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The Card Sharp and Other Stories: A Collection of Murder, Mystery and Mayhem
Here are three crime stories in an historical setting. All of them have been inspired by a true incident and their settings have been rigorously researched to give you the sense of being there in 1854, 1863 and 1872. From Richmond, Virginia, at the height of the American Civil War to the dry Southwest riding along with John Wesley Hardin and Wild Bill Hickok, you are there.
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First published March 13, 2013
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About the author
Eric B. Ruark
21 books29 followersI love a good mystery... books... TV... movies... real-life... which is why when I sit down at my keyboard, I have the tendency to write mystery stories. I was born and raised in Waterbury, Connecticut, but even at an early age, my parents encouraged me to travel, and although I'm a New England Preppie, I've been to schools in France and Switzerland and was the guest of Jose Greco, the famed Flamenco artist in Spain... all before I was 18 years old.
In college, I majored in English and Drama. I rowed on the varsity crew. After college, I took up acting. In Japan, you would have seen me as Babe Ruth in their popular show THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF JAPANESE BASEBALL. (That should give you a good idea of what I look like. I was Off-Off Broadway in BACKSTAGE BITCHES which had a limited run at the Cabaret Duplex in New York City. I was also in one of the road shows of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
Over the years I've had a love/hate relationship with writing. I've published a romance, RIVER OF RAIN for MacFadden under a pen name, and a mystery, THE CAMPUS KILLINGS under my own name. Both books are now out of print in the United States, although I hear that KILLINGS has recently been translated into Italian, but I no longer own the rights to that book.
When I turned 40, I took up bicycling and cycled across the country and down to Key West, Florida where I won the Hemingway Storytelling Contest several years in a row in the early 90s.
In 2004 Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine published ANTEBELLUM, a mystery set against the backdrop of the American Civil War and in May 2013, AHMM published SEEING DOUBLE, a modern mystery set in Maryland.
Currently, my wife and I live on a sailboat at a marina just off the Chesapeake Bay
In college, I majored in English and Drama. I rowed on the varsity crew. After college, I took up acting. In Japan, you would have seen me as Babe Ruth in their popular show THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF JAPANESE BASEBALL. (That should give you a good idea of what I look like. I was Off-Off Broadway in BACKSTAGE BITCHES which had a limited run at the Cabaret Duplex in New York City. I was also in one of the road shows of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
Over the years I've had a love/hate relationship with writing. I've published a romance, RIVER OF RAIN for MacFadden under a pen name, and a mystery, THE CAMPUS KILLINGS under my own name. Both books are now out of print in the United States, although I hear that KILLINGS has recently been translated into Italian, but I no longer own the rights to that book.
When I turned 40, I took up bicycling and cycled across the country and down to Key West, Florida where I won the Hemingway Storytelling Contest several years in a row in the early 90s.
In 2004 Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine published ANTEBELLUM, a mystery set against the backdrop of the American Civil War and in May 2013, AHMM published SEEING DOUBLE, a modern mystery set in Maryland.
Currently, my wife and I live on a sailboat at a marina just off the Chesapeake Bay
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 29, 2014
‘The Card Sharp and Other Stories’ contains two of the finest short stories I have ever read. The first, ‘The Card Sharp’ is clever, witty and fast paced with a twist in the ending that rivals anything O Henry could ever think up. The second, Antebellum, is the superlative tale in this collection. The author creates a truly believable civil war period setting with a number of subtle literary flourishes as he takes us on a gripping and compelling detective story before finally delivering an unconventional yet emotionally satisfying ending.
Judging from these two stories I feel the author’s talent, and it is a very impressive talent indeed, lies with historical fiction. His ability to entertain and create mood whilst filling in period piece details are excellent.
The rest of the stories however prove unequal. Yet if one takes into account the sheer quality of those just mentioned, this is hardly surprising. The two other tales I particularly enjoyed were Hide N Seek and QED, both detective stories; the first featuring a Hart to Hart type amateur sleuth husband and wife team, the second the very likeable Sheriff Tracy Hyers. According to the author the sheriff has her own book coming out soon but I feel that the professor and his young wife could easily have their own series of novels.
As a collection though, ‘The Card Sharp and Other Stories’ doesn’t quite hold together and there were some tales featuring the protagonist Harry that were incomplete and belonged in their own collection. Yet the quality of the writing and careful crafting of the narrative, especially in the detective tales, more than makes up for any faults.
Erik Ruark’s talent is undeniable and I’m sure we will be hearing much more from this gentleman in the future.
Judging from these two stories I feel the author’s talent, and it is a very impressive talent indeed, lies with historical fiction. His ability to entertain and create mood whilst filling in period piece details are excellent.
The rest of the stories however prove unequal. Yet if one takes into account the sheer quality of those just mentioned, this is hardly surprising. The two other tales I particularly enjoyed were Hide N Seek and QED, both detective stories; the first featuring a Hart to Hart type amateur sleuth husband and wife team, the second the very likeable Sheriff Tracy Hyers. According to the author the sheriff has her own book coming out soon but I feel that the professor and his young wife could easily have their own series of novels.
As a collection though, ‘The Card Sharp and Other Stories’ doesn’t quite hold together and there were some tales featuring the protagonist Harry that were incomplete and belonged in their own collection. Yet the quality of the writing and careful crafting of the narrative, especially in the detective tales, more than makes up for any faults.
Erik Ruark’s talent is undeniable and I’m sure we will be hearing much more from this gentleman in the future.
Displaying 1 of 1 review