Tag Archives: Ted Hertel Jr

Murder and Mayhem in Muskego edited by Jon & Ruth Jordan

Overview
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego: Jordan, Jon & Ruth, Phillips, Gary,  Richardson, Kat: Amazon.com.au: Books

Title: Murder and Mayhem in Muskego
Author: Jon Jordan, Ruth Jordan, Megan Abbott, Dana Cameron, Reed Farrel Coleman, Hilary Davidson, Sean Doolittle, J.M. Edwards, Andrew Grant, Ted Hertel, Jr., Chris F. Holm, Brad Parks, Gary Phillips, Kat Richardson, Greg Rucka, Marcus Sakey, Tom Schreck, Nathan Banks, Zoe Sharp, Bryan VanMeter & Jeri Westerson
In: Murder and Mayhem in Muskego (Jon & Ruth Jordan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, MysteryShort story collections
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Down and Out Books
Year: 2012

Thoughts

I loved this collection, it is very aptly named – truly a collection of murder and mayhem. Hilariously so if I’m being honest. Alright, some of the stories aren’t all that hilarious – because they are somewhat disturbed. But, still, this was a fantastic collection. One that I thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to reading again in the future.

Although there were a few mystical stories in this collection, the majority were contemporary tales. That definitely made them more relatable and kind of disturbing. I did like that there were the occasional paranormal stories though. They just added a little bit of variety, and some unexpected twists to the tales throughout this collection. Although, they pretty much all dealt with murder, regardless of what kind of genre they sat within.

I loved that pretty much every story in this collection is filled with chaos, and some pretty serious horribleness being planned. In one way or another. I mean, it wouldn’t be a anthology of murder stories if they weren’t planned… that’d be manslaughter. Admittedly, there were one or two stories that didn’t fit the mould. But the majority were deliciously filled with horrible acts.

Honestly, I really enjoyed this anthology. Maybe not every story was my cup of tea, and it wasn’t my favourite anthology ever. But it was still enjoyable. And one I plan to keep on my shelves so that I can read it again in the future!

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Image source: Amazon

The Name of the Dame by Ted Hertel, Jr.

Overview
Murder and Mayhem in Muskego: Jordan, Jon & Ruth, Phillips, Gary,  Richardson, Kat: Amazon.com.au: Books

Title: The Name of the Dame
Author: Ted Hertel, Jr.
In: Murder and Mayhem in Muskego (Jon & Ruth Jordan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Down and Out Books
Year: 2012

Thoughts

When I started reading this I was so very, very uncomfortable. I mean, it’s a damn character who is a stalker and terrifying. And just… oh, hell no. But, spoiler alert, it’s alright, it does end well.

As a female, there is nothing more terrifying than the idea of a man stalking you and the levels that some will go to. It’s honestly one of my biggest fears. And why I have a fairly giant dog to live with. So for me, this short story definitely sits on the “horror shelf”.

Interwoven within this is the mythos that comes about in many fae tales – that a name is power. And, honestly, it’s definitely the case in this story. It’s possible to do all sorts of things with someone’s name… something that is shown quite strongly in this short story.

The Name of the Dame is most definitely a horrifying and creepy story. One that taps into some of my deepest fears.

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Image source: Amazon