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THUGLIT Issue 11
THE BEST DAMN CRIME FICTION MAGAZINE IS BACK with eight new tales of literary mayhem.
SOUNDING by Matthew McBride
BLACK PEARLS by Jessica Adams
DINNER RUSH by Angel Luis Colón
A BOTTLE OF SCOTCH AND A SHARP BUCK KNIFE by Scott Grand
A PLEA BARGAIN TO PURGATORY by Kenneth Levine
LARRY'S PROPOSAL by Michael Cebula
OFRENDA by J. David Gonzalez
192 OVER 110 by Max Sheridan
SOUNDING by Matthew McBride
BLACK PEARLS by Jessica Adams
DINNER RUSH by Angel Luis Colón
A BOTTLE OF SCOTCH AND A SHARP BUCK KNIFE by Scott Grand
A PLEA BARGAIN TO PURGATORY by Kenneth Levine
LARRY'S PROPOSAL by Michael Cebula
OFRENDA by J. David Gonzalez
192 OVER 110 by Max Sheridan
- GenresShort StoriesCrime
150 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2014
15 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 10, 2019
There are eight more tales from the dark grimy side of life packed in this thin electronic volume.
Story one is Sounding by Matthew McBride. It starts out as one of the surefire strangest tales you ever heard with a former prison guard rattling on about how guys smuggled the strangest stuff in their body orifices, all as a prelude to a story about smuggling across the border. In the hands of a lesser writer, this would be pure dreck, but the writer has a great voice and you think that you're just listening to some guy at the bar.
Story two is Black Pearls by Jessica Adams takes the reader on a journey to the South Pacific where the pearl fields are. It's not exactly gritty crime fiction, but it is a smooth-reading piece.
Dinner Rush by Angel Luis Colon is the next selection and is a story about exotic dishes and guys making offers you can't refuse.
A Bottle of Scotch And A Sharp Buck-knife by Scott Grand is a treat. Sort of a Norman Rockwell painting with a bucket of pain thrown on it. It's a story of young kids speeding around on ten speeds and shooting the crap with each other. It's also a story about lessons learned about how to deal with problems. Told in the first person by a ten year old on his ten speed somewhere in way Northern California where Redding is considered a big town.
Purgatory by Kenneth Levine is a different take on a hitman story. At first, it seems like a Quarry story but there's a twist, an unusual twist.
Larry's Proposal by Michael Cebola is just a story about sibling competition and the difficulties that ensue.
Ofrenda by J David Gonzalez is a story that takes place in Little Havana and kind of leaves you with your mouth hanging open.
192 over 110 by Max Sheridan. From the opening sentence, this is the real stuff: "When I say it all started with a woman, understand that it was my wife who started it." And later, the narrator explains that, when he looks at his face, he "didn't see a place where real happiness belonged." Instead, he sees a man "buried in wet sand from the neck down waiting for the high tide to roll in." This bitter tale may be the best of the lot.
Story one is Sounding by Matthew McBride. It starts out as one of the surefire strangest tales you ever heard with a former prison guard rattling on about how guys smuggled the strangest stuff in their body orifices, all as a prelude to a story about smuggling across the border. In the hands of a lesser writer, this would be pure dreck, but the writer has a great voice and you think that you're just listening to some guy at the bar.
Story two is Black Pearls by Jessica Adams takes the reader on a journey to the South Pacific where the pearl fields are. It's not exactly gritty crime fiction, but it is a smooth-reading piece.
Dinner Rush by Angel Luis Colon is the next selection and is a story about exotic dishes and guys making offers you can't refuse.
A Bottle of Scotch And A Sharp Buck-knife by Scott Grand is a treat. Sort of a Norman Rockwell painting with a bucket of pain thrown on it. It's a story of young kids speeding around on ten speeds and shooting the crap with each other. It's also a story about lessons learned about how to deal with problems. Told in the first person by a ten year old on his ten speed somewhere in way Northern California where Redding is considered a big town.
Purgatory by Kenneth Levine is a different take on a hitman story. At first, it seems like a Quarry story but there's a twist, an unusual twist.
Larry's Proposal by Michael Cebola is just a story about sibling competition and the difficulties that ensue.
Ofrenda by J David Gonzalez is a story that takes place in Little Havana and kind of leaves you with your mouth hanging open.
192 over 110 by Max Sheridan. From the opening sentence, this is the real stuff: "When I say it all started with a woman, understand that it was my wife who started it." And later, the narrator explains that, when he looks at his face, he "didn't see a place where real happiness belonged." Instead, he sees a man "buried in wet sand from the neck down waiting for the high tide to roll in." This bitter tale may be the best of the lot.
July 4, 2014
I'm going to come right out and say it: This is the best single issue of a crime magazine that I've read. Thuglit is always excellent, but Issue 11 is about perfect, right down to the artful formatting and cover--and that there isn't a single proofreading error. (All of this is testament to the work of editors Todd Robinson, Allison Glasgow, and Julie McCarron.)
This was one of six books I ordered that were waiting for me when I returned to the States. That's a pretty exclusive list--the vast majority of my reading material is electronic because I live in India and the (English language) crime fiction available on the subcontinent is limited.
Anyway, this one was just a joy to read. While Thuglit consistently publishes strong work, every story in here is memorable.
Matthew McBride opens with the disturbing, graphic, and tight-as-a-fucking drum "Sounding." I've long been a fan of McBride's straight forward style and can't wait to read his new book, A Swollen Red Sun.
Another favorite is Angel Luis Colón's "Dinner Rush," about a chef trying to maintain his vision despite the moron he works with. Colón has quickly established himself on the crime fiction scene--I'm interested in whatever he's writing. Same goes for Jessica Adams, who has a wonderful, original entry in "Black Pearls."
I also really dug Scott Grand's " A Bottle of Scotch and a Buck Knife." Writing from a kid's perspective is challenging--especially in a crime story--but Grand pulls it off, crafting a believable and compelling story about friendship, tradition, and justice.
But I could have written about any story in this issue--it's that good. I strongly recommend that you not only buy, read, and love this issue, but that you get it in print.
This was one of six books I ordered that were waiting for me when I returned to the States. That's a pretty exclusive list--the vast majority of my reading material is electronic because I live in India and the (English language) crime fiction available on the subcontinent is limited.
Anyway, this one was just a joy to read. While Thuglit consistently publishes strong work, every story in here is memorable.
Matthew McBride opens with the disturbing, graphic, and tight-as-a-fucking drum "Sounding." I've long been a fan of McBride's straight forward style and can't wait to read his new book, A Swollen Red Sun.
Another favorite is Angel Luis Colón's "Dinner Rush," about a chef trying to maintain his vision despite the moron he works with. Colón has quickly established himself on the crime fiction scene--I'm interested in whatever he's writing. Same goes for Jessica Adams, who has a wonderful, original entry in "Black Pearls."
I also really dug Scott Grand's " A Bottle of Scotch and a Buck Knife." Writing from a kid's perspective is challenging--especially in a crime story--but Grand pulls it off, crafting a believable and compelling story about friendship, tradition, and justice.
But I could have written about any story in this issue--it's that good. I strongly recommend that you not only buy, read, and love this issue, but that you get it in print.
May 26, 2014
Another good collection of noir
Hey! This one had a story where one of the characters wasn't another bad guy! Is Thuglit going soft?
Ah. Probably not!
Hey! This one had a story where one of the characters wasn't another bad guy! Is Thuglit going soft?
Ah. Probably not!
July 18, 2014
Thuglit is simply one of the best Hard-Boiled Crime anthologies around. Consisting of 8 killer crime-fiction stories that are written with authority, starting with SOUNDING by Matthew McBride, a comical story about smuggling that delivers a gritty dose of danger and mayhem. It is a perfect opener to this highly regarded anthology. Other standout stories include A BOTTLE OF SCOTCH AND A SHARP BUCK KNIFE by Scott Grand, and 192 OVER 110 by Max Sheridan- they are all gems actually. The writing is top-notch, with a dose of humor at times to counter the violent nature of the majority of the tales. I read this in Kindle Edition, which I was able to Steal at 0.99 cents! You can find the print edition for around $6. Which ever format you choose, I swear to you that you will be hooked!
May 16, 2014
Yeah, yeah. I've got a conflict of interest here. Still, there are plenty of stories in the newest issue of Thuglit that are just pure fantastic. The opening line of Matthew McBride's piece, 'Sounding', alone is worth the price of admission. Yeesh.
Fried gold, folks.
Also, I'm in it.
Enjoy!
Fried gold, folks.
Also, I'm in it.
Enjoy!
February 8, 2018
The stories were all well-written but nothing here blew me away.
September 3, 2019
First half was great—really good stories. Second half I didn’t like as much.
May 31, 2014
Good stories, as always. Just long enough.
December 19, 2017
A great collection of solid noir stories. With a sleek minimalist design throughout.
December 28, 2025
Issue 11 is full of great writing and stories. The whole series is constantly fantastic.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews