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Lives of Crimes
John Scheck’s Lives of Crimes is a darkly compelling collection that examines how crime and punishment ripple through families and friendships. Moving from the bleak shadows of noir to the unlikely humor found in breaking the law, these stories peel back the layers of ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations, some of their own making, others born of proximity and bad luck.
From a young man who uproots his life to visit his brother in a federal prison, to a gambler betting everything on impossible odds, to a weary guard discovering he’s no freer than the men he oversees, Scheck reveals the human pulse beneath violence and retribution, the loyalty, fear, and fragile hope that survive in even the most hostile surroundings.
From a young man who uproots his life to visit his brother in a federal prison, to a gambler betting everything on impossible odds, to a weary guard discovering he’s no freer than the men he oversees, Scheck reveals the human pulse beneath violence and retribution, the loyalty, fear, and fragile hope that survive in even the most hostile surroundings.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2025
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About the author
John Scheck
6 books17 followershttps://www.instagram.com/johnscheck_...
https://johnscheck.blogspot.com/
John Scheck has lived in four countries on three continents. In no particular order, these include eight years in Lower Queen Anne in Seattle; the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru, during a university program; the Glyfada area of greater Athens, Greece, as part of his short and distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force; and now the Ruzafa neighborhood in sunny Valencia, Spain, is home.
His humor essays have appeared on several websites and magazines, as well as National Lampoon's Not Fit for Print. He writes crime fiction and other stuff.
https://johnscheck.blogspot.com/
https://johnscheck.blogspot.com/
John Scheck has lived in four countries on three continents. In no particular order, these include eight years in Lower Queen Anne in Seattle; the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru, during a university program; the Glyfada area of greater Athens, Greece, as part of his short and distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force; and now the Ruzafa neighborhood in sunny Valencia, Spain, is home.
His humor essays have appeared on several websites and magazines, as well as National Lampoon's Not Fit for Print. He writes crime fiction and other stuff.
https://johnscheck.blogspot.com/
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 7, 2025
“The way we’s all brought up is pretty much a crap shoot as to how we’s gonna turn out in the end.”
Great collection of short stories where the recurring theme is you guess it, lives of crime. While the theme is the same the stories are quite different, ranging from the dark and serious to the quite humorous, with interesting characters ranging from the hardened criminal, to a fatherless fifteen year old car thief paying his mother's bills. I enjoyed all the stories but my favorites were Visiting Day, Deep in the Count, Betting Man’s Judgement Day, Trunk Reflections, and Crime Family.
Great collection of short stories where the recurring theme is you guess it, lives of crime. While the theme is the same the stories are quite different, ranging from the dark and serious to the quite humorous, with interesting characters ranging from the hardened criminal, to a fatherless fifteen year old car thief paying his mother's bills. I enjoyed all the stories but my favorites were Visiting Day, Deep in the Count, Betting Man’s Judgement Day, Trunk Reflections, and Crime Family.
December 3, 2025
First book of December is a five star collection of short stories from my friend John Scheck in Spain.
Lives of Crime is an apt title of these tales of how to get involved and sometimes how to get away from crime. I am so glad that I found this author or if it was he who found me? After a few years my memory is hazy. This is a great storyteller that I will recommend that you try. He always bring a new twist to his stories and they are really well told. I love it when an author can bring a fresh take on stuff. It is impressive after all these years with printing books. It shows that there is hope for mankind. I can also recommend that you look into his other works since they also are filled with many hours of fun reading. I must thank John for supplying me with these adventures that gives me an escape from the daily grind.
Lives of Crime is an apt title of these tales of how to get involved and sometimes how to get away from crime. I am so glad that I found this author or if it was he who found me? After a few years my memory is hazy. This is a great storyteller that I will recommend that you try. He always bring a new twist to his stories and they are really well told. I love it when an author can bring a fresh take on stuff. It is impressive after all these years with printing books. It shows that there is hope for mankind. I can also recommend that you look into his other works since they also are filled with many hours of fun reading. I must thank John for supplying me with these adventures that gives me an escape from the daily grind.
December 23, 2025
This collection shows a writer who is most effective in the short story form. The brief pieces - such as Deep in the Count, Early Release, and Trunk Reflections - are tightly constructed, confident in their pacing, and driven by situation rather than explanation. When the focus is narrow, the writing gains momentum, and the stories unfold with clarity and tension.
By contrast, the longer pieces - Graveyard Shift, for example - depend more on exposition and commentary, which tends to soften their impact. There is an impulse to explain motivations, systems, or moral positions, where simply showing what is happening would carry greater force.
At its best, the collection demonstrates strong narrative instincts and a clear sense of structure. The shorter stories, in particular, suggest a writer who trusts the reader and allows meaning to emerge organically. These are the pieces that linger most.
Overall, even if uneven, the collection is promising, with the strongest work found where the storytelling is most restrained.
By contrast, the longer pieces - Graveyard Shift, for example - depend more on exposition and commentary, which tends to soften their impact. There is an impulse to explain motivations, systems, or moral positions, where simply showing what is happening would carry greater force.
At its best, the collection demonstrates strong narrative instincts and a clear sense of structure. The shorter stories, in particular, suggest a writer who trusts the reader and allows meaning to emerge organically. These are the pieces that linger most.
Overall, even if uneven, the collection is promising, with the strongest work found where the storytelling is most restrained.
November 14, 2025
Loved this collection of stories. Noir at its best. John Scheck writes believable and interesting characters in life situations that I hope never to experience, but through his writing style you find yourself fully transported into their experiences. Not too gruesome, and laced with a bit of humor from time to time, I highly recommend this book.
October 30, 2025
Alternates between longer stories—some verging on novellas—and flash fiction pieces you can read over a few sips of coffee. The tone of each story is quite different, with everything from noir stuff, to humor, to something the Disney Channel could adapt.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews