MURDER X 13

 Publisher: Intrigue Press (November 1998)
ISBN-10: 1890768154
ISBN-13: 978-1890768157
Trade Paperback
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Edited by: Priscilla English, Lisa Seidman and Mae Woods

Contributing authors: Paul D. Marks, Jinx Beers, Torene Svitil, Kris Neri, Marion Rosen, Paulette Mouchet, Gayle McGary, Kevin Gillogly, Glynn Marsh Alam, Larry Hill, Sandy Siegel, Judith Klerman Smith and Rosalind Roland.

MURDER X 13 is SinC/LA’s first published collection of mystery shorts, many of them award winners. It offers a wide variety of lengths and styles, but all exhibit polish and skill that exceed what is often found in typical mystery magazine pages. It is a potpourri of offerings that span the spectrum of the mystery genre.

“Angels Flight” by [Marks], has a hard-boiled flavor, with a hint of voodoo thrown in for fun. “Everything Is a Matter of Timing” by Beers, also has an edge—short and sharp with a twist. “Nothing Now Can Ever Come to Any Good” by Svitil takes a more traditional approach at the whodunit, tying up loose ends concisely. “LA Justice” by Kris Neri, is the introduction of amateur sleuth Tracy Eaton and a lighter mystery that continued in her first full-length novel, Revenge of the Gypsy Queen. “Angel of Mercy” by Rosen, takes a darker turn and demonstrates that a tight, well-developed tale doesn’t require a lot of words. “House of Dreams” by Mouchet, is a great, condensed version mystery with a surprise ending. Very satisfying. “Speak No Evil” by McGary, is a little more avant-garde, but no less enjoyable. “The Shakedown” by Gillogly, is short and sweet – justice gets a final say. “Traveling On” by Alam, has a Bronte flavor. “Never Heard the Shot that Killed Him” by Hill, is another tense, hardboiled police procedural. “Dying to Exhale” by Siegel, is the shortest selection, but it packs a powerful punch. “Trickery” by Smith, takes murder into the Rabbi’s office and does it delightfully. “If Thine Eye Offend Thee” by Roland, rounds out the collection with another hard hitting tale of a citizen taking justice into her own hands.

MURDER BY 13 is an exemplary collection – the best of the best. It offers a wide variety of lengths and styles, but all exhibit polish and skill that exceed what is often found in typical mystery magazine pages. –Charlotte Austin, Amazon reviewer