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Leopold Blake Thriller #0.5
Eight The Hard Way
Eight thrilling stories from eight masters of suspense. Inside this anthology you'll find a mix of classic mystery and suspense, full-blown action, and blood-curdling suspense. There are tales of vengeance and redemption, good versus evil, and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. The ebook edition also includes a fully hyperlinked Table of Contents, which gives you a brief synopsis and page count for each story - making it easy to choose what you want to read next. You'll also find a short bio for each author, along with a web link where you can find out more. ~~ Nick Stephenson
Paydown - by Nick Stephenson. When a high-flying Wall Street investment banker is found brutally killed, what started out as a simple fraud case turns into expert criminologist Leopold Blake's first ever murder investigation. As the glamor of Wall Street is stripped away by a series of catastrophic discoveries, Leopold will have to decide how much he is prepared to risk in order to uncover the truth - and whether it's a price he's willing to pay.
Loose Ends - by David Vandyke. There's not much left that can surprise private investigator California "Cal" Corwin any more, especially since the accident. But after a young girl is kidnapped and feared murdered, Cal is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse that will stretch her skills to the ultimate limit. With danger at every turn and with more questions than answers, Corwin must scour the streets of San Francisco to track down the culprits before it's too late - and the clock is ticking...
Mr. Mockingbird Drive - by Robert Swartwood. Julio and Tyshawn are far from professional thieves, but they get by. After weeks spent researching the perfect mark, the boys are ready to strike - and the payout is going to be unbelievable...Mr. Mockingbird Drive is a cleverly deceptive piece of flash fiction. The story first featured in Needle: A Magazine of Noir, Winter 2012.
Ladies Weekend - by Ryan King. A trip to the Gulf Shores with her three sisters-in-law was not exactly Cathy's idea of a good time. With a dark secret to protect, a weekend stuck with the meddling Biddle sisters might have been too much to bear - but, thankfully for Cathy, there's nothing a little "medicine" can't fix...This delightfully twisted story was first published in 2012.
Veritas: Concubine - by R.S. Guthrie. How far would you go to find the truth? Shale Veritas is not his real name, but that's not important. What's important is why he's taken an interest in you - and what you've done to deserve it...This dark, atmospheric tale of revenge, justice, and redemption is not for the faint-hearted. You have been warned.
Divide and Conquer - by Kay Hadashi. Nobody ever told June Kato that babysitting could be such hard work ... As a world-class neurosurgeon, June is used to dealing with high-pressure situations. But when a trio of violent thugs invade her home while her four-year-old nieces are staying over, nap time suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. A thrill-ride from start to finish.
Recidivist - by Alan McDermott. Something needs to be done about Steven Howe. Even though he's yet to see his twelfth birthday, after 97 arrests the police and social services have had enough. Forced to attend a state-sponsored retreat for troubled youths, Steven is about to find out just how far the government is prepared to go to meet their targets - starting with him.
Return of the Bride - by Micheal Maxwell. Tradition has it that Al-Qurnah is the site of the Garden of Eden. But for Phillip Sear, a man who has lived with sin his entire life, it has an entirely different significance. On a journey to redeem himself for a lifetime of selfish choices, Sear will finally learn how to keep his promises - but at what cost?
Paydown - by Nick Stephenson. When a high-flying Wall Street investment banker is found brutally killed, what started out as a simple fraud case turns into expert criminologist Leopold Blake's first ever murder investigation. As the glamor of Wall Street is stripped away by a series of catastrophic discoveries, Leopold will have to decide how much he is prepared to risk in order to uncover the truth - and whether it's a price he's willing to pay.
Loose Ends - by David Vandyke. There's not much left that can surprise private investigator California "Cal" Corwin any more, especially since the accident. But after a young girl is kidnapped and feared murdered, Cal is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse that will stretch her skills to the ultimate limit. With danger at every turn and with more questions than answers, Corwin must scour the streets of San Francisco to track down the culprits before it's too late - and the clock is ticking...
Mr. Mockingbird Drive - by Robert Swartwood. Julio and Tyshawn are far from professional thieves, but they get by. After weeks spent researching the perfect mark, the boys are ready to strike - and the payout is going to be unbelievable...Mr. Mockingbird Drive is a cleverly deceptive piece of flash fiction. The story first featured in Needle: A Magazine of Noir, Winter 2012.
Ladies Weekend - by Ryan King. A trip to the Gulf Shores with her three sisters-in-law was not exactly Cathy's idea of a good time. With a dark secret to protect, a weekend stuck with the meddling Biddle sisters might have been too much to bear - but, thankfully for Cathy, there's nothing a little "medicine" can't fix...This delightfully twisted story was first published in 2012.
Veritas: Concubine - by R.S. Guthrie. How far would you go to find the truth? Shale Veritas is not his real name, but that's not important. What's important is why he's taken an interest in you - and what you've done to deserve it...This dark, atmospheric tale of revenge, justice, and redemption is not for the faint-hearted. You have been warned.
Divide and Conquer - by Kay Hadashi. Nobody ever told June Kato that babysitting could be such hard work ... As a world-class neurosurgeon, June is used to dealing with high-pressure situations. But when a trio of violent thugs invade her home while her four-year-old nieces are staying over, nap time suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. A thrill-ride from start to finish.
Recidivist - by Alan McDermott. Something needs to be done about Steven Howe. Even though he's yet to see his twelfth birthday, after 97 arrests the police and social services have had enough. Forced to attend a state-sponsored retreat for troubled youths, Steven is about to find out just how far the government is prepared to go to meet their targets - starting with him.
Return of the Bride - by Micheal Maxwell. Tradition has it that Al-Qurnah is the site of the Garden of Eden. But for Phillip Sear, a man who has lived with sin his entire life, it has an entirely different significance. On a journey to redeem himself for a lifetime of selfish choices, Sear will finally learn how to keep his promises - but at what cost?
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2013
824 people are currently reading
1485 people want to read
About the author
Nick Stephenson
19 books203 followersNick Stephenson was born and raised in Cambridgeshire, England and will now refer to himself in the first person. My approach to writing is to hit hard, hit fast, and leave as few spelling errors as possible. I write thrillers, suspense novels, and the occasional witty postcard, all of which are designed to get your pulse pounding. Don’t let my headshot fool you – I’m actually full colour, on most days.
My books are a mixture of mystery, action, and humour. If you’re looking for a good place to start, take a look at my Leopold Blake series of thrillers, available now at www.noorosha.com/books and out soon on Amazon, Sony, Barnes & Noble, and the iTunes store.
My books are a mixture of mystery, action, and humour. If you’re looking for a good place to start, take a look at my Leopold Blake series of thrillers, available now at www.noorosha.com/books and out soon on Amazon, Sony, Barnes & Noble, and the iTunes store.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
November 6, 2015
3.75 stars. Not a bad read, and it was quick, too: I read it at lunch over a two-day period! As with any anthology, the quality of the short stories presented varied.
"Paydown" by Nick Stephenson (5 stars): Prequel to Stephenson's Leopold Blake series featuring the wealthy heir to a financial empire who is a brilliant detective in his own right, and Mary Jordan, a New York City detective who utilizes Blake’s skills in an advisory capacity, and Blake's bodyguard Jerome, who extricates him from dangerous situations. Here, the team investigates the murder of a Wall Street banker during the 2007 financial crisis. My favorite of the entire anthology, this one really piqued my interest, and I’ll be looking for the other four books in this series.
"Loose Ends" by David VanDyke (3.5 stars): A novelette featuring California "Cal" Corwin, a female PI based in San Francisco. Cal is an ex-cop dealing with some heavy physical and emotional trauma resulting from being caught in a bomb blast. In this story, she is investigating a missing daughter of a pharmaceutical company executive. The story was entertaining.
"Mr. Mockingbird Drive" by Robert Swartwood (4 stars): A short story about two street thugs targeting a mark withdrawing money from an ATM machine. They actually want to get inside the man's home and loot it, but find a clever twist at the end.
"Ladies' Weekend" by Ryan King (3 stars): The female members of a Southern family make their annual weekend trip to a Gulf Shores beach resort. I was expecting a bonding story, especially when the author reveals that one of the women is dying of cancer and likely on her last such weekend. Of course, to fit into this anthology, there's something far more sinister happening. The story does a great job of plot development.
"Veritas: Concubine" by R. S. Guthrie (4 stars): Veritas is a former Army ranger who made it his mission to go after sexual predators who had evaded legal punishment for their crimes. This one was extremely graphic, with an abrupt ending. The author is planning a series of books detailing Veritas' “activities”, and this story definitely establishes the main characters and the premise.
"Divide and Conquer" by Kay Hadashi (4.5 stars): A cat-and-mouse story about a woman babysitting her two nieces who finds herself the victim of a home invasion by three ex-cons. She faces insurmountable odds, but proves adept with both words and fists, evening the odds against the invaders. Readers are privy to the babysitter’s thoughts as she figures her moves, too, which makes this quite fast paced.
"Recidivist" by Alan McDermott (3 stars): A wealthy man offers juvenile offenders a second chance for those who want it and something rather different for those who don't. Old-fashioned twist at the end.
"Return of the Bride" by Michael Maxwell (3 stars): An extremely short story about a man going to the Middle East to rescue his dead brother's wife, who has been kidnapped by extremists. This should have been much longer to flesh out the emotions tied up here.
"Paydown" by Nick Stephenson (5 stars): Prequel to Stephenson's Leopold Blake series featuring the wealthy heir to a financial empire who is a brilliant detective in his own right, and Mary Jordan, a New York City detective who utilizes Blake’s skills in an advisory capacity, and Blake's bodyguard Jerome, who extricates him from dangerous situations. Here, the team investigates the murder of a Wall Street banker during the 2007 financial crisis. My favorite of the entire anthology, this one really piqued my interest, and I’ll be looking for the other four books in this series.
"Loose Ends" by David VanDyke (3.5 stars): A novelette featuring California "Cal" Corwin, a female PI based in San Francisco. Cal is an ex-cop dealing with some heavy physical and emotional trauma resulting from being caught in a bomb blast. In this story, she is investigating a missing daughter of a pharmaceutical company executive. The story was entertaining.
"Mr. Mockingbird Drive" by Robert Swartwood (4 stars): A short story about two street thugs targeting a mark withdrawing money from an ATM machine. They actually want to get inside the man's home and loot it, but find a clever twist at the end.
"Ladies' Weekend" by Ryan King (3 stars): The female members of a Southern family make their annual weekend trip to a Gulf Shores beach resort. I was expecting a bonding story, especially when the author reveals that one of the women is dying of cancer and likely on her last such weekend. Of course, to fit into this anthology, there's something far more sinister happening. The story does a great job of plot development.
"Veritas: Concubine" by R. S. Guthrie (4 stars): Veritas is a former Army ranger who made it his mission to go after sexual predators who had evaded legal punishment for their crimes. This one was extremely graphic, with an abrupt ending. The author is planning a series of books detailing Veritas' “activities”, and this story definitely establishes the main characters and the premise.
"Divide and Conquer" by Kay Hadashi (4.5 stars): A cat-and-mouse story about a woman babysitting her two nieces who finds herself the victim of a home invasion by three ex-cons. She faces insurmountable odds, but proves adept with both words and fists, evening the odds against the invaders. Readers are privy to the babysitter’s thoughts as she figures her moves, too, which makes this quite fast paced.
"Recidivist" by Alan McDermott (3 stars): A wealthy man offers juvenile offenders a second chance for those who want it and something rather different for those who don't. Old-fashioned twist at the end.
"Return of the Bride" by Michael Maxwell (3 stars): An extremely short story about a man going to the Middle East to rescue his dead brother's wife, who has been kidnapped by extremists. This should have been much longer to flesh out the emotions tied up here.
July 5, 2020
All the stories in this anthology are well written. But not all of them can be considered thrillers.
The following are the stories I liked:
Paydown
Mr Mockingbird Drive
Vertias: Concubine
The following are the stories I liked:
Paydown
Mr Mockingbird Drive
Vertias: Concubine
August 21, 2025
Entertaining mystery listening 👮
This kindle ebook novel is free from Amazon
Eight stories of mystery, each is different with interesting characters lots action, misdirection, and some violence leading to each conclusion. As with multiple short stories some are better than others. This is normal! 😉
I would recommend this novel to readers of mystery adventures relationships action thriller novels 😎😏 2025 👒✨
This kindle ebook novel is free from Amazon
Eight stories of mystery, each is different with interesting characters lots action, misdirection, and some violence leading to each conclusion. As with multiple short stories some are better than others. This is normal! 😉
I would recommend this novel to readers of mystery adventures relationships action thriller novels 😎😏 2025 👒✨
April 10, 2018
If you're a huge thriller junkie, you'll love this collection of eight thrillers by some of today's leading authors.
Paydown - by Nick Stephenson -- A gripping story that I couldn't stop reading.
Off the Leash - by D. D. Vandyke -- a classic thriller where the clock is ticking and it's up to Cal to figure it out before she's next.
Mr. Mockingbird Drive - by Robert Swartwood -- a pair of thieves have the perfect mark or is it the other way round?
Ladies Weekend - by Ryan King -- A ladies weekend leads to much more. A story Hitchcock would love.
Veritas: Concubine - by R.S. Guthrie -- A scary, twisted tale that sticks with you.
Divide and Conquer - by Kay Hadashi -- A babysitting job turns to a home invasion... who wants a dirt nap?
Recidivist - by Alan McDermott -- The police have had enough and are in need of nabbing their target. What lengths will they go to?
Return of the Bride - by Micheal Maxwell -- They say it's the Garden of Eden but can this sinner get redemption or something else entirely.
My Rating: 5 stars
Paydown - by Nick Stephenson -- A gripping story that I couldn't stop reading.
Off the Leash - by D. D. Vandyke -- a classic thriller where the clock is ticking and it's up to Cal to figure it out before she's next.
Mr. Mockingbird Drive - by Robert Swartwood -- a pair of thieves have the perfect mark or is it the other way round?
Ladies Weekend - by Ryan King -- A ladies weekend leads to much more. A story Hitchcock would love.
Veritas: Concubine - by R.S. Guthrie -- A scary, twisted tale that sticks with you.
Divide and Conquer - by Kay Hadashi -- A babysitting job turns to a home invasion... who wants a dirt nap?
Recidivist - by Alan McDermott -- The police have had enough and are in need of nabbing their target. What lengths will they go to?
Return of the Bride - by Micheal Maxwell -- They say it's the Garden of Eden but can this sinner get redemption or something else entirely.
My Rating: 5 stars
September 10, 2014
Hardly Thrillers
If you are looking for a collection of thrillers, I would recommend looking elsewhere. There are a couple of stories that are very good and are quite disturbing, which I feel thrillers should be. But the majority of the stories are quite bland and tedious. I cannot really recommend this collection.
If you are looking for a collection of thrillers, I would recommend looking elsewhere. There are a couple of stories that are very good and are quite disturbing, which I feel thrillers should be. But the majority of the stories are quite bland and tedious. I cannot really recommend this collection.
May 31, 2020
Collection is good, but some stories are not as good as others. Thriller lover would love it.
April 18, 2015
This is collection of short stories written by 8 master suspense authors. This mix of mystery and suspense highlights what really each one is made of.
I am not a big fan of short stories, they are IMO totally unsatisfying. Here we have some stories that are better than others, some shorter than others, some full of action and some going nowhere. To write a suspense in a few pages authors have to use economical and carefully selected words and unfold quickly his drama and bring it to a satisfying resolution, a task difficult to accomplish when the need to count words is a priority. Here some hit the target and some left you hanging.
In many ways it is good to sample different styles and to try out several writers that are not necessary household names. We can pick and choose at will who to follow next. This anthology was a free promotion and implementing this approach is an amazing way the affect the bottom line for these authors. At least I hope so….
The presentation is very well done. The edition I received from Mr. Stephenson had a hyperlinked Table of contents letting me select which one to read first. I preferred reading them in sequence but the choice was there.
You can read at an excellent synopsis of each book at Goodreads
I am not a big fan of short stories, they are IMO totally unsatisfying. Here we have some stories that are better than others, some shorter than others, some full of action and some going nowhere. To write a suspense in a few pages authors have to use economical and carefully selected words and unfold quickly his drama and bring it to a satisfying resolution, a task difficult to accomplish when the need to count words is a priority. Here some hit the target and some left you hanging.
In many ways it is good to sample different styles and to try out several writers that are not necessary household names. We can pick and choose at will who to follow next. This anthology was a free promotion and implementing this approach is an amazing way the affect the bottom line for these authors. At least I hope so….
The presentation is very well done. The edition I received from Mr. Stephenson had a hyperlinked Table of contents letting me select which one to read first. I preferred reading them in sequence but the choice was there.
You can read at an excellent synopsis of each book at Goodreads
July 15, 2014
I do enjoy a good short story. Of these 8, 7 were exceptional-1 ticked me off and I haven't decided if it's in a good way or a bad way. However, if you like thrillers/mysteries with killer twists, you can't beat this collection.
April 19, 2021
This ebook collects 8 short thrillers/mysteries with the goal of introducing new readers to new authors. Like most samplers, this was a mixed bag, but did cause me to consider following up on some of these authors. Overall, 3.5 stars. I got this free on B&N.
Paydown, by Nick Stephenson (25,000 words) - A Wall Street "too big to fail" commentary with a bit graft and murder thrown in. Ambivalent about main character Leopold Blake. 3 stars.
Off the Leash, by David Vandyke (9,000 words) - PI California 'Cal' Corwin investigates a murder and the plot is pretty good. Would have worked better as a novella rather than short story. 3.5 stars.
Mr. Mockingbird Drive, by Robert Swartwood (2,000 words) - Really well done short story, though I saw the ending coming. Still, a good revenge piece tightly written. 4.5 stars.
Ladies' Weekend, by Ryan King (6,000 words) - Why oh why did I read this one before going to sleep?! Very disturbing, darkly humorous thriller. Solid short psychological horror story. 4 stars.
Veritas: Concubine, by R.S. Guthrie (8,300 words) - Had to re-read part of this to remember the story. Oh, that's right confession of a serial killer, with flashbacks. Meh. 2.5 stars.
Divide and Conquer, by Kay Hadashi (12,000 words) - Unconvincing and tedious story about a kidnapping and abduction attempt by a group of inept criminals. Some eye rolling. 2.5 stars.
Recidivist, by Alan McDermott (5,000 words) - Spoiler: This is actually a cute tale of a deception aimed at scaring some juvenile criminals straight. Perfect length for this story. 4 stars.
Return of the Bride, by Micheal (sic) Maxwell (2,000 words) - A tragic tale of revenge, redemption, of setting things right. Powerfully told, but not for the faint of heart. 4.5 stars.
(This ebook contains an excerpt from Loose Ends by D.D. VanDyke, another Cal Corwin mystery. )
Paydown, by Nick Stephenson (25,000 words) - A Wall Street "too big to fail" commentary with a bit graft and murder thrown in. Ambivalent about main character Leopold Blake. 3 stars.
Off the Leash, by David Vandyke (9,000 words) - PI California 'Cal' Corwin investigates a murder and the plot is pretty good. Would have worked better as a novella rather than short story. 3.5 stars.
Mr. Mockingbird Drive, by Robert Swartwood (2,000 words) - Really well done short story, though I saw the ending coming. Still, a good revenge piece tightly written. 4.5 stars.
Ladies' Weekend, by Ryan King (6,000 words) - Why oh why did I read this one before going to sleep?! Very disturbing, darkly humorous thriller. Solid short psychological horror story. 4 stars.
Veritas: Concubine, by R.S. Guthrie (8,300 words) - Had to re-read part of this to remember the story. Oh, that's right confession of a serial killer, with flashbacks. Meh. 2.5 stars.
Divide and Conquer, by Kay Hadashi (12,000 words) - Unconvincing and tedious story about a kidnapping and abduction attempt by a group of inept criminals. Some eye rolling. 2.5 stars.
Recidivist, by Alan McDermott (5,000 words) - Spoiler: This is actually a cute tale of a deception aimed at scaring some juvenile criminals straight. Perfect length for this story. 4 stars.
Return of the Bride, by Micheal (sic) Maxwell (2,000 words) - A tragic tale of revenge, redemption, of setting things right. Powerfully told, but not for the faint of heart. 4.5 stars.
(This ebook contains an excerpt from Loose Ends by D.D. VanDyke, another Cal Corwin mystery. )
July 4, 2017
I was expecting one story, but, as the title says - it's eight! I love to read, and admit to reading anything, but the stories did hold my attention!
February 11, 2016
Published: 11/12/2013
Author: Nick Stephenson
Recommended for: fans of thrillers
Edition: Kindle
I found this set of eight books on the Kindle Store for free and so I thought that I would give it a try. I like quick short reads, and this was 8 excellent short reads! they are thriller/mystery books that have unexpected twists that keep you reading on. The books might not be for everyone but I really enjoyed reading them. They are very well written and they grab hold of the readers attention, even though I didn't enjoy all eight stories I did enjoy 6 of them and other people may enjoy the two that I didnt do. It is a good read if you have a few spare moments to read or if you're wanting something to read on a journey.
Author: Nick Stephenson
Recommended for: fans of thrillers
Edition: Kindle
I found this set of eight books on the Kindle Store for free and so I thought that I would give it a try. I like quick short reads, and this was 8 excellent short reads! they are thriller/mystery books that have unexpected twists that keep you reading on. The books might not be for everyone but I really enjoyed reading them. They are very well written and they grab hold of the readers attention, even though I didn't enjoy all eight stories I did enjoy 6 of them and other people may enjoy the two that I didnt do. It is a good read if you have a few spare moments to read or if you're wanting something to read on a journey.
May 22, 2015
This was pretty good for a collection of short stories. The first one was the longest and then they seemed to get shorter from there. One or two were only eight pages long but they were all pretty good. I am not against short stories but I tend to pick up collections that are by the same author. This book is good to introduce you to some different authors, different writing styles and different characters that you might normally pass over at the library or book store. The stories were all pretty good and if you need something to read in short periods of time like lunch breaks or bus rides then this would be a pretty good book for you to pick up.
January 16, 2016
There are two stories in this series that are exceptional, a few that are okay, and several that should have been severely edited, then modified by Beta readers and redone.
However, I do give Stephenson marks for putting this together. It gives other Indie writers a venue to publish some short stories. I think he might have been a bit more discerning on the content and asked some of the writers to run their stories through edit a few more times.
In all, it was a reasonably good read, I received this off of BookBub for free, and decided to give it a try. If you do find it on Amazon or wherever for cheap, it is something to keep you entertained for a brief time.
However, I do give Stephenson marks for putting this together. It gives other Indie writers a venue to publish some short stories. I think he might have been a bit more discerning on the content and asked some of the writers to run their stories through edit a few more times.
In all, it was a reasonably good read, I received this off of BookBub for free, and decided to give it a try. If you do find it on Amazon or wherever for cheap, it is something to keep you entertained for a brief time.
April 19, 2015
Short story collection of killers and criminals. Eclectic stories based around killers and how they receive their retribution. Great group of authors. Has piqued my interest in a couple of new (to me) authors.
March 19, 2015
This was a good way to meet 8 writers I'd never read before. Of course some of their stories are better than others but I've found two new ones I'm going to read more from.
July 23, 2018
A mixed collection of thrillers, variable in length but providing an introduction to some writers I don't know (including the non-sf of David VanDyke, here writing as DD VanDyke and with a bonus chapter from a novel thrown in for good measure). The editor has the longest story and I see that I have several titles from his backlist already on my reader...
February 21, 2018
Excellent collection!
Each of the books had a great story line and held the interest of the reader. Great insight into the stylesheets of each writer. I would definitely read additional books from any of the writers.
Each of the books had a great story line and held the interest of the reader. Great insight into the stylesheets of each writer. I would definitely read additional books from any of the writers.
April 24, 2018
An Eclectic Group
If you're a reader who enjoys a mystery and short stories this book is for you. An eclectic group of writers with enough in each story to give you a taste of each different writers style. An enjoyable quick read.
If you're a reader who enjoys a mystery and short stories this book is for you. An eclectic group of writers with enough in each story to give you a taste of each different writers style. An enjoyable quick read.
March 16, 2019
Really good anthology
Each short story was worth reading, and turned me on to new authors.
Some could use some technical editing, so I hope that their full length novels are better written.
Each short story was worth reading, and turned me on to new authors.
Some could use some technical editing, so I hope that their full length novels are better written.
October 14, 2017
Strange and different but caught my interest and kept me reading to the end.
October 16, 2017
Great reading
Kept my attention.
Couldn't put the books down until they were all read.
Great stories.
Interesting how authors can put these books so interesting
Kept my attention.
Couldn't put the books down until they were all read.
Great stories.
Interesting how authors can put these books so interesting
November 7, 2017
Enjoyable; But
Disjointed, some great stories, others finished abruptly leaving you wanting more. Whether that is by accident or design it works
Disjointed, some great stories, others finished abruptly leaving you wanting more. Whether that is by accident or design it works
July 22, 2018
Eight very different stories that will keep you reading through the night. Financial, kidnap and ransom, vigilantism and much more.
April 24, 2019
The only story I enjoyed in this book was the one actually written by Nick Stephenson. I was soon bored by the remainder of the book, although I did finish it.
December 24, 2019
A quick read
A good collection of short stories. The variety in scenarios made it a little more interesting as well as the variety of characters.
A good collection of short stories. The variety in scenarios made it a little more interesting as well as the variety of characters.
January 28, 2021
Review
A book of short stories which are long enough to read one of two of the stories at a time. All very good😊
A book of short stories which are long enough to read one of two of the stories at a time. All very good😊
February 1, 2023
Nice collection of short stories
October 10, 2016
This is eight stories from eight suspense writers: Nick Stephenson, David Vandyke, Robert Swartwoos, Ryan King, R. S. Guthrie, Kay Hadashi, Alan McDermott & Micheal Maxwell. I don't normally like short stories but this was easy reading, in several fragmented sessions. I rate this a 3.9.
July 18, 2015
I enjoy a good short story and I also enjoy a good anthology. This is a collection of stories that are fair and not well edited in the way the anthology is assembled. The book is touted as a collection of thrillers. I didn't feel like I got that from this book. There was an uneven quality to the stories whereby you had one full of action and the next going nowhere.
Nick Stephenson is the editor of this anthology as well as a contributing author. He chose to put his own work first and it was also the longest piece. In reading an assembled work of this kind, it is unusual that the author chose to showcase his own material first. I found that off putting.
Structurally, it works better when assembling a collection to put the longest piece in the middle. This showcases that piece. Shorter pieces are built on either end. Almost like Tetris, stories need to fit together to make sense. In addition, there were two stories by D.D. VanDyke with the same character of Cal Corwin. The second story should have actually been put first as it better introduced the character and her background. Instead, the first story was written later and made assumptions about the readers knowledge of the character that could have been addressed by simply changing story order.
As for the stories themselves...there were some better than others. There were a few that rambled on with no crispness. There were others that stood the test of what a short story should be. There was one that defied all logic and made for quite a conversation piece. Whether or not it fit the genre, I'm not sure.
Short stories are the hardest ones to write. Characters have to be developed quickly and have enough fullness to keep the reader interested in what will happen to them. The story itself has to unfold quickly because resolution is going to come fast. The use of words has to be economical and carefully selected because every word counts - literally and figuratively - toward the end result. I'm not convinced that this collection hit all these necessary points in order for me to feel good about recommending the collection.
My advice to readers is check the contents and see if there are particular writers you really love to read and base your purchase of the book on your willingness to pay for the stories of a particular author.
Nick Stephenson is the editor of this anthology as well as a contributing author. He chose to put his own work first and it was also the longest piece. In reading an assembled work of this kind, it is unusual that the author chose to showcase his own material first. I found that off putting.
Structurally, it works better when assembling a collection to put the longest piece in the middle. This showcases that piece. Shorter pieces are built on either end. Almost like Tetris, stories need to fit together to make sense. In addition, there were two stories by D.D. VanDyke with the same character of Cal Corwin. The second story should have actually been put first as it better introduced the character and her background. Instead, the first story was written later and made assumptions about the readers knowledge of the character that could have been addressed by simply changing story order.
As for the stories themselves...there were some better than others. There were a few that rambled on with no crispness. There were others that stood the test of what a short story should be. There was one that defied all logic and made for quite a conversation piece. Whether or not it fit the genre, I'm not sure.
Short stories are the hardest ones to write. Characters have to be developed quickly and have enough fullness to keep the reader interested in what will happen to them. The story itself has to unfold quickly because resolution is going to come fast. The use of words has to be economical and carefully selected because every word counts - literally and figuratively - toward the end result. I'm not convinced that this collection hit all these necessary points in order for me to feel good about recommending the collection.
My advice to readers is check the contents and see if there are particular writers you really love to read and base your purchase of the book on your willingness to pay for the stories of a particular author.
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