Negative Tilt: Stories

by Bobby Mathews

An out-of-work journalist finds a second life ‘stealing cars’; A grad student finds out that theft is easy, but getting away with it is another matter entirely; A long-lost love can’t be rekindled in a remote hotel room, but a long-held ember of anger can be reignited; A tale of murder and mayhem in the Big Easy …

In NEGATIVE TILT: Stories, award-winning author Bobby Mathews shares twenty-eight tales that run the gamut, from a literary punch in the gut to unrequited and lost love to fast-and-hard crime fiction to out-and-out horror that’s hard to turn away from.

284 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2024

About the author

Bobby Mathews attended Troy University, where he majored in journalism and minored in theater and English. His checkered past includes stints as a reporter and editor for daily newspapers, where he won awards for his writing, editing and leadership. No, he has no idea what the contest judges were smoking, either.

He's also been a bartender, paralegal, and bum, occupations—or sidelines—that creep into his stories and novels.

"I write weird stories about monumentally fucked-up people," he says. "That's what interests me. I hope it interests other readers, too."

Mathews lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with his wife and sons.

Reviews

[Suz Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There ain’t a whole lot to do in Chilton County but grow peaches and cook methamphetamine…I didn’t grow peaches, and I didn’t make meth. All I did was look for my brother’s body, keep my guns clean and my knife sharp.” —excerpt from “The Ghost of Buxahatchee Creek”

The collection includes a mix of literary, crime, and horror fiction. Mathews’ history as a reporter is evident in his lush storytelling style and deep character development. The forward mentions the collection includes eight stories that have not been previously published.

My favorite stories in the collection are as follows:

“My Father’s Guns:” After their father’s death, siblings have differing views on the distribution of his estate. The history of the father’s gun collection not only speaks volumes about the deceased, it shows the relationship between the protagonist and his father as well as that of him and his siblings.

“The Ghost of Buxahatchee Creek:” A man is haunted by the murder of his brother and his desire for revenge. The small town setting and colorful characters are beautifully drawn.

“A Little Push:” When a podcaster interviews a hitman on his boat, she gets exactly what she came for. I enjoyed April’s perspective and the tension and suspense created by her being in a remote location with an admitted killer.

“The Handyman:” An ex-con’s latest job offer involves killing an abusive husband. The protagonist’s reactions to the offer and how he handles the situation are perfectly aligned with his characterization.

“Never See the Stars Again:” A man develops a self-destructive vendetta against the machine that maimed him. Great tiny tale of an unusual obsession.

“One in the Chamber:” There’s no honor among a group of thieves in this action and betrayal packed flash fiction story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Shotgun Honey Books for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

[Thomas Trang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd read a few stories by Bobby Mathews before I plunged into Magic City Blues, his killer PI novel from last year that brought Brimingham, Alabama to life. One of my favorites of 2023. So I was keen to get hold of this collection. Many thanks to Shotgun Honey for the ARC.

Some of the stories here were familar already, but most of them weren't. I'd read the title story about a year ago when it was up for a Derringer Award (which it deservedly won) and it is probably the crown jewel in this book. I'd remembered it as much longer than the 10-15 pages it is, most likely because it is so rich and vivid in detail. Negative Tilt the story feels like a snaphot of an entire life that sprawls out beyond the pages we get.

And that holds true for the entire collection really: while the book's length is average, it took me longer than usual to finish because each piece is richly drawn. You can feel the characters had a life before we meet them, and it will go on afterward once we leave them (in most cases, anyway).

There's an element of thought and care put into the arrangement of the stories. We start off with Negative Tilt and the more 'literary' ones (character-driven but never self-involved and boring). There are ex-journalists turned repo men, plagiarizing MFA douchebags, and a wealth of hardscrabble southern boys.

Gradually the collection morphs into more straightforward tales of crime (and sometimes punishment), and these run the gamut from quirky to heartbreaking, before some of the flash fiction which are like hard and sharp jabs to the gut. Then the book rounds out with a few stories that dip into the supernatural.

The writing is clean and no nonsense, with just enough flair to keep things exciting. At one point a dive bar is referred to as a "neon smear" and I just about punched the air with excitement.

Highly recommended. My favorites from the collection are: Negative Tilt (obviously), My Father's Guns, A Little Push, Dance The Night Away.

[Kirstyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection cements Mathews as a writer to watch.

If you haven't already picked up Living the Gimmick or Magic City Blues, Negative Tilt will make you want to. From the title story to Visitation at Nine, Mathews will run you through the gamut of human emotions - guilt, anger, grief, and love (mostly when it morphs into one of those three.) Mathews has a beautiful way of setting place, and each story will take you someplace different, and yet somehow the same as they touch on various parts and points of human experience. Raw, touching, and easy to get lost in - if you're a fan of short stories, definitely a collection to grab.

[M.E. Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am familiar with Bobby Mathews’ work, having read “Living the Gimmick” and “Magic City Blues”, as well as a few of the stories in this collection. I knew his writing was precise and heartfelt, rooted in real life and real people. This collection wonderfully showcases his impressive range and I highly recommend reading the stories in the order they’re presented to get the full benefit of a slow cranking of tension and the subtle shift between genres.
Mathews’ experience as a reporter infuses some of the stories gathered here, the disappearing romance and the heartbreak of the job, the long hours for little pay, the callousness of the decision makers whose hearts, I they even have one, don’t beat at the sound of a printing press. It is the engine behind “Negative Tilt”, the opener and title story, a tale of an absurd world build on failure; it is the background of “General Excellence” with the misspelled name on the award, a story of missed signals; it is also behind “A Little Push”, a perfect crime story; it is at the heart of “Never See the Stars Again” flirting with horror; and it goes the whole way in “Disappeared”, I won’t tell you how. Then there are the crime stories. They get gradually darker, from the relatively innocuous appropriation of a manuscript to the slaughter of a family, and the destruction of another. It is chillingly appropriate that the last two words of the book are “good night.” This is a remarkable collection.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Negative Tilt is a collection of gritty short stories that give the reader a glimpse at the dark underbelly of society. I couldn’t relate to the circumstances the characters found themselves in, but thanks to the author’s vivid and descriptive writing, I felt like I was right there next to them, taking it all in. Some were more gruesome than others, but all showed a perspective completely unfamiliar to me. Even though I don’t expect to find myself in a situation like any of these, I felt some empathy even for the cruel and vicious characters. I would recommend this for anybody who likes noir or old detective stories. There’s not too much blood or gore, but some of the stories are uniquely twisted.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When their "normal" lives hit a speed bump, the characters in these short stories will find themselves doing things they'd never have done before. Short stories demonstrate an author's skills as they must bring a character to life and complete the story in fewer pages than a typical chapter. Bobby Mathews has proved himself skilled as he takes these characters and turns their lives 180 degrees to see their way to commit these negative actions. I found them all great as they demonstarte the true nature of these flawed humans.

[Sonja van der Westhuizen | West Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rural noir is having its moment in the sun and the ever-popular SA Cosby has been leading its charge. Writing about the South is nothing new – Ace Atkins and James Lee Burke have been doing it for decades – but the genre’s resurgence has brought a new and exciting diversity to the table, including the likes of Eli Cranor, Jesmyn Ward, Eryk Pruitt and Kelly J Ford.

Full review here: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.co... and on Crime Fiction Lover.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written collection of southern noir short stories. All of the the stories are interesting, some are little funny, some super dark. There is something for everyone. My favorite is “A Little Push” it was clever and twisted and I didn’t the ending coming. Looking forward to what Matthews writes next!

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like short stories because I use breaks from other things for reading. This book contains very short stories, but they all have real content, and most are very interesting. The writing is excellent, some of the best storytelling I have ever read. 5 stars plus!

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding story collection. The title story and “Disappeared” are two of my favorites ever.

[Lyle Boylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third book by Mathews and they are all great. A nice collection of tough, gritty stories.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Negative Tilt, Mathews presents a fantastic, varied collection of short fiction. Highly recommended for fans of noir or for those who like their stories with a nasty little surprise.

The titular story offers a delightfully dark take on the choices left to the refugees of the great print media kill-off of the aughts. I also very much enjoyed "The Swahili Word for Hope" and its all-too-believable university setting, "A Little Push" and its true-crime podcaster in over her head, "The Big Gamble" with its exploration of one of the grittier facets of The Big Easy, "All Debts Paid" and its road trip from Hell, and "Disappeared," which I finished with a pit of dread in my stomach. All around, this was an entertaining anthology by an author who's adept at wrapping up short stories with a twisted bow.

[Michael Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

NEGATIVE TILT is an outstanding short story collection. If you think it’s the kind of book you keep on your bedside table and maybe read a story or two before drifting off to sleep, think again. This is the kind of book that will keep you reading late into the night (and early morning). Although it would be easy to slap a label on the book and call it Southern noir or drop it in the Crime category, these are stories that cut across boundaries and can’t be pigeon-holed into specific genres.

The heart and soul of NEGATIVE TILT are the characters. These are stories about people – people we know or can identify with, caught up in every day struggles who are flawed or desperate or scared or searching for redemption or satisfaction or hope or finding the parts of life that lie between all the extremes. Bobby Mathews shows not only his depth but his versatility as a writer, weaving together stories that are poignant, meaningful, and impactful. If you haven’t read Bobby’s work you’ll want to find his other books (also excellent