Switchblade: Issue 8

Switchblade #8

by A.B. Patterson, Danny Sophabmisay, Nick Manzolillo

It’s never just about taking a shot...This is the eighth issue in the Switchblade Outlaw Fiction anthology. Featuring Seven Switchblade Veterans, as well as some brand new players you ought to know. Featuring the poetry of Doug Knott, and fourteen no-luck tales from the dark corners of some of the most cutting edge criminal minds. Noir from the fringe—each of the stories in this volume offer one thing for sure: it doesn’t matter how strong your game is, or whether you run the table. Sooner or later, you’re going to end up behind the eight ball.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2019

About the author

A. B. Patterson is an Australian writer who knows first-hand about corruption, power, crime and sex. He was a Detective Sergeant in the WA Police, working in paedophilia and vice, and later was a Chief Investigator with the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption.

In 2015 he published his debut crime novel, "Harry's World". The sequel, "Harry's Quest", was published in 2018. The third novel, "Harry's Grail", arrived in 2025. He has also had short crime fiction published in the US, in "Switchblade", "Econoclash Review" and 'Pulp Modern". In 2020 he published his first collection of short stories, "Harry Kenmare, PI - At Your Service". He has also had a novella published in 2024 by Uncle B. Publications, "Jasper: The Gloves Are Off".

Reviews

[Suz Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Switchblade’s latest issue features the kind of great noir characters that always seem to be behind the eight ball, making for great conflict-ridden reads.

My favorites in this issue include EF Sweeney’s “Dead Dog,” a story of manipulation and negotiation, Chris McGinley’s “A Queen’s Burial” that shows that not only do old dogs have tricks, so do cats, Michael Guillebeau’s “Saint Monster’s” about an orphan with an attitude and street smarts, and AB Patterson’s “Wankers,” which takes Harry Kenmare to a peep show business called ‘Voyeurs and Vixens.’

[Matthew X Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scotch Rutherford continues to pull together some of the most distinctive voices in indie noir at the moment and Switchblade 8 is no exception. Whether its a crooked cop looking out for a friend in Andrew Miller's "Champagne and Bacon" or a hitman on the way out in Jack Bate's "Quivers," Switchblade continues to deliver razor-sharp fiction.
In addition to the two stories previously mentioned, E.F. Sweeney's story "Dead Dog" about two men and the woman they have in common, Chris McGinley's Applachia noir "Burial of a Queen", and Philip Brown's surprisingly empathetic "Today, I Got You" stood out as highlights in an otherwise great issue.