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Cupid Shot Me
Eleven award-winning queer authors come together to spin tales of murder, horror, and suspense all during a Valentine's Day you won't soon forget!
From the Introduction by Michael Nava, celebrated author of the Henry Rios mysteries:
The stories in Cupid Shot Me fall somewhere between the classic Richard Rodgers tune "My Funny Valentine" and the gangland Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. You'll find bushels of red roses but some may be lethal, and watch what you eat at that romantic dinner because that exquisite morsel on your fork may be poisoned. You'll definitely want the bomb squad to inspect that enormous box of chocolates before you open it.
Here's who you'll find under the covers of this book:
Gregory Ashe - "Responsible Adults"
J.B. Sanders - "Glen & Tyler Skip Dessert"
Neil Plakcy - "Cabbage Key"
Mark Zubro - "Roses Are Dead"
Mark McNease - "Paper Hearts: A Marshall James Thriller"
Rick R. Reed - "I've Been Inside Your House"
Marko Realmonte - "Paris"
Brad Shreve - "Bound to Love"
Greg Herren - "This Thing of Darkness"
Meg Perry - "Speed Murder"
Frank W. Butterfield - "Let's Fall in Love"
These eleven tales about love will mystify, chill, and thrill you! They might even send you diving under the covers with your very own Valentine!
From the Introduction by Michael Nava, celebrated author of the Henry Rios mysteries:
The stories in Cupid Shot Me fall somewhere between the classic Richard Rodgers tune "My Funny Valentine" and the gangland Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. You'll find bushels of red roses but some may be lethal, and watch what you eat at that romantic dinner because that exquisite morsel on your fork may be poisoned. You'll definitely want the bomb squad to inspect that enormous box of chocolates before you open it.
Here's who you'll find under the covers of this book:
Gregory Ashe - "Responsible Adults"
J.B. Sanders - "Glen & Tyler Skip Dessert"
Neil Plakcy - "Cabbage Key"
Mark Zubro - "Roses Are Dead"
Mark McNease - "Paper Hearts: A Marshall James Thriller"
Rick R. Reed - "I've Been Inside Your House"
Marko Realmonte - "Paris"
Brad Shreve - "Bound to Love"
Greg Herren - "This Thing of Darkness"
Meg Perry - "Speed Murder"
Frank W. Butterfield - "Let's Fall in Love"
These eleven tales about love will mystify, chill, and thrill you! They might even send you diving under the covers with your very own Valentine!
452 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2022
11 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Frank W. Butterfield
123 books106 followersFrank W. Butterfield, not an assumed name, loves old movies, wise-cracking smart guys with hearts of gold, and writing for fun.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 22, 2022
Admittedly, I’m not typically one for anthologies, but I have to say this is not your average collection of stories.
I’ll continue to update this review as I read more, but I wanted to bring attention to this for those who like a bit of dark and twisted to their romance. I suspect more unconventional Valentine themed stories are sure to be unveiled, most likely veering far from the hearts and roses and all things sugary sweet which has definitely left me intrigued..
“Paris” - Marko Realmonte - 4 Stars
I’ve enjoyed what this author has created thus far and this was no different. When a second chance at love is as titillating as it is exhilarating, Trent can’t believe his good fortune at catching the eye of beautiful Alex while on holiday.
When they each confess their darkest secrets, is it a chance for further intimacy and connection or is this encounter just a one time dalliance? Realmonte sets the stage for intrigue and I don't want to say more, lest the conclusion be spoiled. To say the least, I wasn’t expecting what I got!
Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review
I’ll continue to update this review as I read more, but I wanted to bring attention to this for those who like a bit of dark and twisted to their romance. I suspect more unconventional Valentine themed stories are sure to be unveiled, most likely veering far from the hearts and roses and all things sugary sweet which has definitely left me intrigued..
“Paris” - Marko Realmonte - 4 Stars
I’ve enjoyed what this author has created thus far and this was no different. When a second chance at love is as titillating as it is exhilarating, Trent can’t believe his good fortune at catching the eye of beautiful Alex while on holiday.
When they each confess their darkest secrets, is it a chance for further intimacy and connection or is this encounter just a one time dalliance? Realmonte sets the stage for intrigue and I don't want to say more, lest the conclusion be spoiled. To say the least, I wasn’t expecting what I got!
Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review
January 26, 2022
A very-well written and diverse compilation of stories that celebrate male sexuality. I loved this book not only for its skilled storytelling but also the original premise of mixing murder with love … on Valentine’s Day … how devilishly fun is that??
November 7, 2022
Cupid Shot Me: Valentine Tales of Love, Mystery & Suspense
Edited by Frank W. Butterfield and Meg Perry
Published by the editors, 2022
Five stars
I’ve been putting off writing this review because it’s so complicated. Anthologies are always difficult, and this is a large and especially rich one, making it harder still. The real answer is to let the stories speak for themselves, as well as the fine introduction by Michael Nava, which really explains why you need to read this book: the quality of the stories and the writing. This is a rich sampler of the less romantic side of contemporary gay fiction. Every single story is a gem of narrative and prose. As Nava points out, short stories are harder than novels, because to be good, they have to have everything the reader wants packed into a relatively small space.
I know the books of all of these authors except for Meg Perry, an oversight I’ll correct soon. Each work in the anthology exemplifies the skill and art of its maker. I found myself freaked out and moved to tears, with occasional laughter. It’s a hugely diverse offering, while at the same time surprisingly coherent. The compiling editors did a fantastic job.
Gregory Ashe’s “Responsible Adults” sets a misleadingly light tone, with his Hazard and Somerset duo chaperoning a high school prom. It is funny and fast-paced, with only flickers of darkness that call to mind the potential for real tragedy. This is the only story in the book that doesn’t deal with a violent death.
“Glen & Tyler Skip Dessert” by J.B. Sanders, “Cabbage Key” by Neil Plakcy, and “Roses are Dead” by Mark Zubro are classic whodunnit stories, each delicious with the narrative flavorings that make the authors’ distinctive style.
On the other hand “Paper Hearts” by Mark McNease, “I’ve Been Inside Your House” by Rick R. Reed, and “Paris” by Marko Realmonte are more psychologically unnerving. McNease delivers up a poignant tale of an aging man thinking back on a lost love; while Reed’s is more of a tale of arrogant youth brought up short by the real dangers of the world. Realmonte’s story completely threw me, a testament to his clever writing worthy of Alfred Hitchcock. A young widower tries to recapture a past happiness, but finds something he could never have imagined.
“This Thing of Darkness” by Greg Herren left me shuddering. There is a flawless logic in its carefully-crafted narrative, but the title is suggestive, so take heed. Brad Shreve’s “Bound to Love” is not quite so dark, but it left me disquieted with its unflinching portrayal of a side of gay life entirely alien to me.
“Speed Murder” by Meg Perry lightens things up, but leaves the reader with a reminder of the realities of being a gay cop, even in a world seething with change. “Let’s Fall in Love” by Frank W. Butterfield, like the first story in the collection, is amusing and filled with love, even when murder enters the room. It was nice to end this anthological adventure on a warm note, as much as I enjoyed the chills that preceded it.
Edited by Frank W. Butterfield and Meg Perry
Published by the editors, 2022
Five stars
I’ve been putting off writing this review because it’s so complicated. Anthologies are always difficult, and this is a large and especially rich one, making it harder still. The real answer is to let the stories speak for themselves, as well as the fine introduction by Michael Nava, which really explains why you need to read this book: the quality of the stories and the writing. This is a rich sampler of the less romantic side of contemporary gay fiction. Every single story is a gem of narrative and prose. As Nava points out, short stories are harder than novels, because to be good, they have to have everything the reader wants packed into a relatively small space.
I know the books of all of these authors except for Meg Perry, an oversight I’ll correct soon. Each work in the anthology exemplifies the skill and art of its maker. I found myself freaked out and moved to tears, with occasional laughter. It’s a hugely diverse offering, while at the same time surprisingly coherent. The compiling editors did a fantastic job.
Gregory Ashe’s “Responsible Adults” sets a misleadingly light tone, with his Hazard and Somerset duo chaperoning a high school prom. It is funny and fast-paced, with only flickers of darkness that call to mind the potential for real tragedy. This is the only story in the book that doesn’t deal with a violent death.
“Glen & Tyler Skip Dessert” by J.B. Sanders, “Cabbage Key” by Neil Plakcy, and “Roses are Dead” by Mark Zubro are classic whodunnit stories, each delicious with the narrative flavorings that make the authors’ distinctive style.
On the other hand “Paper Hearts” by Mark McNease, “I’ve Been Inside Your House” by Rick R. Reed, and “Paris” by Marko Realmonte are more psychologically unnerving. McNease delivers up a poignant tale of an aging man thinking back on a lost love; while Reed’s is more of a tale of arrogant youth brought up short by the real dangers of the world. Realmonte’s story completely threw me, a testament to his clever writing worthy of Alfred Hitchcock. A young widower tries to recapture a past happiness, but finds something he could never have imagined.
“This Thing of Darkness” by Greg Herren left me shuddering. There is a flawless logic in its carefully-crafted narrative, but the title is suggestive, so take heed. Brad Shreve’s “Bound to Love” is not quite so dark, but it left me disquieted with its unflinching portrayal of a side of gay life entirely alien to me.
“Speed Murder” by Meg Perry lightens things up, but leaves the reader with a reminder of the realities of being a gay cop, even in a world seething with change. “Let’s Fall in Love” by Frank W. Butterfield, like the first story in the collection, is amusing and filled with love, even when murder enters the room. It was nice to end this anthological adventure on a warm note, as much as I enjoyed the chills that preceded it.
January 29, 2022
Fun, dark, light, scary, surprising, and enjoyable sums up these 11 stories. As Michael Nava, in the introduction states, "short stories are harder to write than mystery novels." These 11 are gems. One story brought to mind "Strangers on a Train," but I'll say no more. The stories will keep you guessing, and maybe keep the lights on, right through to the final reveal.
I am familiar with some of these authors, but now I have a few more to search out and follow.
The editors, Frank W. Butterfield and Meg Perry did a masterful job selecting these pieces to keep the reader in suspense and turning the pages.
I am familiar with some of these authors, but now I have a few more to search out and follow.
The editors, Frank W. Butterfield and Meg Perry did a masterful job selecting these pieces to keep the reader in suspense and turning the pages.
February 26, 2022
I really liked this collection of short stories, 4,5 stars for me. The editors did a great job! I was a great mix and I found several authors I want to read more of. I would have liked it if the book would have said if the story was part of an existing series, it would have saved me some searching.
Gregory Ashe - Repsonsible adults: I have read Gregory Ashe, but I didn’t start on the Hazard and Somerset series yet. But I definitely will now, I laughed reading this and want to read more about them. One of my favorites in this collection.
J.B. Sanders - Glen & Tyler skip dessert: This was a true locked-room mystery set within a restaurant on a remote island. Not too complicated, but a nice read.
Neil Plakcy – Cabbage Key: A story set in the sixties. Alex and George go on a ‘fishing’ trip on a romantic location. George recognized a mobster and when his mistress is murdered, the mobster hires George to solve the crime. Not one of my favorites, there wasn’t really a mystery.
Mark Zubro – Roses are dead: Ben and Paul have the same idea on this Valentine day. Unfortunately Ben is called to a murder of an escort in a hotel. He needs to find out what the escort has to do with the wealthy owner of the hotel, who lives on the top floors. Also one of my favorites, a nice mystery and I liked the characters.
Mark McNease – Paper hearts: this was actually a sad story about a lost love. Marshal finds a Valentine card of his ex and remembers what happened with that relationship. His ex was a detective on a case and Marshal knew the victim and wanted to find out what happened. He almost got himself killed.
Rick R. Reed - I’ve been inside your house: This was one of those stories you constantly want to scream “look behind you!”, “don’t do that!” etc. Stephen receives a threat in the form of a card that says ‘I’ve been inside your house’. But he doesn’t take it very seriously, although there is a serial killer on the loose. Nice read.
Marko Realmonte – Paris: One of my favorites. At the end of the story you wonder “what have I been reading?”. A very big plot twist, I’m not going to say anything about it, you just have to read it!
Brad Shreve - Bound to love: This author did something you don’t see very often: . A nice twist for a change.
Greg Herren – This thing of Darkness: The ending of this one caught me off guard. I don’t know if I liked it, it actually made me a bit angry.
Meg Perry – Speed murder: The reason I knew about this collection was because of Meg Perry, so I knew I would like her story. It’s a little prequel of the Jamie Brodie mysteries. Also a locked-room mystery.
Frank W. Butterfield – Let’s fall in love: I liked this couple and I would like to read more about them, but unfortunately they are only available on Kindle and I don’t have a Kindle. But a nice story.
Gregory Ashe - Repsonsible adults: I have read Gregory Ashe, but I didn’t start on the Hazard and Somerset series yet. But I definitely will now, I laughed reading this and want to read more about them. One of my favorites in this collection.
J.B. Sanders - Glen & Tyler skip dessert: This was a true locked-room mystery set within a restaurant on a remote island. Not too complicated, but a nice read.
Neil Plakcy – Cabbage Key: A story set in the sixties. Alex and George go on a ‘fishing’ trip on a romantic location. George recognized a mobster and when his mistress is murdered, the mobster hires George to solve the crime. Not one of my favorites, there wasn’t really a mystery.
Mark Zubro – Roses are dead: Ben and Paul have the same idea on this Valentine day. Unfortunately Ben is called to a murder of an escort in a hotel. He needs to find out what the escort has to do with the wealthy owner of the hotel, who lives on the top floors. Also one of my favorites, a nice mystery and I liked the characters.
Mark McNease – Paper hearts: this was actually a sad story about a lost love. Marshal finds a Valentine card of his ex and remembers what happened with that relationship. His ex was a detective on a case and Marshal knew the victim and wanted to find out what happened. He almost got himself killed.
Rick R. Reed - I’ve been inside your house: This was one of those stories you constantly want to scream “look behind you!”, “don’t do that!” etc. Stephen receives a threat in the form of a card that says ‘I’ve been inside your house’. But he doesn’t take it very seriously, although there is a serial killer on the loose. Nice read.
Marko Realmonte – Paris: One of my favorites. At the end of the story you wonder “what have I been reading?”. A very big plot twist, I’m not going to say anything about it, you just have to read it!
Brad Shreve - Bound to love: This author did something you don’t see very often: . A nice twist for a change.
Greg Herren – This thing of Darkness: The ending of this one caught me off guard. I don’t know if I liked it, it actually made me a bit angry.
Meg Perry – Speed murder: The reason I knew about this collection was because of Meg Perry, so I knew I would like her story. It’s a little prequel of the Jamie Brodie mysteries. Also a locked-room mystery.
Frank W. Butterfield – Let’s fall in love: I liked this couple and I would like to read more about them, but unfortunately they are only available on Kindle and I don’t have a Kindle. But a nice story.
February 12, 2022
I loved this anthology of Valentine's tales. Each author added a different and distinct voice to the collection, making it highly entertaining! I especially loved "Paris" by Marko Realmonte. Filled with intrigue, depth and suspense, it kept me hooked from start to finish. I also enjoyed Rick R. Reed's, "I've Been Inside Your House" as it was steamy and creepy...a great combo. Lots of talent packed into one book!!
February 1, 2022
*Graciously provided a copy for review*
Murder, intrigue, and romance- all the makings of a perfect Valentine's Day read! This is such a great collaboration with so many amazing writers. Gregory Ashe had me laughing at Hazard and Somerset's antics and one-liners, Frank Butterfield let me fall in love with Eddie and Whit all over again, and Marko Realmonte threw such a twist I had to read the story again! This book is the perfect mix of new and old characters that are easy to love...and sometimes hate! This is a must read from a group of authors that I can only hope continue to collaborate and offer new stories in the future!
Murder, intrigue, and romance- all the makings of a perfect Valentine's Day read! This is such a great collaboration with so many amazing writers. Gregory Ashe had me laughing at Hazard and Somerset's antics and one-liners, Frank Butterfield let me fall in love with Eddie and Whit all over again, and Marko Realmonte threw such a twist I had to read the story again! This book is the perfect mix of new and old characters that are easy to love...and sometimes hate! This is a must read from a group of authors that I can only hope continue to collaborate and offer new stories in the future!
February 4, 2022
Great collection of mysteries combined with Valentine's Day. Enjoyed every one of them. Would like to see something like this again.
February 11, 2022
This collection of stories is so fun and entertaining! Since I am a fan of mysteries/detective stories it was even more enjoyable to read, not to mention the romance element! That was a sweet theme, given the time of year. I wasn't familiar with very many of the authors, so it gave me a chance to get a taste of a lot of different styles and characters. I am not exaggerating when I say that after I read each one, I thought "THAT one is my favorite!" - very hard to choose from among so many good stories, but luckily you don't have to. Pick this book up and enjoy in bites or as a whole meal. Standouts for me were Paper Hearts/Mark McNease, Bound to Love/Brad Shreve and Speed Murder/Meg Perry.
January 29, 2022
As it happens with every anthology, there are stories here that I enjoyed more than others, but as a whole, this is a really, really good reading.
1. Hazard and Somers are chaperoning the high-school dance... yeah, it goes as well as you can imagine *dies laughing*
2. Glen & Tyler Skip Dessert; Okay, I have not read these characters before and I think I lost most of the charm of the story because of it.
3. Cabbage Key: Not really a mystery, just an interrupted romantic weekend, a lovely couple and a very sad man.
4. Roses are Dead: This reminded me that I need to keep reading the Paul Turner's series and why. Really good
5. Paper Hearts: Oh, Marshall! *watery smile* I'm so happy for you!
6. I've Been Inside Your House: Oh, this has such a deliciously creepy beginning! Although I wasn't surprised by the end.
7. Paris: This was a new author for me, and I really liked his writing although I didn't like the story.
8. Bound to Love: I skipped this one, I don't fancy BDSM
9. This Thing of Darkness: Damn! This one was dark! But I liked it.
10. Speed Murder: A nice little mystery and 'lies on top of lies'.
11. Let's Fall in Love: Witty dialogues and lots of food; buying furniture together; and a party with new friends and some channelling; and of course, a little murder mystery. All on Valentine's Day. I love Eddie and Whit SO much! ♥
A delightful collection of short stories, all centred around Saint Valentin's Day, and there are all of very different flavours, enough to have something for everyone :D
1. Hazard and Somers are chaperoning the high-school dance... yeah, it goes as well as you can imagine *dies laughing*
2. Glen & Tyler Skip Dessert; Okay, I have not read these characters before and I think I lost most of the charm of the story because of it.
3. Cabbage Key: Not really a mystery, just an interrupted romantic weekend, a lovely couple and a very sad man.
4. Roses are Dead: This reminded me that I need to keep reading the Paul Turner's series and why. Really good
5. Paper Hearts: Oh, Marshall! *watery smile* I'm so happy for you!
6. I've Been Inside Your House: Oh, this has such a deliciously creepy beginning! Although I wasn't surprised by the end.
7. Paris: This was a new author for me, and I really liked his writing although I didn't like the story.
8. Bound to Love: I skipped this one, I don't fancy BDSM
9. This Thing of Darkness: Damn! This one was dark! But I liked it.
10. Speed Murder: A nice little mystery and 'lies on top of lies'.
11. Let's Fall in Love: Witty dialogues and lots of food; buying furniture together; and a party with new friends and some channelling; and of course, a little murder mystery. All on Valentine's Day. I love Eddie and Whit SO much! ♥
A delightful collection of short stories, all centred around Saint Valentin's Day, and there are all of very different flavours, enough to have something for everyone :D
March 9, 2022
Okay, so a few of these were a little too dark for Valentine's Day for me, but it's a great idea for an anthology - can't wait to see what the next one is
February 6, 2022
I tend to have a love/hate relationship with anthologies. I LOVE the variety that an anthology provides - many short stories in one volume, providing the reader with a smorgasbord of writing styles and atmospheres. The short story also allows a reader to get a feel for a writer and may propel them to purchase further books by an author they enjoyed. What I HATE about an anthology is that I want more from some of the stories! As they are brief in nature, often I will become engrossed in some characters and want the tales to continue far beyond the scope of the story presented. Clever marketing! That's what that is! Dangle that carrot from the stick and get the reader to buy more books! LOL. This particular anthology ran the gamut from romance to horror. (I'm not quite sure how this group of stories was selected but the only unifying factor was that they all occurred on Valentine's Day.) One story, "I've Been Inside Your House" left me with a lot of unanswered questions. Another, "Paris," was a twisted tale of mental illness, and another, "This Thing of Darkness," was outright horrifying in its conclusion. I'm glad the book ended with a tale that was romantic and intriguing - Frank Butterfield's "Let's Fall In Love." It soothed my uneasy emotional state after reading the previous couple of tales. All of the stories in this book are well-crafted and offer the reader a very interesting selection of authors. I don't know that I will ever look at Valentine's Day in the same light ever again!
February 24, 2022
Some mystery writers sabotage their own work by writing from first person. Mark McNease did this with Paper Hearts. His protagonist, Marshall, is never really in danger of being murdered because he’s telling us the story. Narrators rarely die. Sadly, McNease has let all the suspense leak out of his story.
Marko Realmonte also wrote his story, Paris, in the first person but his protagonist, Trent, has a fate far more interesting than death. The ending to this story is so mind-blowing that I had to read it twice to look for clues and bread crumbs. The plot itself deals with abuse and loneliness and is a masterful tale well told.
In Bound to Love, Brad Shreve may have turned off some readers by entering the BDSM world of bondage and leather. But at its core, this story is about trust and betrayal and is a nice addition to the collection.
This Thing of Darkness is a tense and wonderful story from Greg Herren about guilt and dealing with the sins of the past. Unfortunately, the writer ruins his own good work with a nonsensical and overly violent ending.
Another failing in this anthology is the tendency for authors to reprise characters and relationships from previously published novels. This rehashing seems rather lazy. (Gregory Ashe, JB Sanders, Mark McNease, Rick R Reed, Frank W Butterfield all do it) The authors may feel that their short stories stand alone and that the nostalgia of bringing back characters is pleasing to their fans. But those of us who haven’t read those back-stories feel left out in the cold. It’s like being invited to a party where everyone knows one another and we know no one.
Rick R. Reed’s I’ve Been Inside Your House is apparently just a renamed shortened version of a novel titled, How I Met My Man which he published in 2011. Anyone with half a brain can figure out the ending, and that’s only one of the flaws. The real mystery is why Reed felt the need to resurrect this piece.
Responsible Adults by Gregory Ashe is a charming and sweet story, even if he is relying on previous novels. The problem here is that he never uses the character’s first names. Hazard said this, Somers did that, etc. And all the names sound like they came from a queer soap opera.
Glen & Tyler Skip Dessert by JB Sanders is the worst offender as far as rehashed characters with unknown back-stories go. The mystery/murder itself is completely unbelievable. Even one of the main characters questions the logic of the remote setting.
Conversely, Cabbage Key by Neil Plakcy uses the setting (southern Florida) extremely well and I also liked the placement of the story in the past. Two lovers looking to get away and stumbling into a murder does seem a bit like Jessica Fletcher territory, but it works.
Roses are Dead by Mark Zubro is silly, at best. Jealousy, porn stars, and a very convoluted method of killing make this police procedural common fare.
It’s unusual for editors to include their own work in an anthology that they are curating, yet both Frank W. Butterworth and Meg Perry have included their own submissions here. Meg’s Speed Dating is fun and plausible if just a tiny bit obvious in its conclusion. Frank W. Butterworth’s contribution, Let’s Fall in Love, however, is insufferable.
Butterworth’s story is long, dull, and as an ‘editor’ he should have taken the blue pencil to more than half of it. There is barely a story buried within his pages. It’s all characters eating and discussing song choices without any discernible plot. For instance, we are 23 pages into the story before we discover that one of the main characters is a “light trance channel” (whatever that’s supposed to be.) It’s another three pages before we get to the “mystery” which is about a ghost trying to use the MC to uncover his killer. This has all the hallmarks of really bad writing. Rehashed characters, a first-person narrative, and an unbearable amount of meaningless blather before you get to the thinly-wrought story.
My favorite of the bunch was Paris, followed by Cabbage Key, and Responsible Adults. If nothing else this anthology taught me which authors to seek out…and which ones to avoid.
Marko Realmonte also wrote his story, Paris, in the first person but his protagonist, Trent, has a fate far more interesting than death. The ending to this story is so mind-blowing that I had to read it twice to look for clues and bread crumbs. The plot itself deals with abuse and loneliness and is a masterful tale well told.
In Bound to Love, Brad Shreve may have turned off some readers by entering the BDSM world of bondage and leather. But at its core, this story is about trust and betrayal and is a nice addition to the collection.
This Thing of Darkness is a tense and wonderful story from Greg Herren about guilt and dealing with the sins of the past. Unfortunately, the writer ruins his own good work with a nonsensical and overly violent ending.
Another failing in this anthology is the tendency for authors to reprise characters and relationships from previously published novels. This rehashing seems rather lazy. (Gregory Ashe, JB Sanders, Mark McNease, Rick R Reed, Frank W Butterfield all do it) The authors may feel that their short stories stand alone and that the nostalgia of bringing back characters is pleasing to their fans. But those of us who haven’t read those back-stories feel left out in the cold. It’s like being invited to a party where everyone knows one another and we know no one.
Rick R. Reed’s I’ve Been Inside Your House is apparently just a renamed shortened version of a novel titled, How I Met My Man which he published in 2011. Anyone with half a brain can figure out the ending, and that’s only one of the flaws. The real mystery is why Reed felt the need to resurrect this piece.
Responsible Adults by Gregory Ashe is a charming and sweet story, even if he is relying on previous novels. The problem here is that he never uses the character’s first names. Hazard said this, Somers did that, etc. And all the names sound like they came from a queer soap opera.
Glen & Tyler Skip Dessert by JB Sanders is the worst offender as far as rehashed characters with unknown back-stories go. The mystery/murder itself is completely unbelievable. Even one of the main characters questions the logic of the remote setting.
Conversely, Cabbage Key by Neil Plakcy uses the setting (southern Florida) extremely well and I also liked the placement of the story in the past. Two lovers looking to get away and stumbling into a murder does seem a bit like Jessica Fletcher territory, but it works.
Roses are Dead by Mark Zubro is silly, at best. Jealousy, porn stars, and a very convoluted method of killing make this police procedural common fare.
It’s unusual for editors to include their own work in an anthology that they are curating, yet both Frank W. Butterworth and Meg Perry have included their own submissions here. Meg’s Speed Dating is fun and plausible if just a tiny bit obvious in its conclusion. Frank W. Butterworth’s contribution, Let’s Fall in Love, however, is insufferable.
Butterworth’s story is long, dull, and as an ‘editor’ he should have taken the blue pencil to more than half of it. There is barely a story buried within his pages. It’s all characters eating and discussing song choices without any discernible plot. For instance, we are 23 pages into the story before we discover that one of the main characters is a “light trance channel” (whatever that’s supposed to be.) It’s another three pages before we get to the “mystery” which is about a ghost trying to use the MC to uncover his killer. This has all the hallmarks of really bad writing. Rehashed characters, a first-person narrative, and an unbearable amount of meaningless blather before you get to the thinly-wrought story.
My favorite of the bunch was Paris, followed by Cabbage Key, and Responsible Adults. If nothing else this anthology taught me which authors to seek out…and which ones to avoid.
July 19, 2023
Enjoyable collection of short mystery stories. Well chosen by a good selection of authors.
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