was undoubtedly the worst. Dislocated my jaw yawning.
15. Natural Justice by Kate Rhodes. 4 stars. The theme is so straightforward it'll slap ya in the face, but I liked it. He got what he deserved. Just sayin.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: a variety of stories; no two tales were alike
Cons: a variety of quality. motives were as MIA as my dad's support... I mean..... as a Nazi stormtrooper who landed in a haystack??? halp
thebooktrail88's review
5.0
Killer Women preparation for the festival on October 15th in London Lots of lovely stories here
Val McDermid mentions in her foreword that when she thinks about collections of short stories, she likens herself to Little Jack Horner and wants to stick in her thumb and pull out a plum. Well there are plenty plum reads in this snappy collection.
With only a short time for the first Killer women festival to kick off, this is also a great chance to get to grips with the writers who are appearing on the panels and to further make you fall in love with those you already know. There are some killer stories here and it’s a great collection.
I admit I’m slightly more scared of these women than I was before. They all look so normal and nice in their author pictures! hehe
The Killer Women are a really great bunch of lovely authors who have written some cracking stories here and in their own novels and TheBooktrail and Killer Women have got a competition to get you ready for the big day. With Killer prizes too of course
Enter here: link: And the Killer women will love you forever
Val McDermid mentions in her foreword that when she thinks about collections of short stories, she likens herself to Little Jack Horner and wants to stick in her thumb and pull out a plum. Well there are plenty plum reads in this snappy collection.
With only a short time for the first Killer women festival to kick off, this is also a great chance to get to grips with the writers who are appearing on the panels and to further make you fall in love with those you already know. There are some killer stories here and it’s a great collection.
I admit I’m slightly more scared of these women than I was before. They all look so normal and nice in their author pictures! hehe
The Killer Women are a really great bunch of lovely authors who have written some cracking stories here and in their own novels and TheBooktrail and Killer Women have got a competition to get you ready for the big day. With Killer prizes too of course
Enter here: link: And the Killer women will love you forever
lynsey284's review
5.0
For a while I could not get myself into reading I had lost my spirit from it probably due to family members having a dig about how much I read etc.
This book which is made up of 15 stories made me realised how much I had missed and love reading.
I loved every single story and got introduced to new others such as Erin Kelly the one story that stood out for me was the Collette Mcbeth and Jane Casey I just wanted this stories to carry out.
Fantastic writing of short stories from amazing female authors
This book which is made up of 15 stories made me realised how much I had missed and love reading.
I loved every single story and got introduced to new others such as Erin Kelly the one story that stood out for me was the Collette Mcbeth and Jane Casey I just wanted this stories to carry out.
Fantastic writing of short stories from amazing female authors
stagasaurus's review
3.0
Nice collection of short stories. Because of the theme, some of the twists were unfortunately very easy to guess.
tarana's review
5.0
All of these were good stories. A couple were GREAT stories. Both read and listened to audiobook. Both are great.
tdk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
theinkdrinker's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75