Short Story Reviews

The Money Mattress by Jude Roy is an enjoyable read. A heist is planned by an ex-con, a dimwit blonde, and her less than competent boyfriend. I just knew everything was destined to go to hell in a hand-basket. The author surprised me with this clever tale.

​You can read this, and many other fine stories, on the Mystery Weekly Magazine website.

I finished reading the September/October 2018 issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Rats, by Tom Savage, starred part-time school teacher Alice Wilson. When a Russian mob boss's nephew moves into her apartment building, the former safe haven becomes a dangerous and depressing place to live. Alice and her retired trapeze artist neighbor are determined to win their peace of mind back from the crude and violent thugs. Anyone who has had unpleasant neighbors move in will appreciate the drastic measures Alice and Marco take.

Two stories are set in Germany, and it is interesting how differently the authors approach the similar settings. Buried Past by Mark Thielman straddles two time periods: WWII and present day. Former lovers meet for coffee. While their story unfolds, another tale is told of un-exploded ordinance peppering the German countryside. I was quite a way into the story before I started catching the connection of the historical story to the modern. Nicely done. In an entirely different era, but still in Germany, Matthew Wilson sets his story The Cook Off on a US Army base in 1977. This is pre-unification, with East German defectors seeking asylum in Western Germany. But that's not the core of this story. Sergeant Jefferson faces racial prejudice from fellow soldiers when he dates a white German woman. The title of this story has nothing to do with food, by the way. With no support from superior officers, the sergeant must find a way to stop a group of rednecks from beating up black soldiers. And prevent his own murder.

Lots of good reading this week!

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