Review by Booklist Review
Postulating that the seven deadly sins are at the root of all major crimes, George selects two of them as the focus for this collection, asking women writers to provide new stories with backdrops of lust, greed, or both. No one satisfies this aim better than George herself, in her stylish Lusting for Jenny, Inverted, centering on a lustful woman and greedy man whose plans take an ironic, O. Henry-like twist. Both sins also are featured in Nancy Pickard's Dark Chocolate, in which a housewife bakes and consumes a whole chocolate cake and wants more. In Barbara Fryer's The Runaway Camel, lust runs rampant as a lawyer longs for the body of her NBA-star client. Marcia Talley, Carolyn Hart, Susan Wiggs, Wendy Hornsby, and S. J. Rozan are among the notable writers whose contributions meet the aim of the collection, while others of the 23 stories are somewhat flat or too subtle in their portrayal of the two featured sins. Although some of the selections are outstanding stories on their own, the common theme starts to seem gimmicky as one progresses through the book.--Leber, Michele Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
George's all-original anthology showcases 18 stories by established women mystery writers and five by relative unknowns. While not every entry is a winner, the wide variety of styles and settings will please most mystery fans. Especially strong are Linda Barnes's "Catch Your Death," a classic tale of love gone wrong told by an appealing narrator, and Stephanie Bond's satisfyingly twisty "Bump in the Night." In "Gold Fever," Dana Stabenow fits quick characterizations, an exotic locale (Alaska) and a tidy plot into a few pages. Marcia Talley's tightly written "Can You Hear Me Now" is modest in ambition-but who doesn't like to see a rude cellphone user get his comeuppance? Among the newcomers, Z. Kelley's "Anything Helps" is particularly notable for its charm. Other contributors include Carolyn Hart, Laura Lippman and S.J. Rozan. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This is a sometimes uneven but ultimately worthwhile collection of short stories from female mystery writers. Each involves one or both of the two "deadly sins" of lust and greed. Standout stories include "Can You Hear Me Now?," Marcia Talley's revenge fantasy about obnoxious cell phone users; Linda Barnes's "Catch Your Death," notable mostly for clever Sherlock Holmes references; Gillian Linscott's "Enough to Stay the Winter," a gripping suspense tale set in the south of France in 1921; and newcomer Barbara Fryer's sexy, pulse-quickening "The Runaway Camel." Unfortunately, two of the weaker stories start off the book, so readers should feel free to skip around rather than read cover to cover. Surprisingly, editor George's own story falls apart in its conclusion, an unusual slip for one of modern mystery's best. Overall, this anthology is a great way for mystery lovers to enjoy less time-consuming works from favorite authors and discover new ones.-Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Greed and lust are the driving forces in 23 new stories by female authors. Among the best offerings from more practiced veterans are Nancy Pickard's paean to the comforts of cake ("Dark Chocolate"); Marcia Talley's eavesdropping on a cell-phone user ("Can You Hear Me Now?"); Wendy Hornsby's ricochet through Jack London's life ("The Violinist"); Laura Lippman's portrait of a middle-aged woman as crafty as she is invisible ("Cougar"); S.J. Rozan's soliloquy of a frame-up ("Cold, Hard Facts"); Linda Barnes's valentine to Sherlock Holmes lovers ("Catch Your Death"); and editor George's inheritance boomerang ("Lusting for Jenny, Inverted"). Less successful are outings by Carolyn Hart, Dana Stabenow, Marcia Muller and eight others. Newcomer Barbara Fryer tops the list of past and present students of George with "The Runaway Camel," an offbeat look at an obsessed fan who becomes the victim of an obsession herself. As you might expect, George, known for many virtues that don't include concision (Careless in Red, 2008, etc.), does let her contributors run on, but on the whole she pieces together a readable if not terribly innovative anthology. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
