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Playing Games
WIN, LOSE, OR DIE.
Whether it’s child’s play or for the highest stakes, whether we stick to the rules or cheat, we all play games — for fun, for thrills, for love or money, to prove we’re the best or make an opponent knuckle under. And the games we play, with cards or dice or nothing but our wits, reveal something deeply personal about the players.
In this powerful new anthology, Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Lawrence Block has assembled an all-star team for the ultimate game night. Sit down at the checkerboard with S.A. Cosby, assemble jigsaw puzzles with David Morrell, or play marbles for the fate of the world with Joe R. Lansdale. In Jeffery Deaver’s hands, an innocent game of Candyland takes twists the Parker Brothers could never have imagined. Science-fiction grandmaster Robert Silverberg uncovers painful truths about destiny while betting on the turtle races in a Caribbean resort. And Lawrence Block himself out-Hitchcocks Hitchcock with his classic story of murder victims swapped by strangers on a handball court.
From hide-and-seek to Russian roulette, from mahjong to Mouse Trap, it’s a game lover’s dream — but your turn is coming, and while winning isn’t everything, sometimes losing can be deadly…
And here's the starred review from Publishers
One of the most impressive of the 17 crime stories involving games in this stellar anthology from MWA Grand Master Block (In Sunlight or in Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper) is Block’s own “Strangers on a Handball Court.” It riffs on Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, as the title suggests, and provides a wholly fair plot with a gut-wrenching surprise. Even knowing that multiple twists are coming doesn’t negate their impact in Jeffery Deaver’s devious “The Babysitter,” which opens with a classic the innocent everyperson who stumbles on a deadly secret. When the charges of 17-year-old Kelli Lambert get bored playing Candy Land, Kelli’s search for another board game leads her into peril after the parents of the kids she’s watching suspect she’s spotted their secret plans to torch a casino so they can establish their own casino. David Morrell shines with the subtle and creepy “The Puzzle Master,” in which a couple become addicted to jigsaw puzzles by a particular artist, only to find potentially ominous clues linking disparate bucolic scenes. The wide range of stories and games in them begs for a sequel.
Whether it’s child’s play or for the highest stakes, whether we stick to the rules or cheat, we all play games — for fun, for thrills, for love or money, to prove we’re the best or make an opponent knuckle under. And the games we play, with cards or dice or nothing but our wits, reveal something deeply personal about the players.
In this powerful new anthology, Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Lawrence Block has assembled an all-star team for the ultimate game night. Sit down at the checkerboard with S.A. Cosby, assemble jigsaw puzzles with David Morrell, or play marbles for the fate of the world with Joe R. Lansdale. In Jeffery Deaver’s hands, an innocent game of Candyland takes twists the Parker Brothers could never have imagined. Science-fiction grandmaster Robert Silverberg uncovers painful truths about destiny while betting on the turtle races in a Caribbean resort. And Lawrence Block himself out-Hitchcocks Hitchcock with his classic story of murder victims swapped by strangers on a handball court.
From hide-and-seek to Russian roulette, from mahjong to Mouse Trap, it’s a game lover’s dream — but your turn is coming, and while winning isn’t everything, sometimes losing can be deadly…
And here's the starred review from Publishers
One of the most impressive of the 17 crime stories involving games in this stellar anthology from MWA Grand Master Block (In Sunlight or in Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper) is Block’s own “Strangers on a Handball Court.” It riffs on Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, as the title suggests, and provides a wholly fair plot with a gut-wrenching surprise. Even knowing that multiple twists are coming doesn’t negate their impact in Jeffery Deaver’s devious “The Babysitter,” which opens with a classic the innocent everyperson who stumbles on a deadly secret. When the charges of 17-year-old Kelli Lambert get bored playing Candy Land, Kelli’s search for another board game leads her into peril after the parents of the kids she’s watching suspect she’s spotted their secret plans to torch a casino so they can establish their own casino. David Morrell shines with the subtle and creepy “The Puzzle Master,” in which a couple become addicted to jigsaw puzzles by a particular artist, only to find potentially ominous clues linking disparate bucolic scenes. The wide range of stories and games in them begs for a sequel.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2023
13 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
767 books2,980 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 19, 2023
I slowly read a couple of stories at a time over the past two months. As with any short story collection from different writers, some stories are stronger than others.
My favorites:
Game Over-Charles Ardai
Paladin-Tod Goldberg
The Puzzle Master-David Morrell
Challenge Cube-Kevin Quigley
Chance-Wallace Stroby
"However good you get at playing a game, however long you manage to keep it up, eventually you lose."
-Charles Ardai
"My life is like a dream in a trashcan."
-Joe R. Lansdale
My favorites:
Game Over-Charles Ardai
Paladin-Tod Goldberg
The Puzzle Master-David Morrell
Challenge Cube-Kevin Quigley
Chance-Wallace Stroby
"However good you get at playing a game, however long you manage to keep it up, eventually you lose."
-Charles Ardai
"My life is like a dream in a trashcan."
-Joe R. Lansdale
Read
September 14, 2024I appreciate the variety of an anthology connected around a single eponymous theme. For the most part, games played an integral role in the story which I liked — the rare ones that didn’t were less satisfying to me.
My biggest takeaway is that many of the stories ended up being much more hard-boiled/crime-fiction than I anticipated. While many stories were action-filled and thrilling, to me there sometimes felt like a forced punchline — the author(s) knew how they wanted the story to progress and end, and prioritized exciting action and neatly-made ending twists over character description and emotional stakes.
The stories that I enjoyed most: “Psychiatrist,” “The Puzzle Master,” “Challenge Cube,” “A Tip on a Turtle,” “Red Billie,” “Game Over.”
My biggest takeaway is that many of the stories ended up being much more hard-boiled/crime-fiction than I anticipated. While many stories were action-filled and thrilling, to me there sometimes felt like a forced punchline — the author(s) knew how they wanted the story to progress and end, and prioritized exciting action and neatly-made ending twists over character description and emotional stakes.
The stories that I enjoyed most: “Psychiatrist,” “The Puzzle Master,” “Challenge Cube,” “A Tip on a Turtle,” “Red Billie,” “Game Over.”
October 17, 2023
Lawrence Block had an idea! Pick a game and write a story that incorporates that game. Easy enough to say,but not so easy to pull off. Some of the authors use the structure of the game as an integral part of the story. Others use it to bring characters together. While others only have it mentioned. As with any anthology, some stories are more enjoyable than others. For me I enjoyed Jeffrey Deaver's "The Babysitter," Elaube Kagan's "Two Norths, Two Souths, Two East, Two West, Two Reds, Two Whitess, and Two Greens, Avri Klemer's "A Crokinole Tale," Warren Moore's "Lightning Round," and David Morrell's "The Puzzle Master." Each story was different and I enjoyed them for different reasons. But Lawrence Block has done it again, he gor me to read another anthology!
January 7, 2023
“Playing Games” is a collection of mystery short stories edited by Lawrence Block, all of which have some sort of game as part of the story. We see everything from board games to party games to Russian roulette (!). As is usual in these types of collections, the quality of the stories varies, with some being outstanding while others not so much. And it seems like it was really a stretch to fit some of these stories in a mysteries collection.
“Seek and You Will Find,” by Patricia Abbott. A very weird story about an older lady sticking her nose into other people’s business, with poor consequences and a weird game of hide-and-seek. Not my favorite.
Next is “Game Over” by Charles Ardai. A boy gets falsely accused of stealing quarters from video games. A good tale.
“King’s Row,” by S. A. Cosby. A catatonic man in a care facility gets visited by an old friend with whom he used to play checkers is really about a fallout among thieves, one comes back looking for his cut. Enjoyable.
“The Babysitter” by Jeffrey Deaver was a tense thriller about a couple whose babysitter saw something she shouldn’t have, and now they hire a hitman to take the babysitter out. It turns the tables in unexpected ways.
“Paladin,” by Tod Goldberg had a Dungeons and Dragons aspect, a story about a missing boy and the consequences, small town secrets.
“Psychiatrist,” by Jane Hamilton has very little mystery to it, mostly a reminiscence of a party game gone wrong.
“Knock,” by James D. F. Hannah involves an ex-mafia guy in the witness protection program, dealing with a young podcaster who wants to know the truth. A very good short story.
“With the Right Bait,” by Gar Anthony Haywood involves murder for hire and Mousetrap, a fun combination.
“Two Norths, Two Souths, Two East, Two West, Two Reds, Two Whites, and Two Greens,” by Elaine Kagan visited four women who regularly played mahjong, and really had nothing to do with mystery or murder. A story that really didn’t fit in this collection.
“A Crokinole Tale,” by Avri Klemer is another story that really doesn’t fit the “mystery” theme, about a Canadian game that I have never heard of. A player talks about his history as a camp counselor trying to save a tree.
“Red Billie,” by Joe R. Lansdale is another example of a story that doesn’t really have a mystery aspect, more of a magical/mystical fantasy story. A strange girl comes to town who happens to be really good at shooting marbles. Good story but a bit out of the element here.
“Lightning Round,” by Warren Moore is about a weekly bar trivia contest with unexpected results.
“The Puzzle Master,” by David Morrell is another example of a nice story with very little mystery. A couple who likes doing puzzles realizes that a man is telling his life story through puzzles.
“Challenge Cube,” by Kevin Quigley. A grown man confronts his abusive father, with Boggle in the background.
“A Tip on a Turtle,” by Robert Silverberg. A stranger at a Caribbean hotel seems to have unbeatable luck in betting on the turtle races, as well as with the single ladies looking for love. One of these ladies realizes his secret.
“Chance” by Wallace Stroby is a great story, a tense look at a secret club where down-on-their-luck people play Russian Roulette to entertain rich weirdos. Every time you win a round you get $10,000, while the rich all place their bets on when you’ll die. A man finds his way into this tournament for a special reason.
Lawrence Block also contributes a story with “Strangers on a Handball Court”, a riff on the Strangers on a Train concept about two guys who meet on a public handball court, both have divorce problems that would go away if they could just eliminate a certain person. A fun twist at the end, a story from a great master.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Subterranean Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
“Seek and You Will Find,” by Patricia Abbott. A very weird story about an older lady sticking her nose into other people’s business, with poor consequences and a weird game of hide-and-seek. Not my favorite.
Next is “Game Over” by Charles Ardai. A boy gets falsely accused of stealing quarters from video games. A good tale.
“King’s Row,” by S. A. Cosby. A catatonic man in a care facility gets visited by an old friend with whom he used to play checkers is really about a fallout among thieves, one comes back looking for his cut. Enjoyable.
“The Babysitter” by Jeffrey Deaver was a tense thriller about a couple whose babysitter saw something she shouldn’t have, and now they hire a hitman to take the babysitter out. It turns the tables in unexpected ways.
“Paladin,” by Tod Goldberg had a Dungeons and Dragons aspect, a story about a missing boy and the consequences, small town secrets.
“Psychiatrist,” by Jane Hamilton has very little mystery to it, mostly a reminiscence of a party game gone wrong.
“Knock,” by James D. F. Hannah involves an ex-mafia guy in the witness protection program, dealing with a young podcaster who wants to know the truth. A very good short story.
“With the Right Bait,” by Gar Anthony Haywood involves murder for hire and Mousetrap, a fun combination.
“Two Norths, Two Souths, Two East, Two West, Two Reds, Two Whites, and Two Greens,” by Elaine Kagan visited four women who regularly played mahjong, and really had nothing to do with mystery or murder. A story that really didn’t fit in this collection.
“A Crokinole Tale,” by Avri Klemer is another story that really doesn’t fit the “mystery” theme, about a Canadian game that I have never heard of. A player talks about his history as a camp counselor trying to save a tree.
“Red Billie,” by Joe R. Lansdale is another example of a story that doesn’t really have a mystery aspect, more of a magical/mystical fantasy story. A strange girl comes to town who happens to be really good at shooting marbles. Good story but a bit out of the element here.
“Lightning Round,” by Warren Moore is about a weekly bar trivia contest with unexpected results.
“The Puzzle Master,” by David Morrell is another example of a nice story with very little mystery. A couple who likes doing puzzles realizes that a man is telling his life story through puzzles.
“Challenge Cube,” by Kevin Quigley. A grown man confronts his abusive father, with Boggle in the background.
“A Tip on a Turtle,” by Robert Silverberg. A stranger at a Caribbean hotel seems to have unbeatable luck in betting on the turtle races, as well as with the single ladies looking for love. One of these ladies realizes his secret.
“Chance” by Wallace Stroby is a great story, a tense look at a secret club where down-on-their-luck people play Russian Roulette to entertain rich weirdos. Every time you win a round you get $10,000, while the rich all place their bets on when you’ll die. A man finds his way into this tournament for a special reason.
Lawrence Block also contributes a story with “Strangers on a Handball Court”, a riff on the Strangers on a Train concept about two guys who meet on a public handball court, both have divorce problems that would go away if they could just eliminate a certain person. A fun twist at the end, a story from a great master.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Subterranean Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
January 12, 2023
BLURB: "From hide-and-seek to Russian roulette, from mahjong to Mouse Trap, it’s a game lover’s dream—but beware: your turn is coming, and while winning isn’t everything, sometimes losing can be deadly… "
Playing Games consists of sixteen all new short stories plus one bonus "classic" from Lawrence Block. Block, a Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster, has made a second career out of putting together these great anthology collections and he always manages to get some of the best writers in the business.
The subject for this one encompasses a wide range so, as one might expect, the stories run the gambit from "traditional" mystery to noir-ish crime fiction to more nuanced literary fiction in the mystery-of-life vein. I'm on the fence about several of these that are too far on the outside fringes of mystery/crime fiction for my personal taste; not bad just not for me.
The ones I really enjoyed, the standout 5-star stories, were: King's Row by S.A. Cosby (the game is Checkers), Paladin by Tod Goldberg (Dungeons and Dragons), Knock by James D. F. Hannah (Gin Rummy), With the Right Bait by Gar Anthony Haywood (Mouse Trap), Lightning Round by Warren Moore (Trivia/Trivial Pursuit), and Chance by Wallace Strody (Russian roulette). And as an additional (unintended) bonus I was introduced to the work of James D. F. Hannah which, in turn, led me to his Shamus award-winning Henry Malone mystery series.
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I have most of Mr. Block's previous anthologies but the enigmatic hodgepodge of stories in this collection is almost certain to have something for every reader.
Playing Games consists of sixteen all new short stories plus one bonus "classic" from Lawrence Block. Block, a Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster, has made a second career out of putting together these great anthology collections and he always manages to get some of the best writers in the business.
The subject for this one encompasses a wide range so, as one might expect, the stories run the gambit from "traditional" mystery to noir-ish crime fiction to more nuanced literary fiction in the mystery-of-life vein. I'm on the fence about several of these that are too far on the outside fringes of mystery/crime fiction for my personal taste; not bad just not for me.
The ones I really enjoyed, the standout 5-star stories, were: King's Row by S.A. Cosby (the game is Checkers), Paladin by Tod Goldberg (Dungeons and Dragons), Knock by James D. F. Hannah (Gin Rummy), With the Right Bait by Gar Anthony Haywood (Mouse Trap), Lightning Round by Warren Moore (Trivia/Trivial Pursuit), and Chance by Wallace Strody (Russian roulette). And as an additional (unintended) bonus I was introduced to the work of James D. F. Hannah which, in turn, led me to his Shamus award-winning Henry Malone mystery series.
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I have most of Mr. Block's previous anthologies but the enigmatic hodgepodge of stories in this collection is almost certain to have something for every reader.
January 6, 2023
When I had the opportunity to read Playing Games, I thought the book was a collection of short stories by Lawrence Block. Block has been a favorite writer of mine for many decades. However, with the exception of the final story, this is an anthology of short stories by authors other than Block. The stories all contain the element of a game being played in the story. Some are games I’ve never heard of, such as Psychiatrist and Crokinole, while other stories involve common games and activities such as marbles, checkers, and jigsaw puzzles.
As with any collection of stories, some are good, a few excellent, and a few not so good. This is of course subjective, but I found four of the stories excellent, seven stories that were not good at all, and the rest fell somewhere between the two extremes. Below is a brief summary of each story below and my rating for each story.
The book leads off with “Seek and You Will Find,” by Patricia Abbott. This story involves the ancient children’s game of hide and seek. While it has an element of mystery and horror at the end, overall, it missed the mark for me.
Next is “Game Over” by Charles Ardai. This was a good story involving the playing of video games. I enjoyed this story very much.
“King’s Row,” by S. A. Cosby was a decent story. This story involved the game of checkers and a seemingly comatose man. This story fell in the middle range for me; not great, but not bad either.
“The Babysitter,” by Jeffrey Deaver involved the children’s game of Candyland. It was a good story involving a murder with a twist ending you won’t see coming.
“Paladin,” by Tod Goldberg was a disappointing story. This story involved the game Dungeons and Dragons. I won’t go into any specifics so as not to spoil the ending, but I saw the ending very quickly. The supposed twist ending was evident early on. This was a very disappointing story.
“Psychiatrist,” by Jane Hamilton involved a game I have never heard of, called Psychiatrist. The game seemed pointless to me and due to its nature, can only be played once by the participants. If the story had been told from the perspective of the person trying to figure out the game, the story would have been better. But the story is told from the perspective of the game players, thus any suspense was removed. I failed to see the point in either this story or the dumb parlor game being played.
“Knock,” by James Hannah was one of the best stories in the collection. It involved the card game, Gin Rummy, and a man with a new identity in the Federal Witness Protection Program. This is a very good story.
“With the Right Bait,” by Gar Haywood, was another excellent story. This story revolved around the children’s game of Mousetrap. Who didn’t own that game as a kid? The Mousetrap game in the story covers three days and ends with a murder, but not as expected. I really enjoyed this story a lot.
Unfortunately, “Two Norths, Two Souths, Tow East, Two West, Two Reds, Two Whites, and Two Greens,” by Elaine Kagan was one of the most disappointing stories in the book. This story centered around the game of mahjong.
“A Crokinole Tale,” by Auri Kllemer was another poor story. It was a story of a tree at a summer camp where the narrator was a camp counselor. I failed to see the point of this story.
“Red Billie,” by Joe Lansdale, was an abject disaster of a story in my opinion. This story centered around a game of marbles and also involved a touch of magical realism, which I enjoy reading if written by an author sufficiently talented to pull it off. It appeared the author tried too hard to make the story work and forced the elements where there was no need to do so.
The story was filled with idiotic analogies such as “no more interest in that place than one might have in trying to give a rattlesnake a tonsillectomy with a pair of tweezers,” or “the air conditioner panted in the house like a dying dog, sucked that Freon as if with a straw, and “I might as well have gone into trying to catch cicada farts in a jar.” Many paragraphs were filled with phrases like this. One or two in a story is fine, but the author seemed to be forcing them in where they were not needed.
“Lightning Round,” by Warren Moore was one of the better stories in the book. This story revolves around a game of trivia played in a bar. The lady who operates the game used the questions to convey a message to one of the players regarding her abusive boyfriend. I really enjoyed this story.
“The Puzzle Master,” by David Morrell, while not the best of stories, was a touching story of a couple putting together a jigsaw puzzle that revealed the story of a man’s life told through the scenes depicted in a series of puzzles he created. As I said, this was a very touching and emotional story.
“Challenge Cube,” by Kevin Quigley centered around the game of Boggle. This story really missed the mark in my opinion. It is about a man who was challenged as a child by his dyslexia.
“A Tip on a Turtle,” in my opinion was the worst story in the collection for two reasons. First, the story was too long, way too long. Secondly, the actions of Nicholas were bizarre and failed to make sense. He could see the future, yet allowed himself to die when it was not necessary and served no purpose. The game involved in this story is gambling on turtle races.
“Chance,” by Wallace Stroby was one of the best stories in the book. It centered around a game of Russian Roulette in a club that plays the game on a regular basis. This story really engaged me and I did not see the ending coming at all. A very good story.
The final story by Lawrence Block was “Strangers on a Handball Court.” It ranked among the best in the book. I cannot reveal details about the story without spoiling the ending, but let me say it was an excellent story with a twist ending I failed to see coming.
Even though almost half of these stories were disappointing to me and only about half were good or excellent, overall, I have to give the collection 4 stars. The best stories in the book made up for the poorer stories. Despite having so many inadequate stories, I still recommend this book.
I want to thank Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
As with any collection of stories, some are good, a few excellent, and a few not so good. This is of course subjective, but I found four of the stories excellent, seven stories that were not good at all, and the rest fell somewhere between the two extremes. Below is a brief summary of each story below and my rating for each story.
The book leads off with “Seek and You Will Find,” by Patricia Abbott. This story involves the ancient children’s game of hide and seek. While it has an element of mystery and horror at the end, overall, it missed the mark for me.
Next is “Game Over” by Charles Ardai. This was a good story involving the playing of video games. I enjoyed this story very much.
“King’s Row,” by S. A. Cosby was a decent story. This story involved the game of checkers and a seemingly comatose man. This story fell in the middle range for me; not great, but not bad either.
“The Babysitter,” by Jeffrey Deaver involved the children’s game of Candyland. It was a good story involving a murder with a twist ending you won’t see coming.
“Paladin,” by Tod Goldberg was a disappointing story. This story involved the game Dungeons and Dragons. I won’t go into any specifics so as not to spoil the ending, but I saw the ending very quickly. The supposed twist ending was evident early on. This was a very disappointing story.
“Psychiatrist,” by Jane Hamilton involved a game I have never heard of, called Psychiatrist. The game seemed pointless to me and due to its nature, can only be played once by the participants. If the story had been told from the perspective of the person trying to figure out the game, the story would have been better. But the story is told from the perspective of the game players, thus any suspense was removed. I failed to see the point in either this story or the dumb parlor game being played.
“Knock,” by James Hannah was one of the best stories in the collection. It involved the card game, Gin Rummy, and a man with a new identity in the Federal Witness Protection Program. This is a very good story.
“With the Right Bait,” by Gar Haywood, was another excellent story. This story revolved around the children’s game of Mousetrap. Who didn’t own that game as a kid? The Mousetrap game in the story covers three days and ends with a murder, but not as expected. I really enjoyed this story a lot.
Unfortunately, “Two Norths, Two Souths, Tow East, Two West, Two Reds, Two Whites, and Two Greens,” by Elaine Kagan was one of the most disappointing stories in the book. This story centered around the game of mahjong.
“A Crokinole Tale,” by Auri Kllemer was another poor story. It was a story of a tree at a summer camp where the narrator was a camp counselor. I failed to see the point of this story.
“Red Billie,” by Joe Lansdale, was an abject disaster of a story in my opinion. This story centered around a game of marbles and also involved a touch of magical realism, which I enjoy reading if written by an author sufficiently talented to pull it off. It appeared the author tried too hard to make the story work and forced the elements where there was no need to do so.
The story was filled with idiotic analogies such as “no more interest in that place than one might have in trying to give a rattlesnake a tonsillectomy with a pair of tweezers,” or “the air conditioner panted in the house like a dying dog, sucked that Freon as if with a straw, and “I might as well have gone into trying to catch cicada farts in a jar.” Many paragraphs were filled with phrases like this. One or two in a story is fine, but the author seemed to be forcing them in where they were not needed.
“Lightning Round,” by Warren Moore was one of the better stories in the book. This story revolves around a game of trivia played in a bar. The lady who operates the game used the questions to convey a message to one of the players regarding her abusive boyfriend. I really enjoyed this story.
“The Puzzle Master,” by David Morrell, while not the best of stories, was a touching story of a couple putting together a jigsaw puzzle that revealed the story of a man’s life told through the scenes depicted in a series of puzzles he created. As I said, this was a very touching and emotional story.
“Challenge Cube,” by Kevin Quigley centered around the game of Boggle. This story really missed the mark in my opinion. It is about a man who was challenged as a child by his dyslexia.
“A Tip on a Turtle,” in my opinion was the worst story in the collection for two reasons. First, the story was too long, way too long. Secondly, the actions of Nicholas were bizarre and failed to make sense. He could see the future, yet allowed himself to die when it was not necessary and served no purpose. The game involved in this story is gambling on turtle races.
“Chance,” by Wallace Stroby was one of the best stories in the book. It centered around a game of Russian Roulette in a club that plays the game on a regular basis. This story really engaged me and I did not see the ending coming at all. A very good story.
The final story by Lawrence Block was “Strangers on a Handball Court.” It ranked among the best in the book. I cannot reveal details about the story without spoiling the ending, but let me say it was an excellent story with a twist ending I failed to see coming.
Even though almost half of these stories were disappointing to me and only about half were good or excellent, overall, I have to give the collection 4 stars. The best stories in the book made up for the poorer stories. Despite having so many inadequate stories, I still recommend this book.
I want to thank Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2025
When asked to recommend an author or genre, I usually recommend anthologies. A collection of short stories by authors of all skill levels, from new/debut authors to celebrity-level authors. Short stories are excellent measures of skill and talent. An author must grab a reader's attention and build the story and characters in fewer pages than most chapters. The books usually have a theme; this one is games, and the author is free to incorporate the theme into their story in their own style. As in all stories, some are better than others, but every one of them is a winner. I gift anthologies often. I also keep a couple of them so I can have something to read when I just have a few minutes or between titles. Anyway you look at it, an anthology is an excellent way to find new authors, or try out a new genre. This one is an excellent choice.
February 1, 2023
This collection of short stories has editor Lawrence Block picking mystery writers who use games as a catalyst for the action. Rarely is the game what the story is actually about. The games are used to explore characters, render vengeance, heighten mysterious connections and usually surprise the reader. The best stories veer off from the games and take the reader into the psychic pain or mission of the protagonist. Yes, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Stories enjoyed were by Charles Ardai, (video games), S. A. Cosby (checkers), Jeffrey Deaver (Candyland), and James D. F. Hannah (gin rummy). Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.
December 26, 2023
Not that this isn’t an interesting collection, but much of it was violent and crime based and I would prefer a more balanced collection. It is worth picking up if you like stories that tend to be grittier. I had a had time being able to tell the stories apart by author as they were very similar as a collective. Some stories do stick out in the mind long after reading.
April 14, 2025
read harder challenge 2025: pick a task from the 2015 read harder challenge to complete (read a collection of short stories)
fifty two book club challenge 2025: read a book related to the word "puzzle"
fifty two book club challenge 2025: read a book related to the word "puzzle"
November 18, 2022
Good stuff. A nice variety of stories and styles and authors. I didn't love all of the stories, but that's common. Overall, a great set of stories.
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
November 1, 2024
Nice stories, all well written. I enjoyed it.
September 17, 2023
Stories, not mysteries
1. Hide and seek. Meh
2. Video games. Meh
3. Checkers. Meh
4. Candyland. Good one.
5. Dungeons and Dragons. Story is unfinished.
6. Psychiatrist. Never heard of the game; cause & effect not clear
7. Gin Rummy. Meh
8. Mousetrap. Too obvious
9. Mahjong. Much is revealed
10. Crokinole. Watch a game on Youtube first. More interesting than the story.
11. Marbles. Heat Miser vs Cold Miser play for fate of the world
12. Trivia night. Seriously no other way?
13. Puzzles. A puzzle within a puzzle.
14. Boggle. A brutal game.
15. Turtle races. Could end only one way.
16. Russian Roulette. I am not reading this.
17. Handball. Iteration on classics with winks and nods.
Overall, a disappointment. Most of the stories read like late-night completion of writing class assignments with the prompt "Write a story featuring a game." The cover is awesome, though. I need to stop judging books by their covers because then I just expect too much.
1. Hide and seek. Meh
2. Video games. Meh
3. Checkers. Meh
4. Candyland. Good one.
5. Dungeons and Dragons. Story is unfinished.
6. Psychiatrist. Never heard of the game; cause & effect not clear
7. Gin Rummy. Meh
8. Mousetrap. Too obvious
9. Mahjong. Much is revealed
10. Crokinole. Watch a game on Youtube first. More interesting than the story.
11. Marbles. Heat Miser vs Cold Miser play for fate of the world
12. Trivia night. Seriously no other way?
13. Puzzles. A puzzle within a puzzle.
14. Boggle. A brutal game.
15. Turtle races. Could end only one way.
16. Russian Roulette. I am not reading this.
17. Handball. Iteration on classics with winks and nods.
Overall, a disappointment. Most of the stories read like late-night completion of writing class assignments with the prompt "Write a story featuring a game." The cover is awesome, though. I need to stop judging books by their covers because then I just expect too much.
August 23, 2023
A lovely anthology of thematic short stories all of which feature a game. As one might expect of such a thing, there are stronger and weaker tales woven amongst the authors.
I loved some of them, liked most of them, and only found one not to my taste - but even that one was well crafted.
I loved some of them, liked most of them, and only found one not to my taste - but even that one was well crafted.
March 25, 2023
I'm a sucker for any Lawrence Block anthology and this one did not disappoint. Each story has a connection to a game. Of course I loved the one by LB best! But David Morrell and Jeffrey Deaver (among others) make excellent contributions. I'd like another a Block book but this is a great way to whet my appetite!
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