Mike Finn’s Reviews > Mystery Writers of America Presents Vengeance > Status Update

IN PERSONA CHRISTI by Orest Stelmach ★★

Good opening line: “Two days before the killers came for Maria, a gang of teenagers rampaged across church property”. The story reminded me of a 70s Rock Concept Album: a clever structure to the central conceit but with little emotional engagement. This is the second priest in this collection whom I found myself unable to believe in.

BLOOD AND SUNSHINE by AdamMeyer ★★

Great opening line: “Most people don’t believe in pure evil, and neither did I until I met five-year-old Dylan Brewster.” Sadly, I found the rest of the story to be too slick for its own good. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, but by that point, I was no longer invested in the story because I didn’t believe in the main character.

THE HOT-LINE by Dreda Say Mitchell ★★★

This was fun, mostly because it was both clever and unexpected. I enjoyed watching the quiet, accepting, non-confrontational Muslim woman finally find her anger, combine it with her creativity, and her daring to unleash a well-justified revenge.

The cool, reasonable storytelling tone contrasts with the main character's deep, even more reasonable rage, making his actions both unpredictable and deeply satisfying.

The story details the damage a predatory venture capitalist can legally inflict on whole communities. I loved that the main character’s driver wasn't vengeance but a need to know why a billionaire would cause such harm to gain a few millions.

A FINE MIST OF BLOOD by Michael Connelly ★★★

A little slice of Harry Bosch doing his thing. This time he’s set on the scent by a new data analysis technique, but his follow-through is all hunch, instinct and deviousness. There wasn’t much by way of mystery, but the ending was engineered to deliver suspense, a surprise or two and a spectacular conclusion.

THE GENERAL by Janice Law ★★★★

This was beautifully done. The vengeance was subtle. The hatred involved was palpable. The character of the general was disclosed and, in part, defined by the suspense generated by the gardener’s odd mix of passivity and threat. The pacing was perfect.

EVEN A BLIND MAN by Darrell James ★★★★

There was a lot packed into this story, and yet it never felt rushed or as if it was pushing information at me. It brought the characters and the situation into focus and then kept sharpening that focus in surprising ways that made the situation darker and the characters more complex. I found Earl Lilly fascinating. I’d like to read more about him.

SILENT JUSTICE by C. E. Lawrence ★★

This was too slight for me. The riffs on confessions and their consequences were interesting but the priest didn’t seem real to me.

IT AIN’T RIGHT by Michelle Gagnon ★★★

Some marriages have reefs, just below the surface, known but unacknowledged, unexplored, constantly navigated around and hidden from strangers. This is the story of one of those navigations. The storytelling is oblique but evocative. A slight story that, like a splinter, slips into the reader’s imagination and festers.

by Karin Slaughter ★★★★★

A brilliantly written, chillingly dark, suspenseful story where the vengeance wrought is evil, and you won’t see it coming. The prose grabbed me from the first sentence. The set-up is original and tense. With each reveal, the situation worsens. The ending is nasty and perfect