"The Home Front," opens this collection. It originally appeared in Death Do Us Part. It takes place during World War 2 and focuses on the rationing, specifically with gas. The protagonist is a federal agent with the Office of Price Administration. He catches a small-town gas attendant cheating, which leads to a car accident, which sets him on his doomed path. I really don't want to say anymore other than this is a terrific story with great details. What a clever concept and setting for a story.
Another story I enjoyed was "Sleep! Sleep, Beauty Bright" Originally in Black is the Night, it tells the story of man whose wife is in a coma. Looking out his apartment window, he figures out the guy in the building across from them has a perfect view of their apartment. (Think Rear Window) He sets out to confront the guy over what he may have seen. Another fine story. I always like stories where basically decent people are lured into committing bad acts. If a character starts out evil, it is harder to win me over.
This is a large collection with all types of stories from the look of it. Many of the stories appeared in Ellery Queen or Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazines.
7 comments:
I love Strout's books. And especially OLIVE KITTERIDGE.
Great choice, Patti. Ardai is a great author and editor and has dome a fantastic job curating the HARD CASE line.
My story is up now: "The Golden Chalice" by Frank Gruber.
The Dallas Library System finally has this listed so I now have a hold on one of the 3 copies they are, allegedly, getting. This assumes they don't decide to cancel the deal or something very weird happens, again, in the ordering process.
Nothing from me this week. I am a mess, physically and mentally, and just did not have the heart to run another repeat review. I read so slow now.
As I hack my way through my own fog (hope yours, and its causes, vanishes soon, Kevin), here's my link to one which I should've remembered better.
https://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2024/03/ssw-day-of-succession-by-ted-thomas.html
Looks like a great book. I found a copy of "The Home Front" online (at the Hard Case Crime site) and read it. Very good story so I will get a copy of the book sometime.
I am reading MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout right now. It is a very good book but sad. I like the themes, childhood experiences and mother / daughter relationships. Only my second book by Strout, I read OLIVE KITTERIDGE a few years ago.
Lucy's story is continued in Oh, William and Lucy by the Sea (set during the pandemic). I loved them all.
I don't have copies of either of those, but I will be reading them someday. Later this year I hope.
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