Three shorts

by Matthew Iden

Three Shorts  is a micro-anthology of three original tales featuring dirty motives, relentless ambitions, and a lop-sided view of the world.

A group of Mafia wiseguys sweat it out as they wait to hear who's snitched on them in "Up a Rung"; a disturbed woman loses more than her mind in "Possession"; and a postman's larcenous streak gets him in a terrible mess just a few days before Christmas in "Special Delivery."

If you enjoy gritty, unexpected journeys--sometimes violent, sometimes funny, always entertaining-- Three Shorts   is for you. Interested? The trip continues in Three the Hard Way, Three on a Match , and Three of a Kind .

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Mystery

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2011

About the author

I write fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, crime fiction, and contemporary literary fiction with a psychological twist.

I’ve held jobs with the US Postal Service, international non-profit groups, a short stint with the Forest Service in Sitka, Alaska, and time with the globe-spanning Semester at Sea program. Trips to Iceland, Patagonia, and Antarctica added to the creative pot, as well, and I started to put all those experiences to good use about eight years ago--thinking, dreaming, and writing.

Please email me at matt.iden AT matthew-iden.com, Tweet @CrimeRighter, or find me on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/matthew.iden.

The Marty Singer detective series is:
A Reason to Live (Marty Singer #1)
Blueblood (Marty Singer #2)
One Right Thing (Marty Singer #3)
The Spike (Marty Singer #4)
The Wicked Flee (Marty Singer #5)

Reviews

[Loony Gryphon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first short story, I found myself impressed by Squeaky. He obviously listened to his mama when she said his education was important. She may not have expected him to use his brain for a life of crime, but at least he's using it. As for the second story, all I can say is that I was not expecting it to end the way it did, although I can understand how it ended that way after the twist was revealed. And last but not least, the third short story had me chuckling at times. Handley had to have had the worst luck, but it ended up being his luckiest day in the end. A quick read and a rather enjoyable one at that.

[KyBunnies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has 3 short stories in it. The short stories are very short but that does not take away from the plot or characters of the book. The stories were very interesting.

The first story 'Up a Rung' is about a mob crime boss that is looking for the snitch in the group of thugs. Will the thug be found out or will a different thug take the place of the real thug?

The second story 'Possession' is about a female that has lost a child and then loses almost everything. She believe's there is someone living in her house. Is she correct or just so depressed over the lose of her child that she cannot think straight?

The third story 'Special Delivery' is about a postman who is looking to start a life of crime and interested in pinning the crime on the current people that is going around robbing people's houses. Will the postman 'Handley' get away with this crime or will he be caught?

I will not post any spoilers but all three short stories were well written with developed characters. This was a very quick read, but nothing was missing from the plot. The author has a wonderful book. I look forward to reading additional books by Matthew Iden.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of short stories from Matthew Iden. It’s difficult for me to appreciate a short story only due to the fact that I haven’t read very many, and the ones that I have read were much longer than the ones that were presented to me in this book. However, I loved the writing style. My favorite short story would have to be Possession. I just like the peculiarity of it. It makes you think, as do the other stories. Up a Rung makes you wonder how everything came about. Special Delivery had kind of the same effect. I have never worked for the US Postal Service and probably never will and I can say with certainty that I’m happy about that. I can’t imagine what they go through on a daily basis. So, kudos to Iden, who has made me come to realize that short stories can really be extraordinary.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received these stories through early reviewers. I have to say that even those these a relatively short stories, they really pack a punch. I must say that I normally read this type of genre. I like mysteries and drama and those types of things. These stories may be short but you get the full impact from reading them. There are 3, of course and each is very different. There are very different subjects also, from the mob to poltergeists to mailmen and thieves. It was a very interesting book. I look forward to more from this author.

http://letthemalleatcake.blogspot.com...

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three awesome short stories! The endings are surprising and full of twists - which makes for great, suspense-filled reading. My favourite story was the second one called Possesion. The psychological nature of it was amazing, and I hope to read more stories like it. The other two stories were also very good, and I definitely recommend them. They are the right length and everything in them has a purpose, unlike some short stories I have read. This is a great book, and I am very glad I got a chance to read it! I got it free from the author and I am so glad I requested it! x

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is seperated into 3 short stories and makes for an enjoyable quick read. As I read each story I may have thought I knew what was going to happen or how it'd play out but this author managed to change it up and deliver the "not quite what I expected" in a way that worked well. If your looking for something with variety and surprise endings then you've got yourself a winner with this book.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had 3 short stories, each different in their own way. "Up a Rung", is the story of the mafia and the cop that has infiltrated them. "Possession" is about a women sharing her house with a hidden person. "Special Delivery" is about a mail man making his rounds in December. Each of the different stories is unique and holds the readers attention. I can't wait to read the next book from the author.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had 3 short stories, each different in their own way. "Up a Rung", is the story of the mafia and the cop that has infiltrated them. "Possession" is about a women sharing her house with a hidden person. "Special Delivery" is about a mail man making his rounds in December. Each of the different stories is unique and holds the readers attention. I can't wait to read the next book from the author.

[Jason Hurley · Rating 2 out of 5]

These were fun little short stories, but not the types of stories I usually seek out. One story was scary and one was crime related, neither of which I'm a fan of. Based on the reviews, I'm in the minority because many others like it! The stories were well written and did a nice job of developing the characters in a short timeframe. There were some interesting surprises too!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Three Shorts by Matthew Iden. Up a Rung had an unexpected ending. I’m not going to tell the ending. Just read it and see who walks away. The Special Delivery story was enjoyable. See how Mrs. Walsh receives her catalog. Possession also had an unexpected ending. I plan on reading his next set of short stories.

[Quentin Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three interesting short stories that can be read quickly and the reader interested and satisfied. Each of the stories are different and each draw the reader into the story quickly. To me the second one was a little confusing but interesting in its conclusion. Good reads and very interesting.

[Robin perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

felt like the first one ended too soon. depressing and glad they were short

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting twists. Greatly enjoyed each story. Also liked the post-mortem. ~smile~

[Nikki E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed all 3 stories. They were short and to the point. The characters while only briefly around were relateable and made the storied more interesting.