THUGLIT Issue 5 (Volume 5) by Rob W Hart

by Todd Robinson

Cinch up your panties, Mary. THUGLIT is back with eight brand-spankin' new tales from the hardest depths of hardcore noir.Are you ready?ARE YOU READY???If you don't know the answer, THEN YOU'RE NOT!!!It's THUGLIT, baby. GET SOME!!!!!A GOOD MARRIAGE by Ed KurtzHAPPY ENDING by Rob W. HartGATO NEGRO by Chris MurphyWITH ONE STONE by Brian LeopoldKILLER, DUCK AND THE BOYS by Shannon BarberONE MORE DAY CAN'T HURT by Justin PorterVIDALIA by Edward HagelsteinJERRY'S DEAD WIFE by Chris Mattix

Genres: Short Stories

Mass Market Paperback

First published April 29, 2013

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like your crime stories violent, this is an issue for you. Plenty of punishment dished out in these stories.

[Rory Costello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting the Thuglit compilations on the Kindle is truly an outstanding value. How many years do you have to go back to pinpoint when magazines cost just $0.99? Much credit to the editors for selecting such a good array of stories and putting them in a very effective sequence. Ed Kurtz gets things off to a highly unsettling start, and I didn't find that the collection put a foot wrong after that either -- though I thought the three that wrapped it up (by Justin Porter, Edward Hagelstein, and Chris Mattix) were especially potent and memorable. Porter's poignant yet chilling tale reminded me of Nelson Algren's "The Man with the Golden Arm."

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifth installment of noir stories. Bad guys and girls meet worse guys and girls. Rough people lurking in the bowels of life. No good guys here.

Pretty decent stories overall. I like these Thuglit offerings.

Good read if you like this genre.l;

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are seven great tales of crime, deceit and mayhem that will keep
you entertained. Happy endings by Rob Hart gives new meaning to
crazy wives. Gato Negro by Chris Murphy tells a violent little story
about clubs and gangs and respect south of the border. With One
Stone by Brian Leopold offers a first hand understanding about why
you might not want to deal with loansharks. Killer, Duck, and the Boys
by Shannon Barber is a gem of a gritty tale about robbing a tougher
guy and his lady. One More Day Can't Hurt by Justin Porter tells you
why you what happens when a drunk obsesses over a woman in a bar.
Vidalia is the story of a man on the run and how he is manipulated by
small town sherrifs. Finally, Jerry's Dead Wife is a terrific tale of a man
going through a rough divorce and the things you can be driven to.
What are you waiting for? Dig in.

[MR ALEXANDER DICKINSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER Very good stories, with unexpected twists. My favourite is the man who sets up his cheating wife’s demise by allowing a debt to a gangster to escalate.

[a_reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

THUGLIT is an electronic publication of crime fiction short stories that are gritty and raw. In these stories even the victims are bad guys. The 5th volume contains eight stories that punch you in the gut. As the name implies, these characters are modern-day thugs. They are drug dealers and addicts, prostitutes, strippers, bookies, cheaters, drunks, money launderers, convicts, and thieves.

My favorites from this issue included:

HAPPY ENDING (Rob W. Hart) – Two guys plan to rob an Asian message parlor but events do not go as they planned.

WITH ONE STONE (Brian Leopold) – A man sets up his wife after he discovers she is cheating on him.

VIDALIA (Edward Hagelstein) – After escaping jail a guy is propositioned by a dirty sheriff who finds him on the run to help transport his marijuana crop.