April's is a very good issue with a couple of stories of a different kind than the typical murder-mystery. Quick Review.
"The Monitor" by Tara Laskowski is quite disturbing, the kind worthy of a Weird Tales or Black Static. Myra has been blessed with motherhood and as many new parents she finds out that not all is sunshine and rainbows. Eva, her newborn, cries. A lot. Therefore Myra and her husband decide to buy a wireless video monitor to check on the little girl. One day a sleep deprived Myra observes something strange, mysterious and disturbing appearing on the little screen. Is Myra hallucinating? Best story of the issue!
"Purse Strings" by Gigi Vernon. This is a historical crime fiction short, based in France in the XII century. Jaques, the brother of Thibaut the Knight disappeared. A short time later a request for a ransom appeared at Thibaut's door. Everyone believes that Jaques is faking a kidnapping in order to get a few silver coins, but Thibaut is sure that it's not the case.
"A knock on the door" by Jas R. Petrin. A girl disappears and an investigation involving russian mob-girls begins. This story failed to keep me interested.
"Nighthawks" by Joseph D'Agnese. A very short story about a graveyard shift waitress. Fun.
"Sitting Ducks" by Loren D. Estleman. A bomb kills a cop. This makes a nice police story.
"Trash in the Garbage" by Bruce Graham. A body falls off a dump truck... if that's not a good preamble I don't know what it is. Interesting story.
"The Danua Boy" by Tony Richards. This story is about kidnapping in Zimbabwe and other globally important issues.
Showing posts with label crime fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crime fiction. Show all posts
Monday, January 27, 2014
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Review: Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - November 2013 - Volume CXLII, No. 5
As I mentioned in my previous review, I started reading some crime fiction. After Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine it's time for Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, the more "mature" of the two.
"Small Kingdoms” by Charlain Harris. Travis High School’s principal Anne DeWitt seems a person affected by OCD. She has a very tight schedule, she loves punctuality and she likes efficiency. One morning, someone breaks into her house. She ends up killing him with some scissors. We can all agree that would freak anyone out. Well, Anne DeWitt is more concerned about her disrupted daily routine than of having killed a man. After all, disposing of a body requires some time. Nice story; I believe that Anne DeWitt is characterized very well although the ending is somewhat weak.
“The Covering Storm” by David H. Ingram. I cannot be happier to see a story based in Texas! In 1900 a rich man, Wendell Asquith, is very jealous of his beautiful wife, Amelia. Things are made worse by another member of high-society that basically goes around proclaiming his love for Amelia. Wendell cannot take it anymore and decides to teach the guy a lesson, weather permitting! Nice short story, great ending. I strongly recommend it.
"A Study in Mint" by Lou Manfredo is a complex story with a nice pace. As the previous story by Ingram, this piece is based in pre-WWII period. Constable Gus Oliver is called to investigate a suicide. Everything seems to suggest that it's actually just that, a suicide. Very nice and a worth the read.
"Small Kingdoms” by Charlain Harris. Travis High School’s principal Anne DeWitt seems a person affected by OCD. She has a very tight schedule, she loves punctuality and she likes efficiency. One morning, someone breaks into her house. She ends up killing him with some scissors. We can all agree that would freak anyone out. Well, Anne DeWitt is more concerned about her disrupted daily routine than of having killed a man. After all, disposing of a body requires some time. Nice story; I believe that Anne DeWitt is characterized very well although the ending is somewhat weak.
“The Covering Storm” by David H. Ingram. I cannot be happier to see a story based in Texas! In 1900 a rich man, Wendell Asquith, is very jealous of his beautiful wife, Amelia. Things are made worse by another member of high-society that basically goes around proclaiming his love for Amelia. Wendell cannot take it anymore and decides to teach the guy a lesson, weather permitting! Nice short story, great ending. I strongly recommend it.
"A Study in Mint" by Lou Manfredo is a complex story with a nice pace. As the previous story by Ingram, this piece is based in pre-WWII period. Constable Gus Oliver is called to investigate a suicide. Everything seems to suggest that it's actually just that, a suicide. Very nice and a worth the read.
“Sob sisters” by Kris Nelscott is another good
piece of short literature. Val Wilson is a volunteer for a hotline for rape victims. Detective Kaplan calls her to
unofficially investigate the murder of the most important woman in town, a very rich philanthropist. As one
would imagine when rich people are murdered in crime stories, a lot of dark secrets will come afloat. The only thing I really did not like (small
spoiler) is the whole idea of a “secret room in
the house.” It looked more like a quick plot device to add some
unnecessary mystery than something that the story actually needed. Good read.
"Princess Anne" is a short story about a murderer and a happy family. Not really great, but it's a nice bedtime story (if you're twisted as I am).
"Interview" by Neil Schofield is an interesting story about a woman (a divorcee) that while driving picks up a random guy. Is he dangerous or does she have a plan?
"Darkness in the City of Lights" by Hilary Davidson is a love triangle story in Paris. I didn't really enjoy it as it seemed more fit for young adults, for my tastes.
"Statement No. 060.719-67" by Raphael Montes is this month's "Passport to Crime" story. Very Poeseque (The Tell-Tale Heart, anybody?) with a very good ending.
"Doloroso" by Stephen T. Vessels is about drug lords and ghosts. Interesting enough, but the story did not really flow for me. In addition, I am not really fond of drug related stories unless they are very well written.
Final Comment: Very good issue, well worth the price. Good job to all the writers.
"Princess Anne" is a short story about a murderer and a happy family. Not really great, but it's a nice bedtime story (if you're twisted as I am).
"Interview" by Neil Schofield is an interesting story about a woman (a divorcee) that while driving picks up a random guy. Is he dangerous or does she have a plan?
"Darkness in the City of Lights" by Hilary Davidson is a love triangle story in Paris. I didn't really enjoy it as it seemed more fit for young adults, for my tastes.
"Statement No. 060.719-67" by Raphael Montes is this month's "Passport to Crime" story. Very Poeseque (The Tell-Tale Heart, anybody?) with a very good ending.
"Doloroso" by Stephen T. Vessels is about drug lords and ghosts. Interesting enough, but the story did not really flow for me. In addition, I am not really fond of drug related stories unless they are very well written.
Final Comment: Very good issue, well worth the price. Good job to all the writers.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Review: Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, October 2013, Volume LVIII, No. 10
I decided to step out of my comfort zone and take a look at a completely different genre: crime fiction. I believe that crime fiction and science fiction can get along quite well so I had no choice but to get the two most important magazines in the area, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (AHMM) and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (EQMM).
Not that I have ever read them nor ever opened a crime fiction book before, but I plan to make them a consistent part of my monthly reading queue.
AHMM is known as the "lesser EQMM", in that its quality is commonly understood as inferior to the other magazine. However, thanks to many new authors AHMM seems to have a very important component: freshness.
Let’s dive into the October 2013 issue.
“Faraway Nearby” by David Edgerly Gates is a crime story that hints of modern noir. Two burned bodies are found inside a car. Since they are located inside an Indian reservation, the FBI is called to intervene. Special Agent Bevilacquia and local police force Pete will investigate and even shoot some bullets. Good start.
In the introduction to this review I wrote that sci-fi and crime fiction can be joyfully mixed together. I am very glad to find an example of this in Tony Richards’ “The Hunting Party”. In a futuristic Africa which is now ruled under a fair federalist government, a Nobel Prize Winner is plotting against his own government. This story is noteworthy because the sci-fi element exists but is not substantial enough to make it hard-core sci-fi. Good read.
“Under Cap. Ste. Clare” by Jas. R. Petrin starts as a "Murder, she wrote" meets "Father Brown" episode but quickly becomes action and conspiracy packed. The beginning is somewhat slow, but the story quickly recovers. It’s a disappearance/murder mystery.
"Two Men, One Gun" by Robert Lopresti is a short hostage story. A technical writer, Britell, is held hostage at gunpoint by a guy that wants to be called Richard. He wants to tell Britell a story. Nice read.
“Dress Blues” by Chris Muessig is the only story in this issue that couldn’t keep me interested enough. It’s actually well written, but I didn’t like the pace of the unfolding of the events. It’s a crime story based in the Vietnam Era where an African-American is justly/unjustly charged of a crime.
At last we have some good white collar crimes in “The Gypsy Ring” by James L. Ross. It’s a clever story about Wall Street, illegal trade, millions of dollars and technology. Not bad at all.
Final comment: I’d like to underline that I truly enjoyed reading this issue of AHMM.
Not that I have ever read them nor ever opened a crime fiction book before, but I plan to make them a consistent part of my monthly reading queue.
AHMM is known as the "lesser EQMM", in that its quality is commonly understood as inferior to the other magazine. However, thanks to many new authors AHMM seems to have a very important component: freshness.
Let’s dive into the October 2013 issue.
“Faraway Nearby” by David Edgerly Gates is a crime story that hints of modern noir. Two burned bodies are found inside a car. Since they are located inside an Indian reservation, the FBI is called to intervene. Special Agent Bevilacquia and local police force Pete will investigate and even shoot some bullets. Good start.
In the introduction to this review I wrote that sci-fi and crime fiction can be joyfully mixed together. I am very glad to find an example of this in Tony Richards’ “The Hunting Party”. In a futuristic Africa which is now ruled under a fair federalist government, a Nobel Prize Winner is plotting against his own government. This story is noteworthy because the sci-fi element exists but is not substantial enough to make it hard-core sci-fi. Good read.
“Under Cap. Ste. Clare” by Jas. R. Petrin starts as a "Murder, she wrote" meets "Father Brown" episode but quickly becomes action and conspiracy packed. The beginning is somewhat slow, but the story quickly recovers. It’s a disappearance/murder mystery.
"Two Men, One Gun" by Robert Lopresti is a short hostage story. A technical writer, Britell, is held hostage at gunpoint by a guy that wants to be called Richard. He wants to tell Britell a story. Nice read.
“Dress Blues” by Chris Muessig is the only story in this issue that couldn’t keep me interested enough. It’s actually well written, but I didn’t like the pace of the unfolding of the events. It’s a crime story based in the Vietnam Era where an African-American is justly/unjustly charged of a crime.
At last we have some good white collar crimes in “The Gypsy Ring” by James L. Ross. It’s a clever story about Wall Street, illegal trade, millions of dollars and technology. Not bad at all.
Final comment: I’d like to underline that I truly enjoyed reading this issue of AHMM.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)