Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories by 12 Masters of the Genre

by Dave Zeltserman, Lee Goldberg, Ed Gorman

Hold on tight for a literary thrill-ride into the wickedly clever, frightening, and exhilarating world of Top Suspense, a sizzling collaboration of twelve master storytellers at the peak of their powers in thirteen unforgettable tales. This pulse-pounding anthology – packed full of cold-blooded killers, erotic tension, shady private eyes, craven drug dealers, vicious betrayals, crafty thieves, and shocking twists – is only a taste of the thrills you will find in the breathtakingly original ebooks by these authors at www.topsuspensegroup.com.

So sit back, bite down on a piece of strong leather, and prepare to get hit by some gale-force suspense and writing so sharp it will draw blood.

Top Suspense

Unreasonable Doubt by Max Allan Collins
Death’s Brother by Bill Crider
Poisoned by Stephen Gallagher
Remaindered by Lee Goldberg
Fire in the Sky by Joel Goldman
The Baby Store by Ed Gorman
The Jade Elephant by Libby Fischer Hellmann
The Big O by Vicki Hendricks
The Chirashi Covenant by Naomi Hirahara
El Valiente en el Infierno by Paul Levine
A Handful of Dust by Harry Shannon
The Canary by Dave Zeltserman
The Chase by Top Suspense Group

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Short Stories, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

Nook

First published March 22, 2011

About the author

Author of the crime noir novel SMALL CRIMES named by NPR as the best crime and mystery novel of 2008, and by the Washington Post as one of the best novels of 2008, and made into a major film (to be released in 2017) starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Molly Parker, Gary Cole, Robert Forster, and Jacki Weaver.

Shamus Award winner for JULIUS KATZ. Ellery Queen's Readers Choice Award winner for ARCHIE'S BEEN FRAMED and ARCHIE SOLVES THE CASE.

PARIAH named by the Washington Post as one of the best books of 2009. THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD (2010) shortlisted by American Library Association for best horror novel of the year and named a horror gem by Library Journal. MONSTER selected by Booklist Magazine for their 2013 list of top 10 horror novels and WBUR for one of the best novels of the year.

OUTSOURCED (2011) and THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD are also currently being developed for film.

Reviews

[Karl]

I purchased this book mainly for the Bill Crider story, however, it was discovered that there are many fine writers/authors contained here-in.

[Gef · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the rise of e-books, a consortium like Top Suspense is a new side-effect, and a pleasant one at that. A group of accomplished authors band together to publish their own books under a new label, rather than submitting to a publisher or convincing old publishers to reprint existing works. With this particular anthology, Top Suspense have brought together previously published stories by 12 authors, and thrown in a bonus story authored by all twelve of them.

While a couple of the stories were originally published over a decade ago, most are from the last five years or so. And despite a couple of creative deviations from straight crime and suspense stories, including a science fiction story from Ed Gorman, the gritty criminals in each story really pop off the page.

I enjoyed most of the stories and recognized quite a few names like Lee Goldberg, Dave Zeltserman, and Harry Shannon, but it wound up being the authors whose work I hadn't read before that wound up being the real treat.

"Fire in the Sky" by Joel Goldman had a great puppy love poisoned vibe. Bobby and his friend, Terry, are sweating it out in Electric Park and ogling the fountain girls who are putting on a show for the locals and tourists alike. Bobby has eyes for a gal named Elisabeth in particular, dreaming of a day when he could get out of Kansas and run away with her, and he almost gets his wish when an explosion at the park sends everyone in a frenzy and Bobby finds himself following after Elisabeth.

Another standout for me was "The Big O" by Vicki Hendricks and the tale of an abused woman looking to get away from her ex-boyfriend, Merle, only to wind up stranded with her baby in a rundown trailer park run by another cretinous bastard named Jimmy. She is a pretty piece of poison herself and plots to put an end to both men after a time, but has to work fast when a storm threatens to blow the trailer park and everyone in to kingdom come.

I think if this anthology was set up as a way to entice readers to seek out more work from these authors, I dare say it worked, because I've since added a few more names to my wish list. I wasn't a big fan of the 250-words-at-a-time collaboration by all 12 authors, but the premise for that story was impressive enough. Top Suspense has another anthology out called Favorite Kills, which I have on my to-be-read pile. If that one can manage to entertain me as well as this one did, all the better.

[Giovanni Gelati · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this kind of stuff…short stories. I almost put this on Digital short Saturday but thought better of it as it sold as one packaged good. How could it qualify for a digital short story, you ask? I read this on my Kindle. It is broken up into different short stories by different authors, thus the digital short stories. Tomorrow I am popping in my Top 20 Novels of the First Quarter of 2011, and then on Thursday I am calling it The Delicious Dozen Of Digital short Stories First Quarter 2011. Don’t miss the lists! They are full of amazing stuff. Back to the action at hand. The last time I read something like this was Agents of Treachery and that was a blast. Here is the description of the work right from Goodreads:
“Hold on tight for a literary thrill-ride into the wickedly clever, frightening, and exhilarating world of Top Suspense, a sizzling collaboration of 12 master storytellers at the peak of their powers in 13 unforgettable tales. This unforgettable anthology - packed full of cold-blooded killers, erotic tension, shady private eyes, craven drug dealers, vicious betrayals, crafty thieves, and shocking twists - is only a taste of the thrills you will find in the breathtakingly original ebooks by these authors at www.topsuspensegroup.com .
So sit back, bite down on a piece of strong leather, and prepare to get hit by some gale-force suspense and writing so sharp it will draw blood. “
Personally, in the description, I don’t know if they could fit any more adjectives about the stories or the authors. Then again, we are talking about 12 master storytellers at the peak of their powers. Where did they get these powers and do they use them for the good of mankind or the forces of evil? I am going to say the forces of good as they seem to be pretty nice guys that can certainly turn a tale or two. Fortunately, I did not bleed at all during the reading of the work and the Kindle did not spontaneously combust from the heat of the action. My house still stands even though as I opened the file, the gale force action hit me at a speed that was unannounced to man. One thing I do not wish to do is to single out one of the authors and say that his work is better than the others. They all rock in their own special way. You can choose your own favorite author: clever, frightening, exhilarating, sizzling, cold-blooded, erotic, or shady. Wait, maybe that was seven of something else. Besides that, there are 12 authors here so you run with it as you like. I just want you to know that The G-Man had a blast with it, loved the read, and I hope that this is just the start for this new Dirty Dozen of Suspense. This new SuperUber Group of authors can pump it out in a taunt, fluent style that is sure to take you and your Kindle on a thrill ride that is well worth the hard earned dollars.
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[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this was a really great collection. Usually with compilations like this I get bored or feel the need to break it up with a novel after a few stories. With this one I read it all the way through and could have read more. The stories were in a good order, I think, and were all well written and interesting. They are thrillers but were very much in the spirit of noir in my opinion.

Stories in the order they appear:

-Unreasonable Doubt by Max Allan Collins
This is a story about a detective who is hired to follow an important woman in his life. It's by one of my favorite authors and has a very surprise ending.

-Death’s Brother by Bill Crider
What would you do for a woman you loved? What about just a really hot chick? This is a great story in a classic noir fashion...with a twist.

-Poisoned by Stephen Gallagher
A very creepy childhood story...

-Remaindered by Lee Goldberg
By far my favorite story. There is dialog in this one that I will probably always remember and even though it was a thriller, it was also laugh out loud funny.
This is about a man who was once on the bestseller list and as his career tanks he ends up on the remaindered table and doing book signings in K-Mart. However, he does still have a fan...

-Fire in the Sky by Joel Goldman
A great story about a small town, with a twist, of course.

-The Baby Store by Ed Gorman
This is such a great tale about genetically engineered babies being the norm. The ending is disturbing in the way it really holds up a mirror to humanity and what we are all capable of.

-The Jade Elephant by Libby Fischer Hellmann
A story about two burglars and a pawn shop...need I say more?

-The Big O by Vicki Hendricks
Wow, this is a story about one horny gal who is trailer park trash looking out for her baby, and definitely herself. The writing is sharp and the main character is well developed, even though the author only has the length of the short story to do so.

-The Chirashi Covenant by Naomi Hirahara
A not so typical Japanese woman wanting something more from life.

-El Valiente en el Infierno by Paul Levine
This story was fast paced and kept me on edge. In the end I actually found it to be touching and nicely done. It's about border crossers and the vigilante's they encounter.

-A Handful of Dust by Harry Shannon
An amazing story about a contract killer.

-The Canary by Dave Zeltserman
Sometimes a painting is worth more than its street value...

-The Chase by Top Suspense Group
This one was done in a round robin manner and as expected, it came out quite differently than the others. I liked that it had a high level of sexual tension and yet was the first story to include a crime boss.

[Cluessister Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth is, I don't usually read either short stories or noir but I picked a great time to make an exception. Each story in this collection is rich with a flavor of its own and a richness of language that is too much to imbibe up at one sitting. I had to take a break between each one to absorb the intensity, tone and twisted plotting.
Leading off Max Allan Collins in “Unreasonable Doubt” describes an “Illinois spring that was stubbornly still winter” creating a true vintage noir with an ex-Marine PI who visits LA, meets a woman who “had everything Jane Russell did except a movie contract” and has a client get blown-up. Bill Crider in “Death’s Brother writes of “girls with gams” and the poetry professor who quotes Keats and drinks Wild Turkey falling under the spell of a classic femme fatale. In “Jade Elephant” Libby Fischer Hellmann sums up a whole cultural upheaval in the sentence – “the street was full of Boris’s and Wan Chu’s these days, Tony and Vito had been relegated to also-rans.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at “Remaindered” by Lee Goldberg which features a writer who has gone from being the up-and-comer “voice of a new generation” to signing books at the “K-Mart in Spokane – competing for attention against a tray of bargain begonias.” There he meets a sexy librarian with a house full of signed first editions.
There are great characters and surprising plot turns in each one. “Fire in the Sky,” Joel Goldman’s depression era tale intertwines stories of love, luck, larceny and hope centered around a hauntingly beautiful girl who performs every night in a pageant set in a park fountain. Naomi Hirahara’s “Chirashi Covenenant” portrays the price of dream as well as how a skill learned in childhood will come in handy when you least suspect it. (In the interest of fair disclosure I am proud to say that Naomi is a former employee of mine and a long time friend.)
Heroes are few and far between in this collection, as noir characters usually get their comeuppance. But Paul Levine’s El Valiente en el Infierno (The Brave One in Hell) has a 13-year old protagonist who turns the tables on the bad guys. Each story in “Top Suspense” is like a perfect cookie at the end of a meal – satisfying on its' own and worth sitting in the dark for a while afterwards to savor the taste.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have very little that is positive to say about this anthology. One story really stuck out, and that was "El Valiente en el Infierno" by Paul Levine. It was well-written and well-crafted, with an ending that caught me off guard and offered something different for the genre.

Otherwise, this was an anthology of mediocre stories pretending to be card-carrying members of a classy club. Sorry ladies and gents, but the likes of Himes, Woolrich, Hammett et al don't want your company.

[Stuart Jaffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a bad story in the bunch. Even the round-robin tale that closes the book worked. And like any good anthology, it's a great chance to get exposed to a variety of writers.

[Harry Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen classic stories by twelve masters of the genre, the members of Top Suspense Group. I'm very proud to be a part of this collection, brand new to Kindle in the US and the UK as of March 15th, 2011. At $2.99 you won't find a better group of crime, noir and thriller stories anywhere. Lee Goldberg, Dave Zeltserman, Vicki Hendricks, Bill Crider, Ed Gorman, Paul Levine, Max Alan Collins, the list goes on and on. Check out this ebook and please review it honestly, we are using it to introduce the group to a wider readership. Thanks.

[Ally Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the tongue-in-cheek tale of a writer gone rogue to a murder grounded in today's headlines, Top Suspense offers something for everyone. A few twist endings will keep you guessing, and unique characters bolster a couple of ordinary story lines. While the story quality varies, I found them all worth reading. I particularly liked the 13-year-old voice in El Valiente. The final story, a joint effort by the authors, has moments of high humor and at least one section best skipped by the squeamish. Overall, an enjoyable collection.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm rating this not for my story, but the other 11 from Top Suspense authors, which are all top notch. I have a strong bias towards Harry Shannon's story since I published it during my earlier life when I ran Hardluck Stories, and I always had a strong fondness for it, but really, all 11 of the other authors' stories are excellent. I'm curious how readers are going to take our round robin story, The Chase.

[Kevintipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Featuring 13 stories by twelve authors this anthology released as an e-book features a lot of variety in the tales. These previously published stories take place in a variety of settings with tremendously different themes and writing styles. Because of the variety there should be several stories that will please any reader.

Max Allen Collins opens the book with “Unreasonable Doubt.” Nathan Heller is in Los Angeles in 1947 and is supposed to be on vacation. It isn’t a vacation very long as he is pulled into the Overell case. Like many a dad before him, Walter E. Overell does not want to see his daughter marry a guy dad is sure is bad news. What he needs is proof. He wants Nathan Heller and his partner Fred Rubinski to get the goods on the guy so that Walter Overell can prove to his daughter the guy only wants her for the family money.

Bill Crider follows with his noir tale, “Death’s Brother.” Sometimes the professor just has to help his student outside of the classroom. Professor Jon Cline certainly intends to help. The money will be nice too.

In possibly the most disturbing story of the book Stephen Gallager tells the tale of a lonely only child seeking friends to play with as well as escape from his overbearing parents in “Poisoned.” The surrounding English countryside has numerous dangers, many of them man made. Dylan’s attempts to fit in with the neighborhood kids are a recipe for disaster that will rock many parents.

Book signings bring out all kinds and doing one at an area K-Mart in Spokane, Washington may not be the best idea in “Remaindered.” Written by Lee Golberg, this story features author Kevin Dangler who has been written off by everyone as a one hit wonder. Desperate times call for desperate measures as he meets possibly his biggest fan.

Seventeen year old Bobby Staley wants just one thing out of God – he wants to see Elizabeth Bumiller naked in the beginning of “Fire in the Sky” by Joel Goldman. This Depression Era story has nothing to do with Mr. Goldman’s series featuring trial lawyer Lou Mason or FBI Special Agent Jack Davis. Still, the story is a good one and features genetics and destiny at work.

“The Baby Store” by Ed Gorman tackles a subject familiar to science fiction readers – the quest to have the perfect baby. For Kevin McKay, in light of recent events, that quest is particularly upsetting but his fellow lawyers don’t see the pain they cause by bragging on their own kids. Designer kids are the new fad for the wealthy and powerful and they just don’t care what other folks think. While Kevin is getting ready to design another child, his wife may not be.

“The Jade Elephant Plant” by Libby Fischer Hellman is the tale of a green jade elephant sitting in a pawnshop window and repercussions. It may not be a doggie in the window but Gus needs it just the same. Too bad he originally stole it six months ago.

“The Big O” by Vicki Hendricks is not the kind of story the title implies. Or, maybe it is depending on how your mind works. Either way, this tale of a woman trying to start over somewhere on the shores of Lake Okeechobee is a good one. Taking her one-year-old son, Chance, and running seemed like a good idea to Candy. But, running did not change who she is and old habits are very hard to break in this hard hitting story.

Naomi Hirahara contributes “The Chirashi Covenant” set just after World War Two. Racism against Japanese Americans is a major issue and serves as a backdrop to this intriguing story. A chance meeting might change the lives of Helen and her husband Frank forever.

“El Valiente En El Inferno” (The Brave One In Hell) written by Paul Levine describes the terror Victor Castillo, thirteen years old, faces trying to get across the border into the US. Part of a group that is intercepted by two Americans bent on preventing illegals from crossing while also having some twisted fun at their expense, it is up to Victor to save himself and others.

Harry Shannon takes readers to his home state of Nevada in “A Handful of Dust.” It takes Pike the better part of the night to drive to a bar in a barely still alive town in the high desert. The bug zapper on the porch of the bar is not the only thing that kills---just the most obvious.

“The Canary” by Dave Zeltserman is billed as “This is a simple crime story featuring a thief and a canary. Make that two canaries.” Not to argue with the author but it is also a story about a very simple truth that stretches from the lowest place on Earth to the penthouse and every stop in between. Plans for success—no matter the endeavor—are always ruined by incompetent help.

The final story of the anthology is the round robin story the original members of the Top Suspense Group created and published last year. Each member wrote 250 words and sent the evolving story on to the next writer. No polishing, editing, planning, etc. was allowed as the growing story made its way through the group twice. The very good result was titled “The Chase” and fittingly concludes the book.

Read by way of the free Kindle for PC program, this strong and wide ranging anthology is available in a variety of e-book formats. It showcases the work of some of the best crime/mystery writers in the game today. Full of rich characters and lots of twists that you will not see coming, the reads contained in this book are good ones.


TOP SUSPENSE: 13 CLASSIC STORIES BY 12 MASTERS OF THE GENRE
Edited by Dave Zeltserman
CreateSpace (Amazon)
March 2011
ISBN# 978-1461032366
198 Pages (includes author bios)
$8.99


Material supplied by Dave Zeltserman in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2011

[Carrie Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really made me think

Murdering a murderer, pay backs and getting even, and gotchas! Interesting and thought provoking tales that I really enjoyed reading.

[Mav Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Cranmer recommended this collection to me and I’m so glad I listened. If you enjoy well written suspense & mystery, I couldn’t recommend this collection more. And at the price, you can’t beat it (not even to a pulp-haha). My absolute favorite is “Poisoned“ by Stephen Gallagher. The story builds with the feeling that something isn’t quite right, but you aren’t sure what it is. Gallagher is incredibly clever and leverages the story with just the right balance. You’ll fall in love with the main character and be left with one of those “OH SHIT” moments where you wonder what you would do, and there is no answer. I love that.

Another story I enjoyed was Bill Crider’s “Death’s Brother.” His stories are like driving those twisty, turny mountain roads at night. You’ve got to keep your eye on those turns because if you don’t you’ll end up not knowing where you are or how you got there. If you like dark tales, you’ll like this one.

I really enjoyed Vicki Hendricks’ “The Big O.” This story is sexy, sad, (sexy) suspenseful, smart, and… sexy. It’s about a young woman who manipulates men out of their pants and money so she can finally get her “chance” at life, which, by the way, just happens to be her little baby boy’s name. The story climaxes with mayhem, murder and a whopping hurricane. Yeehaa.

I won’t soon forget a futuristic sci fi-ish piece by Ed Gorman called “The Baby Store.” It’s about living in a world of ultimate choices and conveniences. What if you could go right down to a shop like a grocery store and choose what kind of child you wanted to have? You could pick out the hair color, eye color, personality traits. Viola! Baby nine months later! But what if the child isn’t what you ordered? How would the society treat your child? How would they treat you? Would you care if your child wasn’t up to standards? This story explores the ugly side of beautiful people, really and truly, our world today in dramatic measures, and perhaps where we are going. Scary stuff. Excellently written.

Buy this anthology. It will give your imagination something to gnaw on for a good couple of hours.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprising 13 stories by 12 talented authors, 'Top Suspense' is top billing crime noir from the opening Nate Heller short 'Unreasonable Doubt' by Max Allan Collins to the anthologies final story 'The Chase' by the contributors. 'Unreasonable Doubt' ensured the collection opened with a bang as Heller is thrown into a mystery full of lies and deceit with an ending I didn't see coming. Max Allan Collins made 'Unreasobale Doubt' feel like a full length - it was that well rounded I couldn't believe so much was crammed into a short story. Bill Crinder's 'Deaths Brother' introduced the criminally minded and highly manipulative Dana in a fast paced romp of seduction and trickery, while Stephen Gallagher's 'Poisoned' turned down a slightly skewed path where perspective is everything - a classic. 'Remainded' by Lee Goldberg brings an authors crime novel to life courtesy of an overtly addicted fan - read more for the book nerdish fetish than thriller aspect but all enjoyable. 'Fire In The Sky' by Joel Goldman is a heist story with a difference where amusement park attractions aren't the only things to get burnt in a fire. The mid section of the anthology is where the best showcase their talent in Ed Gorman's look at a futuristic noir that couldn't possibly get any darker through 'The Baby Store' where manufactured perfection is everything. The scary thing is, the story is as plausible as it is harrowing - possibly the best of a bright bunch. Libby Fischer Hellmann's 'The Jade Elephant' and Vicki Hendricks 'The Big O' were pure ass and class. Rounding out my favourites is Harry Shannon's 'A Handful of Dust' in which a hit man is lured to a Nevada saloon by a man simply named 'Smith' on the assumption he's about to take on a new assignment. However, Pike ends up the hunted courtesy of the demented Smith - a nice take on the hit man angle with an interesting emotional dynamic. This is a collection not to be missed and one sure to introduce new authors (Harry Shannon for me) to readers who may have missed their earlier works. Great value from start to finish - 4 stars.

[Kari Wainwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authors: Max Allan Collins, Bill Crider, Stephen Gallagher, Lee Goldberg, Joel Goldman, Ed Gorman, Libby Fischer Hellman, Vicki Hendricks, Naomi Hirahara, Paul Levine, Harry Shannon, and Dave Zeltserman.

Top Suspense is a mystery buffet with something for just about every crime reader’s taste. And you don’t even need to clean your palate in-between tales.

It would be difficult to review every single story without going on and on and on. Plus, with short stories, I would worry about giving away important details, so I’ll just make some brief comments on some of my favorites.

The first story, “Unreasonable Doubt” by Collins, was an exciting read based on a true event, full of twists and turns.

“Death’s Brother” by Crider had some really evil twists to it. Shudder!

“Poisoned” by Gallagher took on some everyday plights of children and made them not-so-everyday.

“Remaindered” by Goldberg dealt with some sadly everyday events in an author’s life – and once again, made them definitely not-so-everyday.

“The Baby Store” by Gorman – all I want to say about this quiet story is that I loved the ending.

“El Valiente in el Infierno” (“The Brave One in Hell”) by Levine was the most touching story in this collection for me.

“The Canary” by Zeltserman was a fun read and I loved the author’s writing voice.

“The Chase” was written by all the authors, each contributing 250 words. Besides reading the story to find out what happens next, I felt challenged to guess where a new writer took over from the last, without counting the words.

I recommend this book to mystery lovers everywhere. It’s a delicious way to sample different authors, some of whom may be new to you. Plus, it’s very low calorie.

[David North-Martino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this anthology. It stared off a little slow but when it picked up, boy did it pick up. As soon as I got to “Remaindered” by Lee Goldberg it started chugging along, full speed ahead. This is a professionally written, polished, and edited e-book by writers who are at the top of their field. You really can’t go wrong by picking this up, especially for the price. It has a little something for everyone.

Here are some of my favorites in the order they appear:

“Remaindered” by Lee Goldberg: As I already mentioned, this is a great story. If you like humor with your murder and mayhem, you’ll like this one.

“Fire in the Sky” by Joel Goldman: this is a very nice period piece that’s flawlessly written. You get much of the same richness you’d find in a novel in this short story.

“The Baby Store” by Ed Gorman: think of the movie GATTICA, only darker. Gorman likes to punch you in the gut and leave you down for the count.

“The Chirashi Covenant” by Naomi Harahara: THE JOY LUCK CLUB meets THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Need I say more?

“El Valiente en el Infierno” by Paul Levine: this could have been a very politically charged story but Levine manages to humanize both sides and offers us a lot to think about. Fantastic!

“A Handful of Dust” by Harry Shannon: Shannon shows just how close the line is between noir and horror—then he crosses it. I loved it!

Anyway, I think you get the picture. I highly recommend this anthology. Go on and read it and find your own favorites.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This group of 13 stories is well balanced, hitting many different types of suspense/thriller set-ups, and well written across the board. Each story is worth reading for fans of the genre. Standouts for me included:

Death's Brother by Bill Crider - a nasty little story of a mid-life crises, a cuckolded lover and a femme fatale (of course).

Poisoned by Stephen Gallagher - a disquieting story of creeping menace that develops to a sharp and heartbreaking conclusion.

Fire in the Sky by Joel Goldman - a quick Depression era tale that feels almost like a Bonnie and Clyde origin story.

The Jade Elephant by Libby Fischer Hellmann - a seemingly straightforward tale of old crooks, growing older and repentful takes a hairpin turn at the conclusion.

The Chirashi Covenant by Naomi Hirahara - the post-war Japanese American community is the locale (and this is one that I feel could work as a whole book) for a well written tale of an unlikely tryst gone too far.

A Handful of Dust - a late night meetup at a run down bar, the build up works a bit more than the payoff, but these are great characters I wouldn't have minded more story about.

This collection as a whole never misfires. Each author and story brings a unique dynamic to the genre. Well worth the 2.99 for the tales and potentially to discover a new writer.

[Alex Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short mystery stories.Each one makes for easy reading,maintains a good pace and are examples of good precise short story writing skills.All maintain fairly high standard but my pick being stories by Lee Goldberg,Harry Shannon,Stephen Gallagher,Dave Zeltserman.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good collection of stories by some of the top thriller writers. Many are reprints from earlier collections, but well worth getting them all if you missed them when they were first printed.

[Giorgos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun enough read as a collection of short stories, although the variety in writing leaves one with the impression this book is all about how nasty people can be (with one story being the exception!).

[Sandie Herron]

I've been unable to finish this book at this time.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my thoughts here. (3.75/5)

[Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories were okay, I guess I was expecting more. Glad that I bought this on a special for $3 because that is all it really seemed worth.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

some were good...some not so much... good fillers between books.

[Bobbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fill-in for me. While I enjoyed the stories nothing really stood out.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked the variety of stories. All quick reads, FUN!!

[Sarah Tansel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just did not care for this book at all.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked some stories better than others, but overall it was good.

[Harikrishnan]

super story