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ncrabb's review
5.0
The first story in this issue is a must-read. Steve Hockensmith is back with the two brothers who operate the AA Western Detective Agency. This time, they’re in Littleton, Colorado. Someone robs a newspaper owner in a town where the competition is fierce. Oh, they don’t want his money. They want to steel copies of his newspaper he’s taking to another community to boost circulation and, he hopes, increase ad sales.
But with Big Red and Old Red on the case, they soon discover the robbers, and the reason for the robbery. This was a delightful way to start the issue. I initially wondered why the editors didn’t feature the Doug Allyn story closer to the front, but after I read this one, it made sense that Hockensmith’s story should be the lead.
Paleolithic by K.L. Abrahamson: A woman is part of a loveless marriage to a well-known surgeon. When she arrives at a seaside vacation house the couple bought years earlier, she encounters a former college classmate who unconventionally uses bagpipes to imitate whale songs.
The Death-Camp Angel by Doug Allyn: This story is my choice for the best story in the magazine. Told from the perspective of a wounded World War II vet, it is gripping from the first sentence. Allyn hones his writing skills to a lazar point for this one; he doesn’t waste a word, and yet you don’t get that stripped-down no-frills feeling you get if you read a Hemingway short story. I suspect this is the plot that will stay with you long after you delete the magazine.
Stone Still by B.A. Paul: This is an odd story about performance art.
The Scarlet Box by Alex Grecian: A small-town constable grapples with the mysterious disappearance of women in his district.
Best Served Cold by Alice Hatcher: A chilling, creepy story about two girls who were in a drug-created car crash. Both dealt with the lifelong impact of the crash, but neither of them really moved on. This is a story of vengeance, and it will chill you.
Their Last Bow by Josh Pachter: A modern-day story that features detective Ellery Queen. Pretty meh.
The Sound of Laughing by Jack Fredrickson: They say what comes around goes around. In this story, an old man with an ailing ticker worries about his wife. She’s a social climber and hates the fact that they’re on a fixed income. If you read it, you’ll know he has good reason to worry.
True Companion by Libby Cudmore: A short-on-cash detective agrees to hunt for the lost dog of a homeless woman. I loved the humanity expressed in the story. The detective is highly likable.
On the Side of the Angels by Merrilee Robson: Set in World War II-era western Canada, this story examines whether a destitute small-town family can pull off an armed robbery.
The Wind by Bill Pronzini: A lonely man faces a night alone in his house during a horrific windstorm. He reflects on his marriage, his job, and his voracious ambition for more money and greater success. This was a fantastic story as only Bill Pronzini can write them. No, his protagonist isn’t “Nameless,” as it is in so many of his books. His name is Tommy, and his past haunts him on that windy night—haunts him in brutal memorable ways.
The Musgrave Ritual by Terence Faherty: A Holmes piece that didn't impress me at all.
The Favor by Michael Z. Lewin: They say talk is cheap, but in this story, the conversation is everything!
It’s All in the Telling by Ariel Dodson: The carnival hasn’t been to the town for years. When it was last in town, the cadre of high-schoolfriends went as a final rite of Spring. Their coolness was on full display, including the way in which they ganged up on the girl who wasn’t part of their clique. The highlight back then was the trip to the fortune teller’s booth. All of them marveled years later how accurate their fortunes were. Now the carnival is back after decades of absence, and the cadre of friends agrees to go and to sit in the fortune teller’s booth for old time’s sake. I promise you’ll love the twisty ending.
DEPARTMENT OF FIRST STORIES
Into Thin Air by Karen Jobst: This is a great story about a teacher nearing retirement who escapes the abuse of his wife.
The Policeman and the Dead by Raghu Roy: A story set in India, this explores whether a man’s death was suicide or murder.
BLACK MASK
Double Fly Rocket 87 by Eli Cranor: This is a great story about some grim shenanigans at a Texas high-school football concession stand. I don’t normally like the Black Mask stories, but this one was good.
But with Big Red and Old Red on the case, they soon discover the robbers, and the reason for the robbery. This was a delightful way to start the issue. I initially wondered why the editors didn’t feature the Doug Allyn story closer to the front, but after I read this one, it made sense that Hockensmith’s story should be the lead.
Paleolithic by K.L. Abrahamson: A woman is part of a loveless marriage to a well-known surgeon. When she arrives at a seaside vacation house the couple bought years earlier, she encounters a former college classmate who unconventionally uses bagpipes to imitate whale songs.
The Death-Camp Angel by Doug Allyn: This story is my choice for the best story in the magazine. Told from the perspective of a wounded World War II vet, it is gripping from the first sentence. Allyn hones his writing skills to a lazar point for this one; he doesn’t waste a word, and yet you don’t get that stripped-down no-frills feeling you get if you read a Hemingway short story. I suspect this is the plot that will stay with you long after you delete the magazine.
Stone Still by B.A. Paul: This is an odd story about performance art.
The Scarlet Box by Alex Grecian: A small-town constable grapples with the mysterious disappearance of women in his district.
Best Served Cold by Alice Hatcher: A chilling, creepy story about two girls who were in a drug-created car crash. Both dealt with the lifelong impact of the crash, but neither of them really moved on. This is a story of vengeance, and it will chill you.
Their Last Bow by Josh Pachter: A modern-day story that features detective Ellery Queen. Pretty meh.
The Sound of Laughing by Jack Fredrickson: They say what comes around goes around. In this story, an old man with an ailing ticker worries about his wife. She’s a social climber and hates the fact that they’re on a fixed income. If you read it, you’ll know he has good reason to worry.
True Companion by Libby Cudmore: A short-on-cash detective agrees to hunt for the lost dog of a homeless woman. I loved the humanity expressed in the story. The detective is highly likable.
On the Side of the Angels by Merrilee Robson: Set in World War II-era western Canada, this story examines whether a destitute small-town family can pull off an armed robbery.
The Wind by Bill Pronzini: A lonely man faces a night alone in his house during a horrific windstorm. He reflects on his marriage, his job, and his voracious ambition for more money and greater success. This was a fantastic story as only Bill Pronzini can write them. No, his protagonist isn’t “Nameless,” as it is in so many of his books. His name is Tommy, and his past haunts him on that windy night—haunts him in brutal memorable ways.
The Musgrave Ritual by Terence Faherty: A Holmes piece that didn't impress me at all.
The Favor by Michael Z. Lewin: They say talk is cheap, but in this story, the conversation is everything!
It’s All in the Telling by Ariel Dodson: The carnival hasn’t been to the town for years. When it was last in town, the cadre of high-schoolfriends went as a final rite of Spring. Their coolness was on full display, including the way in which they ganged up on the girl who wasn’t part of their clique. The highlight back then was the trip to the fortune teller’s booth. All of them marveled years later how accurate their fortunes were. Now the carnival is back after decades of absence, and the cadre of friends agrees to go and to sit in the fortune teller’s booth for old time’s sake. I promise you’ll love the twisty ending.
DEPARTMENT OF FIRST STORIES
Into Thin Air by Karen Jobst: This is a great story about a teacher nearing retirement who escapes the abuse of his wife.
The Policeman and the Dead by Raghu Roy: A story set in India, this explores whether a man’s death was suicide or murder.
BLACK MASK
Double Fly Rocket 87 by Eli Cranor: This is a great story about some grim shenanigans at a Texas high-school football concession stand. I don’t normally like the Black Mask stories, but this one was good.
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