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Passport to Murder: Bouchercon Anthology 2017
Janet Hutchings, Chris Grabenstein, Gary Phillips, and Hilary Davidson headline a new world tour anthology of 22 stories from the heartland of America to Italy, Japan, Mexico, Cuba, England, and more.
Passport to Murder is published in conjunction with Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, held in 2017 in Toronto, Ontario. As with the convention itself, the anthology spreads a broad canopy across a wide variety of crime writers from across the country and around the world—including both veteran writers and the brightest up-and-coming talents in the field. All of the stories include some kind of travel ranging from a cross-America ride-sharing trip to tourists in Italy and Japan to a woman on the run in Mexico to murder in Cuba. And even a haunted hotel in Toronto.
Edited by John McFetridge. Stories by Eric Beckstrom, Michael Bracken, Craig Faustus Buck, Susan Calder, Hilary Davidson, Michael Dymmoch, John Floyd, Chris Grabenstein, Marie Hannan-Mandel, Janet Hutchings, Marilyn Kay, Su Kopil, Rosemary McCracken, Tanis Mallow, LD Masterson, Gary Phillips, Karen Pullen, KM Rockwood, Scott Loring Sanders, Shawn Reilly Simmons, John Stickney, and Victoria Weisfeld.
Passport to Murder is published in conjunction with Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, held in 2017 in Toronto, Ontario. As with the convention itself, the anthology spreads a broad canopy across a wide variety of crime writers from across the country and around the world—including both veteran writers and the brightest up-and-coming talents in the field. All of the stories include some kind of travel ranging from a cross-America ride-sharing trip to tourists in Italy and Japan to a woman on the run in Mexico to murder in Cuba. And even a haunted hotel in Toronto.
Edited by John McFetridge. Stories by Eric Beckstrom, Michael Bracken, Craig Faustus Buck, Susan Calder, Hilary Davidson, Michael Dymmoch, John Floyd, Chris Grabenstein, Marie Hannan-Mandel, Janet Hutchings, Marilyn Kay, Su Kopil, Rosemary McCracken, Tanis Mallow, LD Masterson, Gary Phillips, Karen Pullen, KM Rockwood, Scott Loring Sanders, Shawn Reilly Simmons, John Stickney, and Victoria Weisfeld.
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Published October 12, 2017
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About the author
John McFetridge
31 books136 followersOn the back of my books it says:
John McFetridge, author of Dirty Sweet and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, became fascinated with crime when attending a murder trial at age twelve with his police officer brother. McFetridge has co-written a short story collection, Below the Line. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.
John McFetridge, author of Dirty Sweet and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, became fascinated with crime when attending a murder trial at age twelve with his police officer brother. McFetridge has co-written a short story collection, Below the Line. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 11, 2018
In the introduction to Bouchercon’s 2017 anthology PASSPORT TO MURDER, editor John McFetridge noted in his call for submissions that they were looking for stories that contain “actual travel or the desire to travel with or without passports” as well as a “strong suggestion of murder or a desire to commit murder”. What we’re left with is a fairly solid collection of twenty-two stories showcasing desire, death and murder most foul.
I know, I know.. I’m late reviewing this one. Bouchercon was in October of last year! Why am I so slow? Listen, I grabbed nearly three dozen books last fall from the convention, it’s going to take me some time to get through them. Give me a break.
OK, now that I’ve got that out of the way – on to the review. I didn’t enjoy every story in the collection, but that’s pretty commonplace with anthologies; stories that are designed to be quick reads, so you can quickly forget ones that didn’t work for you and move onto the next after a few short pages. That said, there are some great stories in here: THE DEAD by Scott Loring Sanders, HERE TO STAY by Tanis Mallow, AS YE SOW by Craig Faustus Buck, and DIRTY LAUNDRY by Marie Hannan-Mandel. I also enjoyed THE QUEEN-SIZE BED by Rosemary McCracken which contained four characters from the Ottawa area, so it was interesting to see real-life places I recognize in a story.
The great thing about this anthology – as well as anthologies from years past – is that each story is donated by the author and proceeds from book sales are contributed to a charity of the convention’s choice. In 2017, it was Frontier College, an organization that aims to improve literacy levels in Canada by providing education to those who seek assistance with their learning and have been overlooked or left behind by the formal educational system.Sadly, I won’t be attending Bouchercon in 2018, but based on my enjoyment of this collection, I might look at grabbing this year’s anthology. It’s entertainment for a good cause!
I know, I know.. I’m late reviewing this one. Bouchercon was in October of last year! Why am I so slow? Listen, I grabbed nearly three dozen books last fall from the convention, it’s going to take me some time to get through them. Give me a break.
OK, now that I’ve got that out of the way – on to the review. I didn’t enjoy every story in the collection, but that’s pretty commonplace with anthologies; stories that are designed to be quick reads, so you can quickly forget ones that didn’t work for you and move onto the next after a few short pages. That said, there are some great stories in here: THE DEAD by Scott Loring Sanders, HERE TO STAY by Tanis Mallow, AS YE SOW by Craig Faustus Buck, and DIRTY LAUNDRY by Marie Hannan-Mandel. I also enjoyed THE QUEEN-SIZE BED by Rosemary McCracken which contained four characters from the Ottawa area, so it was interesting to see real-life places I recognize in a story.
The great thing about this anthology – as well as anthologies from years past – is that each story is donated by the author and proceeds from book sales are contributed to a charity of the convention’s choice. In 2017, it was Frontier College, an organization that aims to improve literacy levels in Canada by providing education to those who seek assistance with their learning and have been overlooked or left behind by the formal educational system.Sadly, I won’t be attending Bouchercon in 2018, but based on my enjoyment of this collection, I might look at grabbing this year’s anthology. It’s entertainment for a good cause!
February 19, 2018
A fairly strong collection of short crime fiction, with all proceeds, including the authors, to benefit Frontier College, a Canadian literary initiative. While I enjoyed most, if not all, of the collection, my favorite stories in this anthology included the unusual DIRTY LAUNDRY by Marie Hannan-Mandell, John Floyd's LIFE IS GOOD, Marilyn Kaye's thought-provoking JOURNEY INTO THE DARK, and Chris Grabenstein's entertaining YA read, THE HAUNTED HOTEL.
Somewhat off-putting was the ego-driven introduction by John McFetridge, who, instead of taking the high road by introducing the stories and authors and volunteers behind the scene (in the fashion of consummate gentleman Art Taylor--Murder under the Oaks, Bouchercon 2015 anthology -- and those B'con anthology editors before and after Taylor), chose to include his own, previously unpublished, short story.
McFetridge's faux pas aside, this is a collection well worth reading, and supporting charity at the same time is an added bonus!
Somewhat off-putting was the ego-driven introduction by John McFetridge, who, instead of taking the high road by introducing the stories and authors and volunteers behind the scene (in the fashion of consummate gentleman Art Taylor--Murder under the Oaks, Bouchercon 2015 anthology -- and those B'con anthology editors before and after Taylor), chose to include his own, previously unpublished, short story.
McFetridge's faux pas aside, this is a collection well worth reading, and supporting charity at the same time is an added bonus!
November 10, 2023
Passport to Murder
A series of stories about grubby people performing half-baked, poorly thought out actions which usually result in jail or worse. Humanity seen, not at its worse, but rather at its most desperate. Poverty, illiteracy, desperation, and a sort of twisted hope that somehow life will improve are the fuel which propel these people through their days. Most of them fail, not spectacularly, but rather dismally...clutching at some illusion even as they realize they have been betrayed by life and must suffer the consequences.
Not recommended.
A series of stories about grubby people performing half-baked, poorly thought out actions which usually result in jail or worse. Humanity seen, not at its worse, but rather at its most desperate. Poverty, illiteracy, desperation, and a sort of twisted hope that somehow life will improve are the fuel which propel these people through their days. Most of them fail, not spectacularly, but rather dismally...clutching at some illusion even as they realize they have been betrayed by life and must suffer the consequences.
Not recommended.
May 7, 2018
If you are looking for a series of quick tales dealing with murder and travel, you picked the right book. As with any anthology, your enjoyment will differ from story to story. Just remember, not all tales need to be told from the viewpoint of the murder, but most of these are so told. Enjoy at your own risk.
January 19, 2024
So many brilliant stories!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews