Curtains by Scott NicholsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazon product description:
A collection of 13 tales of mystery, crime, and suspense from the pages of Cemetery Dance, Blue Murder, The Third Alternative, Crimewave, and more. From tales of vengeful mobsters to dark family secrets, from psychotic killers to reluctant heroes, the stories tap the dark recesses of the human heart and the temptations that bring out the worst and best in all of us. Features the 2006 Year's Best Fantasy & Horror selection "Dog Person." You'll never look at fruit the same way again after experiencing "Watermelon." And junk mail takes a sinister turn in "Letters and Lies."
Includes bonus stories from award-winning writers J.A. Konrath (Origin, the Jack Daniels series) and Simon Wood (Working Stiffs), totaling 57,000 words of digital-pulp thrills.
My review:
Top-Notch Writing!
A quality selection of short-stories, each one vividly detailed with a precise eye for descriptive prose.
The themes vary greatly, and I enjoyed the variety. It’s always rewarding to read an anthology which feels like a blind dip into a selection box… you just don’t know what you’re going to get next.
Considering the fact that they are short pieces, I won’t ‘synopsis’ each individual item: I don’t want to give out spoilers. Suffice it to say, each is narrated in a consistent style in keeping with the title and product description – and what you would expect of this calibre of authorship by such renowned names – and yet showing a differing style of delivery; some slow and detailed, some nippy.
Speaking of ‘themed’…be warned that this not a cheery, candy-floss collection, but rather a dark and deliciously moody reflection on the less-than-sunny-side of life. Now this I enjoyed. I like a good fluffy short story, sure, but I love to see the dark and somewhat twisted aspect of humanity with all its quirks.
A very satisfying read with some clever twists, including the two stories which unexpectedly link up.
Recommended.
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