Mean Streaks: Three Short Mysteries

by Kimberly G. Giarratano

Maxine’s high-school bully overdoses on heroin. Amber’s dream vacation to Mexico ends with a body on the beach. And Carrie is invited to a sweet sixteen party where the guest of honor is found strangled to death. Three stories. Three girls. Three murders.

79 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2018

About the author

Kimberly Giarratano is an author of mysteries for teens and adults. Her debut novel, Grunge Gods and Graveyards, won the 2015 Silver Falchion Award for Best YA at Killer Nashville. A former librarian, she is currently an instructor at a SUNY Orange County and the chapter liaison for Sisters in Crime. Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Kim and her husband moved to the Poconos to raise their three kids amid black bears and wild turkeys. While she doesn’t miss the Jersey traffic, she does miss a good bagel and lox.

Reviews

[Sky]

I am very impressed with how well the author has jam packed 3 full stories into less than 100 pages! Every story felt complete. The storytelling was amazing. I was captavated from the very start and couldnt put it down until the story was over. Each one sucked you in and felt realistic. Each story was great. These could have been great full length novels, but surprisingly I think being short was to the advantage! Everything unraveled so quickly it made for a bigger suprise at the end. I am blown away by how well this was written in such few pages. I felt very satisfied at the end of each short story. Kim can really pack a punch with very few words. 👏 A+.

*I recieved an arc copy for free from the author. Of course all thoughts are my own*

[Geo]

I received a free copy for an honest review. Wow, it was like reading three scenes from CSI. I definitely didn't see the first one coming. The second one seemed obvious. And the third one was sooo dramatic with equal parts of obviousness and I didn't see that coming. All in all, they're really good shorts and are good for anybody who wants a quick read and likes murder-mysteries.

[C.C. Campaign]

**Disclaimer - I received an ARC copy via the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my review in any way.**

There is nothing like a quick Thriller anthology to read by a bonfire in the middle of a warm summer night. Each of these three stories left me wanting more information, more depth, just...more.

Story 1: The Quickest Path

High school is never easy, regardless of how you paint it or believe it is. Maxine Goldfarb knows how it is, especially when you are being bullied by Brent, one of the school's most popular football players. When she stumbles across his body in the middle of the woods, questions arise. What happened to him? Was it an accident or something more sinister?

This particular story is my favorite out of the three. The end result sneaks up on you pretty quickly. My mouth completely dropped discovering the truth behind Brent's death. All I will say is, pay attention to the information you are given. Maybe, just maybe, you'll figure it out.

Story 2: Welcome to Paradise

Vacation. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to escape the craziness of working, college, or need a break in general from life? Amber Fishman goes on vacation with her family in Mexico for Spring Break. While relaxing by the pool, she befriends Julienne and ends up partying with her on the beach later that night. The more time she spends with Julienne, though, she notices something is a little off about her. The next day a body is discovered where they were partying. The body of a boy Julienne was rumored to be involved with. Did she have something to do with it and is Amber in danger?

This story wasn't as deep as the previous one. I understood why certain events occurred in the first story, but the second one felt rushed and it left me very confused. I re-read it just in case I missed something. It didn't matter, it needed more descriptions, background, and explanation for what happened.

Story 3: Peach Party Dress

Rebecca Green is used to being the outsider in her school. When she received an invitation to Melissa Gunner's Sweet Sixteenth birthday party, she wondered what is the true intentions after their falling out not long ago. Not long ago, there was a hit-and-run involving their classmate Teddy, leaving him unresponsive in a coma. Rebecca encounters Melissa during the party and gets in a slight altercation which leads to many accusing her of murder after Melissa's body was discovered. 

This story has various suspects as to who murdered Melissa. The possibilities are endless. Imagine Clue set with teenagers and Riverdale-style drama. And the ending? AHHHHHHHH *Positive Screaming*

Definitely try this anthology out if you need something quick or aching to add to your Thriller collection!