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The Trash Collector
When objects begin to disappear from porches, Lydia Strichter suspects the neighborhood hoarder, Dale Kreplick. He's a strange man with an even stranger habit of digging through people's garbage. But when she sets out to prove the "Trash Collector" is behind these thefts, she discovers more than the culprit. She discovers some things can't easily be discarded. A heart-warming story of tolerance, grief, and the persistence of memory.
17 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2014
111 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Monica Shaughnessy
17 books28 followersMonica Shaughnessy has a flair for creating characters and plots larger than her home state of Texas. Most notably, she's the author of the Cattarina Mysteries, a cozy mystery series starring Edgar Allan Poe's real-life cat companion. Ms. Shaughnessy has nine books in print, including two young adult suspense novels, a middle grade superhero novel, an Easter picture book, two cozy mystery novellas, and numerous short stories. Customers have praised her work time and again, calling it "unique and creative," "fresh and original," and "very well written." If you're looking for something outside the mainstream, you'll find it in her prose. When she's not slaying adverbs and tightening plots, she's walking her rescue dogs, goofing around with her family, or going back to the grocery store for the hundredth time because she forgot milk.
The best way to learn about her books is to join her mailing list, which can be found on her website: www.monicashaughnessy.com. You'll receive advance release notices, special discounts, and the occasional ARC.
The best way to learn about her books is to join her mailing list, which can be found on her website: www.monicashaughnessy.com. You'll receive advance release notices, special discounts, and the occasional ARC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 14, 2018
POV: Third-person, singular
Sensitivity warning:
Misery loves company in this short story! It opens with the gossiping widow, Lydia Strichter, voicing her complaints to her next door neighbor about any and everything going on in their neighborhood! Dale Kreplick is the target of Lydia’s hatred and she’s branded him as the community outcast.
Items in the neighborhood have disappeared and Lydia assumes the Trash Collector/ Dale is the thief. Why? Because everyone in the neighborhood has witnessed Dale dumpster diving, but other items not placed in the trash during trash pickup days have also been missing. To catch the thief in action, Lydia positions the bait and waits.
Lydia is the kind of meddling love-to-hate narrator that I enjoy reading about! She’s nosy, condescending, manipulative, and short-sighted! She seems like a shallow andageist tragic human being but she’s multi-layered and provided all of the entertainment in this story! I sat back grinning and waiting patiently for her downfall!
Lydia’s thoughts about Dale?
She studied his coarse features, squat body, and blank stare, not unlike the garden gnome he’d pilfered from her lawn. He’d always been strange. That she could live with. But he hadn’t always been a dumpster diver.
Her thoughts about other members in the community?
Lydia gritted her teeth. She’d only invited Mr. Diaz out of propriety. How West Grove High could’ve hired a Spanish English teacher was beyond her. She’d heard stories about him from the others, how he used to play guitar in a band—Megawatt if memory served. Probably smoked dope, too. They all did.
► I liked the ending, though I thought Lydia’s reaction to the truth was a bit anticlimactic. Overall, this was an interesting story. En-joyed!
*Amazon freebie.*
Sensitivity warning:
Misery loves company in this short story! It opens with the gossiping widow, Lydia Strichter, voicing her complaints to her next door neighbor about any and everything going on in their neighborhood! Dale Kreplick is the target of Lydia’s hatred and she’s branded him as the community outcast.
Items in the neighborhood have disappeared and Lydia assumes the Trash Collector/ Dale is the thief. Why? Because everyone in the neighborhood has witnessed Dale dumpster diving, but other items not placed in the trash during trash pickup days have also been missing. To catch the thief in action, Lydia positions the bait and waits.
Lydia is the kind of meddling love-to-hate narrator that I enjoy reading about! She’s nosy, condescending, manipulative, and short-sighted! She seems like a shallow and
Lydia’s thoughts about Dale?
She studied his coarse features, squat body, and blank stare, not unlike the garden gnome he’d pilfered from her lawn. He’d always been strange. That she could live with. But he hadn’t always been a dumpster diver.
Her thoughts about other members in the community?
Lydia gritted her teeth. She’d only invited Mr. Diaz out of propriety. How West Grove High could’ve hired a Spanish English teacher was beyond her. She’d heard stories about him from the others, how he used to play guitar in a band—Megawatt if memory served. Probably smoked dope, too. They all did.
► I liked the ending, though I thought Lydia’s reaction to the truth was a bit anticlimactic. Overall, this was an interesting story. En-joyed!
*Amazon freebie.*
April 27, 2016
LYDIA STRICHTER WRINKLED HER nose at the house across the street. The odor of mildewed paint and rusted wrought iron, intensified by this afternoon’s rain, clung to Sycamore Avenue like moss to a headstone. Ghastly. The home’s occupant, Dale Kreplick, may have been young— twenty-three, twenty-four— but that was no excuse for letting his property fall into disrepair.
“I see you’re without an umbrella, too.” Lydia smoothed her silver hair, an involuntary reaction to Susan’s damp locks. “The Trash Collector has been busy these last few days.” Her gaze traveled across the street. “You mean Dale? He only takes things from our curb. Things we don’t want.” She wiped the water from her chin. “Like old photos and such.”
"Don't judge a book by the cover" is the moral/message of the story... and "be kind to others" should be as well, in my opinion.
This story is a hidden gem that is surprisingly sweet and heartwarming at the end.
I won't say anymore so I won't spoil it got ya but would recommend, a quick but wonderful read.
Get it for free (as of today) from Amazon here
Happy reading :)
“I see you’re without an umbrella, too.” Lydia smoothed her silver hair, an involuntary reaction to Susan’s damp locks. “The Trash Collector has been busy these last few days.” Her gaze traveled across the street. “You mean Dale? He only takes things from our curb. Things we don’t want.” She wiped the water from her chin. “Like old photos and such.”
"Don't judge a book by the cover" is the moral/message of the story... and "be kind to others" should be as well, in my opinion.
This story is a hidden gem that is surprisingly sweet and heartwarming at the end.
I won't say anymore so I won't spoil it got ya but would recommend, a quick but wonderful read.
Get it for free (as of today) from Amazon here
Happy reading :)
September 8, 2016
It only takes one person in a community to stir up strife. Lydia is the person on Sycamore Street that's pushing the issue but has no real proof. She's certain that Dale, another neighbor is stealing from people in the community. When she finally learns the truth, she's touched by his actions.
March 2, 2021
A very short free read on Amazon for Kindle.
As someone who loves to check out thrift stores and will take large items sitting by a dumpster (high chair, end table, lamp) at first I rooted for the neighborhood menace...but actually opening the cans and bags and really rooting through people's garbage? That's a different matter.
So I was a bit so-so about the ending.
As someone who loves to check out thrift stores and will take large items sitting by a dumpster (high chair, end table, lamp) at first I rooted for the neighborhood menace...but actually opening the cans and bags and really rooting through people's garbage? That's a different matter.
So I was a bit so-so about the ending.
September 21, 2015
This may be a short story, but the message being sent is larger than life. Never judge a book by it's cover. That being said. When items begin to go missing, Lydie suspects an autistic man of the theivery, because he is known to rummage through the trash and take things. She sets out for vengence to prove this man's guilt, but what she finds along the way is so much more. I loved this story and I would love to tell you more about it, but think the author told the story better.
Read
November 2, 2014I don't rate my own books. :-)
July 25, 2021
Although quite predictable, this short story is enjoyable and has an original theme.
It made me curious enough to read other works of this author and thus I've already downloaded another one.
This short story can be read for free via Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...
November 14, 2014
Trash
This book gives meaning to the saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure". The neighbors were blaming missing items on their autistic neighbor. He would go through their garbage collecting things. They blamed him because he was different. The nurse called everyone over to the autistic man's home. They were astounded by what they saw. It was like a museum of special memories from each neighbor that was discarded. The items in question that had not been thrown away were not there. A neighbor's son had stolen the items. His family was going through some emotional trials. I believe the moral of the story is " you can't judge a book by it's cover and you can't just accuse someone with out proof just because he's different. This is a good read.
This book gives meaning to the saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure". The neighbors were blaming missing items on their autistic neighbor. He would go through their garbage collecting things. They blamed him because he was different. The nurse called everyone over to the autistic man's home. They were astounded by what they saw. It was like a museum of special memories from each neighbor that was discarded. The items in question that had not been thrown away were not there. A neighbor's son had stolen the items. His family was going through some emotional trials. I believe the moral of the story is " you can't judge a book by it's cover and you can't just accuse someone with out proof just because he's different. This is a good read.
November 23, 2014
A touching tale of a misunderstood neighbor. We all have neighbors or people in our lives that we love to hate, in most of the cases it is because we do not understand them or their actions. In this short story the residents of Sycamore Rowe are up in arms against an autistic man who digs through their garbage bins and salvages items that they threw out. What they perceive to be a disgusting habit turns out to be an act of kindness. Monica Shaughnessy has a knack for conveying some thought provoking ideas with wit and a wise choice of everyday issues and circumstances that we can all relate to. If she comes out with a collection of such stores I will be the first to buy it!
January 8, 2017
Great short story
July 17, 2020
This contemporary short story may not be strictly a mystery, but there is something mysterious going on. A nosy neighborhood lady, Lydia, immediately jumps to conclusions and accuses a young man of stealing things that have gone missing around the area.
Dale is not like others around town and so makes an easy scapegoat. Could he really be the one taking things from his neighbors, or is there something more to all this? Lydia holds a meeting, determined to catch Dale in the act.
The writer has composed characters that are easy to either dislike or sympathize with. Dialogue fills out this characterization as do just enough physical details to allow readers to see the scene.
When the neighbors “catch” Dale with some missing things, there is a surprising twist to the story. Themes of tolerance versus intolerance, dealing with loss, and remembering important times underlie the story. Lessons are to be learned, mainly, not to be too quick to judge those who are different from ourselves.
Dale is not like others around town and so makes an easy scapegoat. Could he really be the one taking things from his neighbors, or is there something more to all this? Lydia holds a meeting, determined to catch Dale in the act.
The writer has composed characters that are easy to either dislike or sympathize with. Dialogue fills out this characterization as do just enough physical details to allow readers to see the scene.
When the neighbors “catch” Dale with some missing things, there is a surprising twist to the story. Themes of tolerance versus intolerance, dealing with loss, and remembering important times underlie the story. Lessons are to be learned, mainly, not to be too quick to judge those who are different from ourselves.
June 18, 2019
"Never Judge Others"
This is a 17-page short story of stolen items removed from porches and yards in a small town. Lydia believes it's the known hoarder, Dale Kreplick. Neighbors ban together. The hoarder is a young autistic man who lives alone. What he does with trashed items from trash cans will surprise you as well as his neighbors. I'm glad I read this thought-provoking short story.
This is a 17-page short story of stolen items removed from porches and yards in a small town. Lydia believes it's the known hoarder, Dale Kreplick. Neighbors ban together. The hoarder is a young autistic man who lives alone. What he does with trashed items from trash cans will surprise you as well as his neighbors. I'm glad I read this thought-provoking short story.
April 22, 2020
Another short story here. This young man who was autistic lived across the street from other homes since his parents were killed in a car accident. When peoples things started to disappear from their yard or garbage cans they all suspected it to be him ,Dale. Everyone thought he was weird routing in their garbage. But why was he doing this?
December 12, 2022
2.5 stars
An odd but enjoyable quick short read one where they're trying to find out why there belongings are going missing only to find out they have been throwing the objects out themselves.
Pros
Good story and basic one to follow.
Decent character build.
Cons
A bit odd though the concept was a little boring.
An odd but enjoyable quick short read one where they're trying to find out why there belongings are going missing only to find out they have been throwing the objects out themselves.
Pros
Good story and basic one to follow.
Decent character build.
Cons
A bit odd though the concept was a little boring.
November 4, 2017
Sweet, but Sappy and Predictable
I was vaguely impressed with the beginning, but in the end it proved too moralistic and underdeveloped for my taste. I understand that it's a short story and that makes character development challenging, but I was still left unsatisfied.
I was vaguely impressed with the beginning, but in the end it proved too moralistic and underdeveloped for my taste. I understand that it's a short story and that makes character development challenging, but I was still left unsatisfied.
January 25, 2019
I thought this was a fairly good short story. An old woman has taken it upon herself to be the watchful eye of the community and is unsettled by a string of petty thefts. The lady is nothing more than a mild bigoted, busybody. She quickly deduces the culprit of the crimes to be her next door neighbor because of his strange tendency to collect trash from everyone's bins on trash day. The story is a quick, straight forward read that will surely leaving you with a warm fuzzy feeling. I would delight in reading another quick read from this author.
May 30, 2021
A nice short read.
Did not like the use of the word retard in regards to a character. But if you need a quick read while waiting for an appointment or in line, then this will definitely do the trick.
Did not like the use of the word retard in regards to a character. But if you need a quick read while waiting for an appointment or in line, then this will definitely do the trick.
November 21, 2022
Excellent quick read.
This story is so well written with colorful characters. The authors detailed descriptions on every page are so fresh, and exciting. I couldn’t stop till the end.
This story is so well written with colorful characters. The authors detailed descriptions on every page are so fresh, and exciting. I couldn’t stop till the end.
May 28, 2017
Lydia was a tough character to chew and in the end Dale won everyone over. Not at all disappointed with the outcome. Great read.
December 27, 2017
One Mans Trash ... turns out to be their treasure.
Nice short story about what ones trash can mean and who it takes to show them where trash becomes treasure.
Nice short story about what ones trash can mean and who it takes to show them where trash becomes treasure.
December 30, 2017
At first I was offended by the plaint prejudice at every turn, but I think there was redemption in the end.
February 25, 2018
Good short story.
It was a good short story. I kinda figured out before the residents did, it was kind of obvious at who stole the items.
It was a good short story. I kinda figured out before the residents did, it was kind of obvious at who stole the items.
August 10, 2018
Just ok
November 9, 2019
A nice, quick read that had a heartwarming ending
December 31, 2019
A teachable moment.
February 9, 2020
quick book to read. Needed it for my 19 book challenge but I couldn't get it to download on my Kindle so it's on my 2020 challenge.
November 25, 2020
Another short read. Had a good moral that was realized at the end.
February 25, 2021
Very enjoyable book.
As an avid reader I like variety and short stories. This short book was totally amazing and enjoyable. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
As an avid reader I like variety and short stories. This short book was totally amazing and enjoyable. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
April 4, 2023
Cute little short story!
June 8, 2018
Wow! For such a short story, this packs a powerful, heartwarming message.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews