Short Story Reviews - Unreliable Narrator and Historical Setting

The Woman in Apartment 615 by Devon Shepherd
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine January/February 2019

I enjoy a skillfully presented unreliable narrator. The character typically reveals much more about him or herself than the reader might learn otherwise. Even better is a tale that slowly unfolds the unreliable nature of the viewpoint character. The reader's starting point is believing the narrator, but gradually must question the character's view of the situation.

This is the case with The Woman in Apartment 615. Ruth hosts the monthly book club meeting. She is drawn into the mystery of a new tenant in her apartment building. Is the woman old money fallen on hard times?  

Ruth seems like a slightly catty middle aged woman who enjoys her wine quite a bit. When she delves into the mystery of the new tenant, she exhibits an obsession that readers of murder mysteries don't find particularly disturbing. Until Ruth goes too far.

A subplot runs through the story of Ruth's difficult relationship with her son. Both threads collide at the end of the story, in a very satisfactory manner. ​If you enjoy unreliable narrator stories, check this one out.

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Justice by Pamela Blackwood
​Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine January/February 2019

The story jumps right in to William's travails as a widowed farmer. I like historical fiction that is devoid of info dumps - those chunks of detail a clumsy writer uses to let the reader know where they are and who they are with. The historical setting in Justice is developed with subtle lines like "made his way to the door without even lighting a candle." I also do not care for historical fiction that is anachronistically tuned to modern sensitivities. Thus, the murder victim in the story is described harshly as "an idiot boy." 

Yet William takes a special interest in the case of Johnny Grant's murder, even when the local sheriff seems spectacularly uninterested. "The boy didn't have no family, and hardly any friends," one acquaintance notes. Interest turns to obsession, as William becomes determined to ensure Johnny receives justice.

Meanwhile, William is crushed with grief over his wife's recent death during childbirth. He struggles to deal with his two young daughters, accepting precious little help from Aunt Lottie. Another subplot is his loss of faith. He fears blaspheming the Lord, but he can't understand a God that would let his wife die. Chasing after clues to Johnny's murder distracts him from his nearly unbearable situation.  

William finds resolution in the end. I enjoyed reading this wonderful story.