Rating: (Average = 3.8 -> 4 stars)
This anthology consists of five short stories:
Modus Operandi by Marsha Black
Lies Aren't Forever by Linda Burson
Haunting Memories by Hunter Marshall
Absent Aberration by Jessica Ozment
Deadly Delivery by Steve Wilhelm
Modus Operandi
Rating: 3 stars
Bianca Wilson's coworker is murdered by a serial killer who carves into his/her victim's flesh. She waits one year before asking to be put on the case and then gets to work piecing together the facts of the case. As she gets closer to the truth, she begins to receive threatening notes from the killer, warning her to back off. Can she figure out who it is before it's too late?
The premise for this story is fairly interesting, and the drive and determination of the main character is admirable. I didn't have much trouble figuring out who the "bad guy" was, but there was a certain creepy factor that came along with figuring out who it was. The editing on this story needs a lot of work, and the story could have been much shorter if all of the "eating" scenes were left out. In fact, each scene/chapter seemed the same after a while.
Lies Aren't Forever
Rating: 3.5 stars
Russell Stewart has been happily married to Betsy for a few years...until one day when a blonde woman, Tiffany Bell, from his past comes around saying some shocking things. Russell used to have a different name and a different life, and Betsy confronts him about his past. After learning about his tumultuous history, they hire Cammy Clemons, a PI, to help them with the situation. Russell must play a role to appease Tiffany. Can he finally be free of her and her father?
If you like twisty dramas, this story is for you! There was a lot of crazy and unexpected stuff that happened. The characters seemed to not blend together too much (I especially thought Tiffany was a very unique and interesting person. Her speech patterns and behavior were different.)
This story read like a transcript/screenplay (it was dialogue heavy, and the present-tense, third-person narration was just odd). The drama in this story was at times unbelievable (as in, it's actually difficult to suspend disbelief that people actually act like they do in this story.) The wife, Betsy, who is heavily involved in the first part, disappears entirely for the rest of the story and only appears at the very end. There weren't too many errors/typos in the story, which was refreshing!
Haunting Memories
Rating: 4 stars
Axel has moved back to his hometown after many years to work on a cold case -- a girl named Clarissa was found stabbed in a haunted house, and the killer was never found. He is assigned to work with Blaire, his old girlfriend. When they are reunited, it is like nothing has changed, although Blaire has an ex-husband and a son. As they spend the next few months working on the case together, they grow closer, but both are worried that things will fall apart after the case is closed. Can they solve the murder and remain together?
This story is a mix between romance and mystery. It kind of reads like a Hallmark movie.
I liked the inclusion of a haunted house and the "story within a story" about Aubrielle and her husband and children. There were odd inconsistencies/errors/other things that made this story interesting. There were spelling inconsistencies as well as timeline inconsistences (was Blaire 27 or 29? How could the twins be the same age as Blaire and Axle if they were born in the 60s? Is it Kerrigan or Kerrian?) The narration included some head-hopping, which can be jarring. I had a hard time understanding why the story was stretched out over three months or so. The setting was pretty cool though. I liked the "cowboy" feel of the story.
This is a neat story for people who like contemporary romance.
Absent Aberration
Rating: 4.5 stars
When her brother goes missing in Alaska while working on a cold case, Maranda travels to Alaska in an attempt to figure out what happened. She stays in the same resort he did and plans to go through the evidence left behind and travel to a cabin where he was supposed to be headed. The weather disrupts her plans, leaving her essentially stranded in the hotel. She meets strange people and is warned not to trust anyone. Can she find out what happened to her brother before the killer gets her?
I really enjoyed this story. It was written well and was full of suspense and mystery. Maranda was a likeable character, and the scenes from her brother's perspective made it all the more thrilling and interesting. The setting was great: an isolated resort in the wintertime in Alaska. The nearly empty hotel and the Stepford-wife-esque treatment was a fun and almost creepy aspect. I was a little confused by the ending, but the story was enjoyable to read!
Deadly Delivery
Rating 4 stars
Chris Jakoby is a courier who has just picked up a package containing something shocking--information on an assassination. He struggles with what to do about it until his deadline is over, and then the client comes after him for breaching their agreement. Chris is on the move, trying to get as far away as possible, but his pursuers seem to always be one step ahead. Can he finally be free of them?
This story was very engaging. It was certainly exciting and gritty. There is more killing and language in this story than the others, which I liked! The main character is male, and his thought processes throughout the story are interesting to read about. He's on the run and isn't sure what kind of technology the bad guys have at their disposal, so it forces him to get creative about what he does. There was a little bit of a romance twist at the end, and then the story ended on a cliffhanger. Overall, a really fun story. I would probably have liked it better if it would have resolved.
Purchase this anthology HERE
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