Short Story Review - more on Lowcountry Crime

I did not venture out this past week any further than the southern settings in the four novella collection, Lowcountry Crime. Next up is Polly Iyer with her story, The Last Heist. But is it? Iyer's setting is also in the southeastern USA, in the city of Charleston.

Paul Swan, a professional jewel thief, against his self-imposed rule, risks a heist in his home town. He promises himself this is the last job before he retires. After a successful career, this theft seems to come off like all the rest. That's when the action cranks up.

​I wanted to spend more time with these characters, and apparently you can. Like Whittle's story, this is a prequel to novels in a series.

A good anthology has variety, while sticking to a unified theme. Lowcountry Crime does this well. Tina Whittle's tale involves the lower end of the social spectrum, and takes us to the swamps. Iyer's characters move in a higher social stratum, among the rich and powerful in a city setting. I am halfway through Blue Nude, where Jonathan M. Bryant's character Brad Sharpe takes us to an island in an attempt to clear his name.

Enjoyable reads, good writing by a variety of authors, and an entertaining setting. I'll have to check out more anthologies!

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