Love Is Murder

Bullet Catcher #8.75

by Sandra Brown (Editor), Lee Child, Sherrilyn Kenyon

Prepare for heart-racing suspense in this original collection by thirty of the hottest bestselling authors and new voices writing romance suspense today. Go on vacation with Allison Brennan's Lucy Kincaid, where she saves a man from drowning, only to discover he is in far greater danger on land. Meet Roxanne St. Claire's "bullet catcher"-bodyguard Donovan Rush-who may have met his match in the sexually charged "Diamond Drop." Debut author William Simon shows us what happens when the granddaughter of the president of the United States is kidnapped. And Lee Child's pitch-perfect "I Heard a Romantic Story" puts a whole new spin on Love Is Murder.

Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, women (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, killers-these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night.

Love Is Murder is the third Thriller anthology written exclusively by members of International Thriller Writers, Inc. Barely seven years old, ITW has a roster that reads like a who's who of thriller writing, with 1,635 members representing 28 countries worldwide and over three billion books in print. Headed by current copresidents Douglas Preston and Kathleen Antrim, its board of directors has included such notables as Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Steve Berry, James Rollins, M. J. Rose, Carla Neggers, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell and David Hewson. More information is available on the ITW website, www.thrillerwriters.org.

SANDRA BROWN

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty New York Times bestselling novels. Writing professionally since 1981, she has published more than seventy novels and has upward of eighty million copies of her books in print worldwide.

She holds an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Texas Christian University, and in 2008 she was named Thriller Master, the top award given by the International Thriller Writers Assoc.

DIAMOND DROP by Roxanne St. Claire
COLD MOONLIGHT by Carla Neggers
POISONED by Beverly Barton
SPEECHLESS by Robert Browne
LOCKDOWN by Andrea Kane
SPIDER’S TANGO by William Simon
NIGHT HEAT by Laura Griffin
B.A.D. MISSION by Sherrilyn Kenyon
DEADLY FIXATION by Dianna Love
HOT NOTE by Patricia Rosemoor
LAST SHOT by Jon Land & Jeff Ayers
GRAVE DANGER by Heather Graham
WITHOUT MERCY by Mariah Stewart
EVEN STEVEN by D.P. Lyle
DYING TO SCORE by Cindy Gerard
THE NUMBER OF MAN by J.T. Ellison
HARD DRIVE by Bill Floyd
AFTER HOURS by William Bernhardt
BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT by Brenda Novak
WED TO DEATH by Vicki Hinze
THE HONEYMOON by Julie Kenner
EXECUTION DOCK by James Macomber
IN ATLANTIS by Alexandra Sokoloff
BREAK EVEN by Pamela Callow
DIRTY DOWN LOW by Debra Webb
BROKEN HALLELUJAH by Toni McGee Causey
HOLDING MERCY by Lori Armstrong
VACATION INTERRUPTED by Allison Brennan
I HEARD A ROMANTIC STORY by Lee Child

Genres: Romance, Anthologies, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Short Stories, Suspense, Fiction

608 pages, Hardcover

First published May 29, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[Melissa (Mel’s Bookshelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars
There is something about a good romantic suspense. The thrills and danger puts you in a certain frame of mind, so that when the romance hits, when it is done well, it’s breathtaking… I had to give these short stories a go after I saw the cover.. But the cover was a bit deceiving, I would read ANYTHING Sandra Brown writes, but she only edited it and did a brief sentence or two to introduce you to all the stories. I guess they did the cover for suckers like me who see Sandra Brown and go “OK IM READING IT!”. Having said that though, some of the stories were really good, however others were not so good.

I’m not going to go through all the stories as there were WAY too many of them to review one at a time. So I will mention the stand outs. I really enjoyed “Hot Note” even though it was more a paranormal story. Last Shot was another stand out about a very special scanning machine. Again more paranormal, but it was a great story! I also enjoyed Without Mercy, far from a romance I thought, but a great story… I guess the better ones for me were actually the ones with a better story and less romance. I felt a bit let down by the quality of the stories to be honest.

I can see how it is difficult to develop romantic suspense in a short story. After all it takes tension to get a good romantic build up. Therefore the majority of the stories involved two people who already know each other, and have been apart for a while, only to come back together. This is fine and lovely, but it got old after a while. The only story I feel that got a good new romance blossoming with an original story was the first one, Diamond Drop. I felt this was extremely clever compared to the others. Otherwise the story was about a couple who were already an item and something else happens to bring them closer together. These stories got old fast too.

I just didn’t love it enough to rate it higher. The good stories did not outweigh the average ones in my opinion, and for a compilation of romantic suspense stories, I felt a lot of suspense, but was totally let down in the romance department!

And that last story?? WTF was that Lee Child?? That was the first Lee Child writing I have ever read and its not making me want to pick up any Jack Reacher books any time soon!

The narration however, was superb! How fantastic were Christopher Lane and Shannon McManus! They totally salvaged this book for me! I am so glad I had listened to the narration rather than read it, because I don’t know if I would have made it through otherwise!

Would I recommend it?

As I said, a few of the stories were good, however mostly It was a bit of a let down. If you are interested, the audio version was really well done and made it much more enjoyable.

For more reviews visit my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
Find me on Twitter
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read other stories over time.

This review is for Diamond Drop by Roxanne St. Claire ★★★★
Bullet Catcher Donovan Rush is picking up and delivering a diamond purchase to a new client in Paris. Along the way, he encounters some very interesting challenges.

This is a cleverly written story, reminiscent of the early style of the series. While it’s short, it manages to pack intrigue, romance, witty banter and a startling twist in a few pages. It’s so well done. It’s also the last story in the series but not quite the fitting end I had in mind.

This review is for Vacation Interrupted by Allison Brennan (10/12/20) ★★★★
FBI Analyst Lucy Kincaid and Private Investigator Sean Rogan attempt yet another crime-free vacation. This time it’s on Cape Cod and things are looking pretty promising until Lucy answers a call to help a man in distress in the water. She later determines that the man thinks someone tried to kill him.

This is a really short story (22 pages) and I couldn’t imagine this being all that interesting. Silly me because once I started I was completely engaged. Well done, especially considering its brevity. Guess Lucy & Sean will never have that true vacation.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this anthology to read one story and found others that I wanted to read in the future. I'll add to the review as I finish the stories.

Diamond Drop by Roxanne St. Claire. Bullet Catcher Donovan Rush has been assigned the job of picking up diamonds in Belgium and delivering them to their client in Paris. When he picks up the diamonds, he is told that there has been a credible threat that someone will try to intercept them. Everything is going as expected until he notices the beautiful woman he helped when he arrived in Belgium. Is she the person who wants the diamonds?

This story is way too short but fun. It felt like an exciting chapter out of the full-sized novel. My rating: 4 Stars.

Dying to Score by Cindy Gerard. It was supposed to be a quick in an out. That is why Johnny Duane Reed didn't object when his wife insisted on going on the mission to Guatemala. But when he is injured during a firefight, Crystal is the person that keeps him from bleeding to death while keeping the bad guys at bay.

This was an entertaining short story in Cindy Gerard's Black Ops, Inc. series. Crystal has worked her way onto the team. She finally gets to go on a mission with her husband. My rating: 3.5 Stars.

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed all these short stories. Some better than others.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of 29(!) short stories revolving around love and murder in a mix of romantic suspense and thrillers with a few paranormal tales.

I primarily picked Love is Murder up because several authors whose work I follow are in it. It’s an uneven mix of good authors and bad ones. It starts with the really bad stories and gets unevenly better.

Series:
"Diamond Drop" (Bullet Catcher, 8.75)
"B.A.D. Mission" (B.A.D. Agency, 4.5)
"Deadly Fixation" (Belador, 5.5??)
"Hot Note" (Detective Shelley Caldwell, 2.5)
"Without Mercy" (Mercy Street, 3.5)
"Dying to Score" (Black Ops, Inc., 7.5)
"Dirty Low Down" (Jackie Mercer, 1.5)
"Holding Mercy" (Mercy Gunderson Mystery, 2.25)
"Vacation Interrupted" (Lucy Kincaid/Sean Rogan , 4.5)

The Stories
Roxanne St. Claire’s "Diamond Drop" is a potentially cute story of a diamond courier escaping thieves. The end has a wee twist. Predictable and jerky in the writing. The last scene was, pardon the pun, thrust in at the last minute. The story reads more like she suddenly remembered she needed to get it in for its deadline.

Carla Neggers’ "Cold Moonlight" is a sweet romance, although I have no idea where "cold moonlight" comes in as it’s daytime when the action occurs. This story was one of the worst. I liked the characters, and I think it has potential, but…

I’m guessing that Charlie got lost? Is that why Grit got pulled in and is so readily available? What is Elijah’s purpose here? They’re not Secret Service. Yes, I know that Neggers tells us that Grit has an easier time finding Charlie, but why is he trusted to do this? What has Charlie done? The romance that flares up between Grit and Marissa? Oh, gag. Neggers, please spend some time developing romances in the future. Don’t give us this melodramatic claptrap that sounds like a wooden soap opera!

Beverly Barton’s "Poisoned" is another lame story. I’m sorry, but I’ve had food poisoning before and it’s never affected me like this. This was just stupid. Barton compounds it with that insta-HEA.bMy really big question is: if Olivia is so weak, throwing up, terrible stomach cramps, and Jed has caught up to her, close enough to touch her. How is it that she’s able to run away from him and hide? Dumb, dumb, dumb. It’s at this point that I seriously considered giving this up. Then I went and looked at the list of authors still to come.

Robert Browne’s "Speechless" will appeal to adults whose mothers "always know best". It’s clever, although I was also annoyed that "I" never spoke to David but cut him completely out. Browne does provide a nasty twist at the end.

Andrea Kane’s "Lockdown" is an improvement on the earlier stories in this hostage situation during a wedding. Thank god. It’s mostly tell, but Kane at least provides a smooth, flowing story with enough background that it feels complete.

William Simon’s "Spider’s Tango" is a cute blend of two stories. An ex-husband encounters his ex-wife during an FBI operation in which they’re desperately trying to find the kidnapped president’s daughter before the really bad guys get her.

Laura Griffin’s "Night Heat" is heated on at least two levels. One being the hot, humid night and the other being the nighttime rescue operation, for the ambassador’s party has been crashed by terrorists. And Mike Dietz is enthralled by the bravery of one of the party guests.

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s "B.A.D. Mission" finds Sam Garrett coming out of retirement to arrest an old girlfriend. It’s okay. Nothing special. It doesn’t feel like a B.A.D. story, though.

Dianna Love’s "Deadly Fixation" is a paranormal fantasy about a minor character, Devon Fortier, in a race with a bounty hunter to capture a troll with a major spell that could start a war. Interesting conflict even though it drove me nuts with the conflict between Devon and Joleen.

I shouldn’t think Joleen wants to get on VIPER’s bad side…

Patricia Rosemoor’s "Hot Note" is cute enough. A quick peek at a case Shelley must solve that involves suicides by drowning in this paranormal tale.

Jon Land & Jeff Ayer’s "Last Shot" is one for our economic times as a family is being forced into foreclosure. It’ll get your heart racing and the end will have you looking for your own copy machine! Very clever, with me on the edge of my seat, hoping and praying for Molly.

Heather Graham’s "Grave Danger" is too true and the title is a double pun. Graham does a great job of creating a whole story that flows well, even if the love story is a bit quick. She does at least provide some good reason for it. There’s plenty of action in here with movie props, zombies, and an on-the-loose serial killer. And a helping hand from the great beyond!

Mariah Stewart’s "Without Mercy" finds Mallory Russo investigating a cold case when new information comes to light (parents, this provides an excellent reason to know who your child’s friends are!!). Gruesome and heartstopping as the truth comes out.

D.P. Lyle’s "Even Steven" starts with a clear-up as Martha and Tim are planning their move. It’s heartbreaking to read as they look over all that they must leave behind. Their son’s murderer is being released from jail, and they can’t bear to live in the town that will let him out so soon. Lyle keeps you wondering throughout the story until the very end. And justice is served.

Cindy Gerard’s "Dying to Score" is a quickie mission that goes sour for the BOIs when Reed gets hit and is bleeding out. It’s only Tink’s determination that has, so far, kept the bad guys back. It’s a pip, and I always enjoy a visit with Gerard’s BOIs.

J.T. Ellison’s "The Number of Man" is a frustrating blend of annoying, confusing, and scary. I wish he’d done a better job of telling us that Michael is the stalker and his thoughts about dating Caitlyn are his fantasies. Not reality. It would have been better if he’d played up Michael’s mental issues rather than this confusing blend of Michael telling us he’s dating Caitlyn and then distancing Michael from the stalker calls Caitlyn is getting.

Bill Floyd’s "Hard Drive" is a conflict of interest for Howie when his ex-girlfriend is arrested for murder…and he stays mum. It’s an old trope that Floyd does well, even though I didn’t like Howie for his philandering.

William Bernhardt’s "After Hours" is a sexual mix-up with she/hes and he/shes who haven’t a clue. The two primary detectives in this alternate between warm and bigoted with casual exchanges between them. It’s a clever solution to the truth in this case. Nicely done.

Brenda Novak’s "Blood In, Blood Out" was a pip. Two guys who met in prison and befriended each other ended up in WITSEC together. And they’ve been on the run, dodging The Crew ever since. There’s a side story going on with Rex’s relationship with Virgil’s sister, Laurel. It’s a love-hate thing, and Rex is giving up. Very nicely done.

Vicki Hinze’s "Wed to Death" will have you worried and then crying as the wedding keeps getting postponed. It did tick me off that Matthew would be sacrificed if the op goes wrong when he was against it from the very start! All I can say is, emotionally, I’m so glad this was a short story. I’m not sure my heart would have survived if I’d had to read pages and pages!

Julie Kenner’s "The Honeymoon" will blow your mind with the betrayal and stupidity. It’s a sad tale, and yet, most of the ending you’ll feel quite righteous about.

James Macomber’s "Execution Dock" is a wide-ranging adventure with child custody issues setting off this male chauvinist pig who refuses to listen to the truth. And he’ll stoop to kidnapping and murder to salve his pride. Very good. Macomber is going on my TBR.

Alexandra Sokoloff’s "In Atlantis" starts as a typical chick lit that hits on Melissa’s curatorial interests as she shadows a potential art thief. It’s the ending that provides a surprising twist — and had me re-reading it several times because I couldn’t believe it.

Pamela Callow’s "Break Even" finds Eddie Bent, a lawyer whose caseload took a dive, anxious to take on this new case that could bring him back to the top. He’s also too soft for his own good as he too quickly learns. A lot of story for this short story. Nicely done. It sure took me in. Callow does leave us hanging at the end. Well, I think I want to be hanging. I don’t think I like the direction Callow appears to be pointing us.

Debra Webb’s "Dirty Low Down" finds a cocky private eye agreeing to be bait for a serial killer — and all the ways it goes wrong. You’ll laugh, you’ll panic, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief.

Toni McGee Causey’s "Broken Hallelujah" is about vengeance and vigilantes in New Orleans as two "opposing" forces take down the bad guy. Causey does get a lot in this story, and I have to agree with Brown, I want more, even if I am confused about that ending.

Lori Armstrong’s "Holding Mercy" is cute as Mercy Gunderson, FBI agent, tries to meet her boyfriend for a romantic date only to have her law enforcement training kick in. Poor baby. She does get, ahem, satisfied at the end.

Allison Brennan’s "Vacation Interrupted" means law enforcement is never truly on vacation. It’s a good story with a scary stalker who has the law on her side. Fortunately, Lucy and Sean are more interested in the truth.

Lee Child’s "I Heard a Romantic Story" is so incredibly sad. It’s all in a day’s work for our "protagonist" as he waits for his moment and has to sit through hours of the chief’s stream of consciousness prattling, trying to reassure himself about the undercover job his girlfriend is doing. I gotta wonder if the girlfriend knew what the plans were for that day.

The Cover and Title
The cover has a white background with the author/editor’s name at the top and a few of the contributors’ names at the bottom. In between is the title writ large and the letters functioning as a window to a red background with a woman in a very low-backed little black dress stepping forward, a gun in one raised hand.

The title is the theme, for Love is Murder is all its possible forms.

[Beeg Panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Diamond Drop by Roxanne St. Claire

2. Cold Moonlight by Carla Neggers

3. Poisoned by Beverly Barton - not a fav

4. Speechless by Robert Browne

5. Lockdown by Andrea Kane

6. Spider’s Tango by William Simon - fav

7. Night Heat by Laura Griffin

8. B.A.D. Mission by Sherrilyn Kenyon

9. Deadly Fixation by Dianna Love

10. Hot Note by Patricia Rosemoor

11. Last Shot by Jon Land & Jeff Ayers

12. Grave Danger by Heather Graham

13. Without Mercy by Mariah Stewart

14. Even Steven by D.P. Lyle

15. Dying to Score by Cindy Gerard

16. The Number of Man by J.T. Ellison

17. Hard Drive by Bill Floyd - one of my favs.

18. After Hours by William Bernhardt - favourite - best of everything - 5 stars

19. Blood In, Blood Out by Brenda Novak

20. Wed to Death by Vicki Hinze

21. The Honeymoon by Julie Kenner

22. Execution Dock by James Macomber

23. In Atlantis by Alexandra Sokoloff - boring / way too slow for a short / narration enjoyable

24. Break Even by Pamela Callow - great narration / best unexpected twist I didn’t see coming / great writing style

25. Dirty Down Low by Debra Webb - enjoyed the narration, A quick fast read that didn’t feel lacking in any way.

26. Broken Hallelujah by Toni McGee Causey

27. Holding Mercy by Lori Armstrong

🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱
28. Vacation Interrupted by Allison Brennan
Reminds me of JD Robb’s In Death series (the characters, writing, narration of which I ADORE) where trouble follows the heroine around 24/7/365. It’s frustratingly unrealistic and overdone.
Like the antagonists are placed exactly where the MFC cop is. All. The. Time.
I enjoyed the narration and the writing style, but their world could’ve been Eve Dallas’s world and I wanted something different.
Plus even the protagonist could’ve believe how easy it was to fool them. They should’ve known better.

🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱
29. I Heard a Romantic Story by Lee Child
I love this man’s writing.
The hero has a brilliant inner dialogue which the narrator interprets and delivers oh so well.
He’s literally rambling, our hero is. To himself. On and on he goes and it’s funny yet serious.
A less seasoned writer would’ve had me irritated and wanting to fast forward but Lee Child…

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews for The Number Of Man by J.T. Ellison and Blood In, Blood Out by Brenda Novak

The Number Of Man
Short story that made me a little confused at parts. I still enjoyed it, but I think I would've liked it better if it was longer!

Blood In, Blood Out
Quick read. I picked up Love Is Murder and read this story out of it so I didn't realize it was part of a series. I will be reading the rest of these stories!

[Melenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, it averages out to 2.7 Stars, so I rounded up to 3. This was an okay read. They only use two different voice actors to read this book, which I found to be annoying and I did not really enjoy the female voice at all. Here is a breakdown of each individual story:

DIAMOND DROP by Roxanne St. Claire – 4 stars
COLD MOONLIGHT by Carla Neggers – 5 stars
POISONED by Beverly Barton – DNF
SPEECHLESS by Robert Browne – 2 stars
LOCKDOWN by Andrea Kane – 4 stars
SPIDER’S TANGO by William Simon – 5 stars
NIGHT HEAT by Laura Griffin – 5 stars
B.A.D. MISSION by Sherrilyn Kenyon – 5 stars
DEADLY FIXATION by Dianna Love – DNF
HOT NOTE by Patricia Rosemoor – 3 stars
LAST SHOT by Jon Land & Jeff Ayers -- DNF
GRAVE DANGER by Heather Graham -- DNF
WITHOUT MERCY by Mariah Stewart – 5 stars
EVEN STEVEN by D.P. Lyle – 5 stars, but I am unhappy with how it ended. So many questions.
DYING TO SCORE by Cindy Gerard – 4 stars. Might try and read the other books in the series.
THE NUMBER OF MAN by J.T. Ellison – 3 stars
HARD DRIVE by Bill Floyd – 3 stars
AFTER HOURS by William Bernhardt – 4 stars. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 star. It was interesting.
BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT by Brenda Novak – 3 stars
WED TO DEATH by Vicki Hinze – 2 stars
THE HONEYMOON by Julie Kenner – 1 star. I finished it, but it was not worth it.
EXECUTION DOCK by James Macomber – 5 stars, if this is a series I would like to try it out.
IN ATLANTIS by Alexandra Sokoloff – 3 stars. The art angle was pretty interesting. I still have no idea what happened and I hate that in a book.
BREAK EVEN by Pamela Callow – 2 stars. What was that ending?!?
DIRTY DOWN LOW by Debra Webb – 4 stars
BROKEN HALLELUJAH by Toni McGee Causey – 2 Stars — I might like this couple in a full-length novel, but in this short story it just doesn’t work. And I hate the romance drama ugh."
HOLDING MERCY by Lori Armstrong – 1 Star
VACATION INTERRUPTED by Allison Brennan – DNF
I HEARD A ROMANTIC STORY by Lee Child – 1 Star – I love Lee Child, but I did not love this story.

[Michelle the Romance Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diamond Drop ... Roxanne St Claire 3 stars
Kinda fun to read. Typical St. Claire twists… but damn could that have ended any more abruptly and still not really have had a conclusion…jeez!

Night Heat.... Laura Griffin 3 stars
Interesting story. Fun little twist but again ended way before I was ready. I definitely wanted more of Jane and Mike.

B.A.D. Mission.... Sherrilyn Kenyon 3.5 stars
This one was better and had the potential to be great. I would love to see this fleshed out into a least a longer novella. But all in all a well written and CONCLUDED short story.

Dying to Score... Cindy Gerard 4.5 stars
Oh man, what can I say? It was great to see Tink and Johnny back in action and bickering with all that sexy an intense passion. Can’t wait for the spin off series so I can read more about these great folks.

I only read these four stories from my favorite authors so my review of the anthology isn’t exactly complete but that’s my two cents and you’re of course welcome to read all of them if want a full experience. But honestly my TBR pile is sooo tall who has the time! 

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

These were some ok stories. Most of them were too short to really be good and some of them didn't even make sense. I didn't read them all, only my favorite authors. Some good ones were Cindy Gerard (Johnny Duane and Tink), Laura Griffin, Allyson Brennan (Lucy and Sean) and Lori Armstrong(A Mercy Gunderson story). I love Lee Child but his story made no sense to me. Sandra Brown only does the forward and doesn't have a story.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of short stories, about 1/2 hour each to read, all different genres, but all have a suspense element. Romance - yes, sex - no, after all, these are short stories.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read several of the short stories in this romantic suspense collection edited by Sandra Brown.

Ones from series goodreads groups may be reading:

"Diamond Drop," Roxanne St. Claire
"Cold Moonlight," Carla Neggers
"Night Heat," Laura Griffin
"Dying to Score," Cindy Gerard
"Dirty Down Low," Debra Webb
"Vacation Interrupted," Allison Brennan

[Amy Lignor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only will fans jump for joy when they see the name Sandra Brown with a new title, but they will also be ‘over the moon’ when they realize that is actually a story collection of romantic suspense tales that are insanely good. Thirty short stories are included, written by some of the biggest names in the mystery/thriller genre. From Lee Child to Sherrilyn Kenyon to Heather Graham, these bestselling authors have outdone themselves with passionate tales of murder and mystery.

To offer just a few ‘golden nuggets’ of storytelling, William Bernhardt gives readers a tale titled, After Hours. This extremely riveting murder involves a beautiful girl who, literally, had no enemies. However, when the medical examiner comes up with a big surprise that stuns detectives, readers will be shocked as they ‘watch’ an ending unfold that is an absolute blast

Another story you’ll never forget comes from James Macomber. This sinister tale takes place in London, where a ‘not so very nice husband’ finds himself in court battling for custody of his children. After losing his argument and the children get ready to head to the home of their mother, the woman simply disappears. Police, in their attempt to locate her, are led on a hunt that takes them to Execution Dock, which is a place that was once used to slowly torture pirates, mutineers, and other seafaring men for their sins.

Alexandra Sokoloff’s fans will love her tale of a young woman who is brokenhearted by her failed engagement and decides to go on her planned honeymoon all alone. Setting off for Paradise Island to stay in a lovely hotel called The Atlantis, she finds herself surrounded by a stunningly mysterious man and a beautiful jewel-encrusted box that has a history you will not believe.

This review could go on and on considering the brilliant talent, tall tales, and exciting and passionate romance this collection offers. But to save space, my advice is simply to go out and get it immediately! You’ll have a ball with these authors!

Until Next Time, Everybody!
Amy

[Joseph Finder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to read an early copy of this book, and said at the time that it was like a box of chocolates–each one is different, but they’re all great. A terrific introduction to some writers thriller fans may not have encountered before, edited by ITW Master Sandra Brown.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

KcLu's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

I'll be the first to admit this is the probably the third time I have ever read every story in an anthology. There are ones that I get just for a certain author's novel. But in this case I have to say I am so glad I read each and every one!! Each story was great!! Their we're a couple that were out of my box of normal reading, but I still enjoyed them. I did try to do a small review of each story, but their are a couple I couldn't without giving away the story. But I did star grade each of them. I'm not too shocked that Lori Armstrong's was my favorite or that her story is the only one with an actual sex scene.. lol.. I'm a huge fan of hers and of anything she writes.

I highly recommend this book!! I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I have!!!!!

OVERALL I give LOVE IS MURDER 5 stars!

Diamond Drop ... Roxanne St Claire 4 stars
This was action packed greatness!! Diamonds being protected by the sexy Donavan Rush, and can he make it to Paris before someone tries to take them?? Is the beautiful women sitting in front of him in on the theft, or is she just a sexy innocent bystander??

Cold Moonlight ..... Carla Neggers 4.75 Stars
Ryan "Grit" Taylor is a former Navy Seal with half of one leg missing. He is out in the snow looking for the Vice President's eldest daughter before a killer can get to her! This is a short nail biter!! I LOVED it!!

Poisoned.... Beverly Barton 4.5 Stars
Another great one that gets your blood pumping!! All Olivia Lynn Warren knows is she has been poisoned. She keeps running, but can hear her cop boyfriend chasing her. Did he poison her?? Did he turn bad cop, and go on the payroll of a wife killer to take her out??

Speechless ... Robert Browne 5 stars
This one was amazing!! It's one of those stories you just HAVE to read as fast as you can to find out what the hell is really going on!! Then when I got there I yelled out WTF!! Greatness is all I can say about this one!!

Lockdown .... Andrea Kane 4.5 stars
Oh wow!! Talk about the wedding from hell!! You are walking down the isle .. Almost to your groom and three year old son, when a masked gunman come in and takes everyone hostage. He lets everyone go except he keeps only the bride, her young son, and best friend hostage. Can the police and the two honeymooning FBI agents save them before this wedding becomes a great tragedy???

Spider's Tango ... William Simon 4 stars
This one was just awesome!! They used to be married. Now they both work for the FBI, but this is their first case together. Lawd is it a tough one!! The President's 4 yr old granddaughter has been kidnapped, and is being auctioned off to the highest bidder. Can they find her before it is to late?? And will they ignore the chemistry that is pulling them together, when this is all said and done???

Night Heat .... Laura Griffin 4.75 stars
I have deep love for any story with hot Navy SEALs in action!! This is certainly a nail biter!! A US embassy has been taken by terrorist. Jill has been wounded, and is playing dead. She has a phone hidden on her, and is feeding info to the SEAL commanding officer. Petty Officer Mike Dietz is watching her through the lens of his sniper riffle, but has to wait for his CO's ok to go in. Will they get in before she bleeds to death?? Will they get in an out without one of the terrorist blowing their bomb vest??

B.A.D. Mission.... Sherrilyn Kenyon 4 stars
Ohh my!! This was one that kept ya guessing! What's a guy to do when hit target is the one gal he has ever loved?? He is sent in to question or take her out. Will she be proved be working with terrorist, and if not can he save her??

Deadly Fixation.... Dianna Love 3 stars

High Note.... Patricia Pinianski 3.75 stars
What more could you ask for in this one!! One special human/ cop, one half vampire, and the siren they are battling. This was a great story! She's a cop investigating the strange deaths of men washing up on the lake and he is her half vamp boyfriend. The latest victim is one of his friends, and he is determined to help her. Can they stop who ever is killing theses men??

Long Shot ... Jeff Ayers & Jon Land 3 stars

Grave Danger .. Heather Graham 4.75 Stars
What could be a better place for a serial killer to attack than on the set of a zombie movie?? This was a great story. She is the set designer of this horror movie, but working at night alone has her scared out of her mind!! Is it all in her mind, or is someone truly trying to kill her??

Without Mercy .. Marti Robb 4.75 stars
This was an amazing story!! Straight out the headlines!!

Even Steven .. D.P. Lyle 5 stars
Oh WOW!! An amazing story!! It goes to show you that you don't screw with someone's kid!! All I can say is WOW!!

Dying to Score .. Cindy Gerard 4.5 stars
Gotta love a nail biting Black Ops mission in the middle of the jungle! Husband and wife team are pinned down waiting for backup. Her husband is badly injured. Can she keep him alive, and the enemy from finding them?? LOVED this one!

The Number of Man ... J.T. Ellison 3 stars

Hard Drive .. William Floyd 4 stars
A great story with a twist I so didn't see coming!

After Hours .. William Bernhardt 3 stars

Blood in, Blood out .. Brenda Novak 3.5 stars

Wed to Death .. Vicki Hinze 4 stars

The Honeymoon .. Julie Kenner 4 stars
Great story.. Totally not what I was expecting at the beginning of it!!

Execution Dock .. James Macomber 3.5 stars

In Atlantis ... Alexandra Sokoloff 3.75 stars

Break Even .. Pamela Callow 4 stars
This one was just great! Another one that shocks the hell outta you!

Dirty Down .. Debra Webb 4.5 stars
A great nerve wrecking story of going undercover to catch a killer!

Broken Hallelujah .. Toni McGee Causey 4.75 stars
I loved this one!! Two people who lost the same loved one, both looking for revenge not knowing the other is working for the same goal!!

Holding Mercy .. Lori Armstrong 5 stars
Another perfect story from Lori!! I absolutely love Mercy!! Lawd.. You get Mercy in action . Plus you get a smoking hot sex scene between her and Dawson!!! So worth the wait! But makes me want the next Mercy book now! Oh the wait!! :)

Vacation Interrupted .. Allison Brennan 4.5 stars
Talk about vacation gone wrong!! Great story!!! How do you stop someone from killing you and harassing you when they are a cop, and no one believes you??

I Heard a Romantic Story .. Lee Child 3.75 stars

[Mark Soone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well my stars are 84.5 w/ 29 stories for an avg. of 2.9 and that seems right for the stars I was planning. This is certainly not the best collection of short stories, but as a major short story fan I still found it enjoyable

1 Diamond Drop by Roxanne St. Claire- 5 stars
This was a super cool read that is a foot/shoe fetishists delight. A cool little diamond heist caper. Never heard of St. Claire but will likely be checking her out in the future!

2 Cold Moonlight by Carla Neggers- a generous 2 stars-
I have enjoyed the few of Negger's books/short stories that I have encountered...this was not one of them! If this had been the first I would likely not read "Breakwater" which is on my shelf at home.

3 poison by Beverly Barton- a generous 2 stars-
By the forward I assume this is the late Mrs. Barton, so I mean no disrespect....but this was as unenjoyable short story as I hope to encounter in this collection.

4 Speechless by Robert Browne- a solid 4 stars
I am not familiar with Browne, but loved the narrative way this story unfolded. A jealous woman, an overbearing mother, a boyfriend with bad judgement...chaos ensues!

5 Lockdown by Andrea kane- 3.5 stars
A very cool story about a volitile ex, who is not happy that his ex is getting married....a wedding holdup, an abduction and an ex fbi negotiator on her honeymoon make for a suspenseful read.

6 Spiders Tango by William Simon- 3 stars
Not bad, not bad at all. A kidnapping with horrific ramifications, a computer genius, international espionage, terrorists, and a resiliant tracking team, make for a fun story.

7 Night Heat by Laura Griffin 2.5 stars
A spin on rescuing a lady who has been abducted by terrorists and the rescue team. Not great, not bad.

8 B.A.D. Mission by Sherriyn Kenyon- 2.5 stars
A decent little story ripe with subterfuge and espionage, terrorist and counter terrorists.

9 Deadly Fixation by Dianna Love- 1.5 stars
Not my cup of tea, I like Fantasy mostly in the D&D model, and care little for sci-fi..this missed on both counts and for me is largely unenjoyable...more of a complain on the story than the writing...fans of this genre may enjoy more than I!

10 Hot Note by Patricia Rosemoor- 2 stars I guess
Not a big fan of paranormal, and never really connected with this one.

11 Last Shot by Jon Land & Jeff Ayers- 3 stars
This was an enjoyable read after a bit of a let down stretch by my preferences. Wouldn't you like to have a machine that granted you mulligans? and more!

12 Grave Danger by Heather Graham- 2.5 stars
I have never read a full length Graham book, although I have tried but never got into one before placing it back on the shelf. I have however read a few Short stories and novellettes, and they have been mostly enjoyable...this one not quite as much although I found it still very readable....just not a major paranormal fan I guess. The writing flowed nicely in spite of myself.

13 Without Mercy by Mariah Stewart- 3.5 stars
A decent little story, about what may or may not be a discovery of a long abducted girl.

14 Even Steven by D.P. Lyle- 3 stars
Another tale of vigilante justice...how far would you go in the name of avenging a loved one???

15 Dying to Score by Cindy Gerard- 2 stars
I couln't seem to get into this one....a black-ops story...never generates the steam or suspense I was hoping for.

16 The Number of Man by J.T. Ellison- 3.5 stars
This collection just wouldn't be complete without a stalker story would it?

17 Hard Drive by Bill Floyd- 2 stars
This just did not connect with me at all

18 After Hours by William Bernhardt- 1.5 stars
Just barely tolerable...for some people there may not be taboos...but as for me...Oh well. I have read several books by bernhardt...i am glad they were prior tp this, so I won't be completely turned of in the future.

19 Blood In, Blood Out by Brenda Novak- 2.5 stars
I am not familar w/ Novak at all, and was not wowwed enough to try more off of this attempt. The plot developed a little slowly and intermittently for a short story.

20 Wed to Death by Vicki Hinze- 3 stars
The premise was cool but the fleshing out of it was alittle vague and to slow to develop. A few to many holes left me wanting more...perhaps another 10-20 pages could still qualify as a short story and leave room for some of those holes to be filled. Not bad

21 The Honeymoon by Julie Kenner- 4 stars
A very fun read...on your honeymoon when a psycho stalker is on their tail....things spiral, and looks are decieving....a couple of nice devious twists.

22 Execution Dock by James Mcomber- 2 stars
started decent, but never drew me in to where I thought or hoped it might go.

23 In Atlantis by Alexandra Sokoloff- 3 stars
A decent little read. Nice to have a little heist thrown in.

24 Break Even by Pamela Callow- 4 stars
This one was very enjoyable for me. I devious little twist, vigilante justice and revenge...not that I condone this!

25 Dirty Down low by Debra Webb- 4 stars
This one was very enjoyable, and likely my 2nd favorite so far in this collection. A sting operation, a female private detective and a seriel killer walk into a book and....read it to find out.

26 Broken Hallelujah by Toni McGee Causey- 2.5 stars
a little to slow moving for a short story...ended better than it began, which is rare as many short stories begin well and end with a let down.

27 Holding Mercy by Lori Armstrong- 3 stars
Before this evolved into borderline erotice, the first 2/3rds were a very cool story. Since I didn't care about the characters I didn't enjoy them groping etc.

28 Vacation Interrupted by Allison Brennan- 3.5 stars
A nice twist on an old story...this time the woman is the cop/stalker who won't let her ex go.

29 I heard a Romantic story by lee Child- 2 stars
Aaaauuughhhhhh! First I enjoy lee child and his reacher series, but even there he writes the worst love scenerios I have ever encountered. Why would they include him in this collection.

I would recommend this to fans of certain authors in this collection, short story fans....other than that i wouldn't recommend this to those who are not already enjoying short stories or any of the authors...as I said earlier I feel there are better collections out there.

[Pamela McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how much I enjoy reading short stories until I picked up this book. Some are great, and others not so much, but it's easy to jump to the next. Entertaining collection of familiar and new voices.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Is Murder is filled with a wide variety of romantic suspense stories by an amazing grouping of authors. Many of these authors I had heard of, but never read. And now I think I’ll be making a point to read many of their books! All of the stories are suspenseful, and all have a romantic component. We even have some paranormal stories thrown in for fun. There are almost 30 stories, so I’m just going to share my favorites:

Spider’s Tango by William Simon ~ This is the one mentioned in all promotions I’ve come across. The one in which the granddaughter of the president of the U.S. is kidnapped. It’s gripping, surprising, and very good.

Night Heat by Laura Griffin ~ I loved this one. Centered on a hostage situation, it’s fast-paced, intriguing, and exciting.

Deadly Fixation by Dianna Love ~ One of the paranormal stories I mentioned above, this one is fantastic! It has the right amount of suspense with a dash of romance. Perfect!

Hot Note by Patricia Rosemoor ~ Another story with paranormal aspects,this is engaging and quite original. I loved the characters, the premise, and the delivery.

Last Shot by Jon Land & Jeff Ayers ~ I would call this one a shocking tale. Suspense, romance, and a touch of sci-fi thrown in! It is highly emotional.

Without Mercy by Mariah Stewart ~ This is a chilling story that echoes real life in some ways. (I don’t want to be more specific, for fear of spoiling it!)

Hard Drive by Bill Floyd ~ It’s the story of the cop who got involved with a woman he shouldn’t have been with. The woman who cost him his marriage, and could cost him his career. It’s well-written. Loved Howie, the main character, and was pleased by some unexpected twists.

After Hours by William Bernhardt ~ A secret, forbidden relationship with an unspeakable tragedy thrown in. I found this story engaging.

Blood In, Blood Out by Brenda Novak ~ This might be one of the most suspenseful stories in this book. The pace is fast. The stakes are high. I was engrossed the whole way through.

Wed to Death by Vicki Hinze ~ A tear-jerker with some amazing twists. Loved it!

The Honeymoon by Julie Kenner ~ I so did not see any of the twists in this one coming. I was caught off-guard, and suspect you will be, too.

Broken Hallelujah by Toni McGee Causey ~ This just might be my favorite of the stories. It takes place in New Orleans, and packs a bunch of action and information inside. Despite it’s brevity, it probably is one of the most-developed short stories I’ve ever read. I was satisfied at the end, and felt I understood everything.

These are just my favorites. I liked just about all of the stories – just one or two I’d have given 2 or 2.5 stars if it was on its own. Overall, this is an excellent collection with a wide variety of romantic suspense stories. I’d highly recommend it!

[Rebecca]

What an amazing short story anthology. After finishing this book it’s going to be hard to find a book with one great author in it let alone the 30 odd in this one.
The book obviously has some very high calibre authors many of them are names I know very well and usually when I read a short story anthology by various authors I find some that aren’t very good but in this book I loved every single story. They are all extremely well written and well thought out. They’re all absolutely brilliant.
I really liked Sandra Brown’s commentary before each story. It was short and to the point and peaked my interest in ever story.
This being the third anthology and the third I read I feel as though it was even better than the previous two anthologies.
Oftentimes it’s hard to talk about short story anthologies because some of the stories are bad, some are good, you’re not sure whether to talk about each individual story and what you thought of it. As I was reading this one I was trying to figure out this for myself but every story I came upon was amazing.
If there was one thing that I got out of this book was entertainment. I feel as though every single story had entertainment value. Some of the stories I thought they were a little odd to start with but once I had gotten to the end it all made sense and it wasn’t awful anymore.
All that being said, just go read this book. I don’t care if you don’t like short stories, this is one anthology that is definitely worth reading.

[Linda Munro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ordered this book from the library because of Sandra Brown's attachment to it, but I was really not pleased!

I like collections of short stories because I cannot seem to read one book at a time, and this gives me a way to read entire stories in between chapters of other books. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find people who can truly write a good short story, which is proven over and over in this book.

Come on, you guys are all well known authors, you had to start somewhere! Maybe a short story that was one of your first works to be published? Anything but the bad shorts in this book. Okay, I take it back, I did find a couple of decent stories, but I refuse to share which ones they were. After all, if I had to suffer through the entire book, so should every other reader who picks it up!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great stories, some awful ones, and many that were too forgettable. The short story format is one where an author can take risks and is challenged to make something memorable in a short amount of time. Too many of the stories just blended together. The mixture of romantic suspense and suspense with romance threw me off a bit, too. I don't regret reading the anthology in the slightest, and it did give me a lot of good information as to which romantic suspense authors I may like to read and what my quibbles with the genre in general are, but a tighter anthology of stories may have weeded out some of the unnecessary ones. People who primarily read suspense will probably find it more satisfying.

[Mary BookHounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS

OVERALL -- LOVED SOME MORE THAN OTHERS


So, if you can only bring one book with you on vacation this summer, this one will have you covered. There are short stories by some of my favorite authors including Roxanne St. Claire, Julie Kenner, Dianna Love and Beverly Barton. There are a lot of new names for me as well. Can you believe I have never read a Lee Child's story before? Well, that will soon be changing since I really loved the thriller here called "I Heard a Romantic Story". Dianna Love brings her paranormal world alive in Savannah with Belador Warrior, Devon and Joleen again. There is definitely something for everyone here with Navy SEALS, police, terrorist all mixed with romance--sometimes hot, steamy romance!

[Xenos · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading 583 pages from 29 authors in the Sandra Brown edited book "Love Is Murder", I had an epiphany...I don't like short stories. Correction: I don't like MOST short stories. Despite all the big name authors, I found very few of these stories reeled me in. There just wasn't enough time to establish the characters and develop a good, meaty plot. There were, however, a couple of standouts...


"Dying To Score" by Cindy Gerard (a Johnny and Tink story!)

"Spider's Tango" by William Simon

"Night Heat" by Laura Griffin

"Wed To Death" by Vicki Hinze

"Holding Mercy" by Lori Armstrong


Bottom Line: Quickies are good once in a while, but I prefer a good, healthy dose of forestory before the climax and denouement.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty enjoyable stories for the most part, but nothing felt stellar. And i was very unimpressed with the one who used a salker situation as a "romantic" suspence. Oh, and weirdly, there are 3 or 4 stories in a row with characters named Dawson; i get that some are part of series, and you can't just change the name, but why did they have to be together like that?

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I embarked on a long bus journey to Auckland over the weekend, I seized the opportunity to dive into the world of suspense and romance that had long been beckoning from my bookshelf. It's a well-known fact that I have a penchant for devouring books in one sitting, and what better occasion than a seemingly endless bus ride to delve into an anthology that had been patiently waiting for my attention since 2012 - "Love Is Murder," masterfully edited by Sandra Brown.

This anthology promises a rollercoaster of heart-racing suspense and romance, and it does not disappoint. Featuring an impressive lineup of thirty of the genre's most celebrated authors and new, emerging voices, "Love Is Murder" takes readers on an exhilarating journey through tales of love, mystery, and danger. It's the perfect literary companion for those who crave both thrills and romance, skillfully weaving the two genres together.

"Love Is Murder" is the third thrilling anthology crafted exclusively by members of the International Thriller Writers organization. This fact alone speaks volumes about the quality and craftsmanship you can expect from its pages. The collection showcases a diverse range of stories, each written with the finesse and expertise that come from years of experience in the genre.

The stories within this anthology run the gamut, from pulse-pounding mysteries to heartwarming love stories, all interwoven with an undercurrent of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Each author brings their unique storytelling style, making "Love Is Murder" a treasure trove for readers who appreciate the multifaceted nature of the romantic suspense genre.

The strength of "Love Is Murder" lies in its ability to engage the reader emotionally and intellectually. It seamlessly transitions from tales of love and longing to high-stakes mysteries and heart-pounding action, ensuring that there's never a dull moment in this anthology. Whether you're a seasoned fan of romantic suspense or just dipping your toes into the genre, this collection has something for everyone.

In conclusion, "Love Is Murder" edited by Sandra Brown is an enthralling compilation of suspenseful romance tales that will grip your heart and captivate your imagination. This anthology is a must-have addition to any bookshelf, especially for those who revel in stories that defy genre boundaries and deliver unforgettable moments of tension and passion. If you're looking for a riveting reading experience that will transport you to the thrilling world of romantic suspense, "Love Is Murder" is the perfect choice. Don't let it languish on your bookshelf any longer; pick it up and let the suspenseful journey begin.

[Zoë · Rating 2 out of 5]

These stories were awful. They were far too short, so you got a slight buildup of suspense but then you were just dropped suddenly off a cliff to finish. They needed to be a lot longer—five or so pages is barely enough to cover relevant plot, let alone create characters you like and have any action. Some of these had potential, but it seemed like the authors spent five minutes writing them before moving back to their real work.

In a good story collection, when you finish one story you don't want to move to the next one for a bit, because you're still immersed in that world. Here, though, it was easy to go quickly from one to the next because each was so forgettable. And why did half the stories have a character named Dawson?

The only good story was the last one. Don't bother with this collection.

[Kat Ryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as the title of the book implies, all these stories are about thrilling, and dangerous settings and a couple falling into each other's arms, in one way or another. Every single story is a stand alone, and I wouldn't be able to pick one out that I liked better than the others.

Thanks to Sandra Brown's editing, each one is fast paced, well plotted, and is a whirlwind of action. I bought this book because Sandra Brown edited it. My thought was that she would bring her unique write skill to bear on every story, and I wasn't too far off.

She writes a sentence or two at the beginning of each story, and keeps the writers on point throughout.

This is highly recommended. You won't be disappointed. 5+ stars

[Mrs. Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sandra Brown may be a good writer (I’m unacquainted with her work), but judging by the stories she picked for Love Is Murder she’s a lousy editor. I liked only two (“The Honeymoon,” by Julie Kenner, and Lee Child’s “I Heard a Romantic Story”) out of more than two dozen. The rest were formulaic and/or boring and/or simply dumb. There was one I didn’t read (Land & Ayers’ “Last Shot”) because it began with the death of a family pet.
I would suggest that if you can find the Childs short* anywhere else you skip Love Is Murder altogether.

*readers lost out on a lot of good books when Reacher became an instant hit; the author is capable of so much more

[D Nichols]

Poisoned - Beverly Barton - Good story.
Deadly Fixation - Dianna Love - Good story.
Hot Note - Patricia Rosemoor - Good story.
Last Shot - Jon Land & Jeff Ayers - Good story.
Without Mercy - Mariah Stewart - Good story.
Even Steven - D.P. Lyle - Good story.
In Atlantis - Alexandra Sokoloff - Good story.
The Honeymoon - Julie Kenner - Good story.
Execution Dock - James Macomber - Good story.
Break Even - Pamela Callow - Good story.
Dirty Down Low - Debra Webb - Good story.
Broken Hallelujah - Toni McGee Causey - Good story.

[TINNGG · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best way to think of this is a pricy collection of publisher's samples. You know - those things they normally give you for free in hopes you'll buy the actual book?

Some of the stories were surely standalone, but a lot of them weren't. There's a B.A.D. entry, and a Belador entry, for example. And a lot of them weren't my cuppa. A few fell into the category of "what the hell did I just read?". All of them were about the length of the average term paper too, so even if you did enjoy it, it was just long enough to well, make you want to buy the book (which may or may not exist)