Hey, everyone. It’s Tuesday and that means it’s time for Tuesday Book Share. This week I review a collection of short stories written by various authors. If you enjoy mysteries, this book is for you.

---

Blurb:

Who knew death could be so eclectic?

Relish this mesmerizing murder mystery mash-up of short stories.

Murder and mystery have been the staple of literature and films for years. This anthology of short stories will thrill and entertain you. Some will also make you laugh out loud. Others will stop and make you think.

Think of this murder mystery short story anthology as a book version of appetisers or starters, hors d’oeuvre, meze, or antipasti. It can be read as fillers between books or, as is the case in some countries, as a bookish meze – in its own right.

There’s murder mystery styles and locations to suit all tastes: detective fiction, serial killers, scifi, histfic, England, Los Angeles, San Francisco, The Great Lakes, Las Vegas, the Nevada desert, Mexico and more in an exquisite exposition of the art of short story telling.

These stories come from an international cast of authors; some with bestselling books, others are emerging or new talents. Their roots, cultures, and life experiences are as diverse as their writing styles.

But one thing binds them together: they know how to tell a story.

The ten authors who have contributed to the anthology are: Stephen Bentley, Greg Alldredge, Kelly Artieri, Robbie Cheadle, Michael Spinelli, L. Lee Kane, Kay Castaneda, Aly Locatelli, Justin Bauer, and Posthumously by ‘G.’

The stories include the 2019 SIA Award-Winning Murder Mystery Short Story ‘The Rose Slayer’ by Stephen Bentley.

Each author introduces his or her stories and the theme that lays behind them. By the time you finish the book, you will agree the result is a mesmerising murder mystery mash-up.

 

My Four-Star Review:

I’ve enjoyed reading several short stories of late. I love mysteries, so when I learned about Death Among Us, I decided to purchase a copy. I was not disappointed.

As with most collections written by various authors, I had my favorites. I particularly enjoyed the historical stories by Robbie Cheadle. Other favs were The Rose Slayer and Eleanor Rigby written by Stephen Bentley, First Comes Lightning by Kelli Artieri, and L. Lee Cain’s Stop Me if You Can.  Aly Locatelli did a fantastic job with her debut story.

I admit to skimming through a couple of stories – one had a cast of characters that, in my opinion, was entirely too long for a short story. But other than that, this is a very entertaining book overall.

I rated this collection four stars, but if possible I would rate it 4.5. The aforementioned stories are well deserving of five stars.

---

A note about ratings. I consider three stars and above as positive reviews. I reserve five stars for books that keep me turning the pages and that I would read again. (Yes, I’ve been known to do that.)

5 Stars: Awesome story! Couldn’t put it down – Highly recommend.
4 Stars: The book kept me interested – Check it out.
3 Stars: It was okay. Not my favorite, but I didn’t dislike it enough to discontinue.
2 Stars: Book didn’t hold my interest, problems with the plot, characters, poor writing, etc.
1 Star: Don’t bother!