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DEATH DO US PART
by Harlan Coben (editor)
Little, Brown, August 2006
352 pages
$13.99
ISBN: 0316012637


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

It is not often that one manages to read an anthology containing stories from some of the most recognisable mystery writers. Most of the contributors have won or have been repeatedly nominated for various awards. All of the stories (apart from Harlan Coben’s) are unique and have never been published.

All the stories deal with relationships – love, lust and murder – and span the Civil War-era south to 1950s New York to the present day's gritty cities and outwardly harmless suburbs. The stories chart the difficulties – always unforeseen, occasionally lethal – that occurs amongst lovers, dear friends, and even complete strangers, coming together for a solitary, shocking encounter.

Safe Enough by Lee Child is about a dark secret. A blue-collar city electrician moves to the country to be with a rich suburban wife who may have killed her husband – with dire consequences. The results will linger for quite some time. And a high-class prostitute searches for an extreme solution to a public relations problem in Laura Lippman’s One True Love.

Fans of Cornell Woolrich will relish the noirish tale, The Home Front, by Charles Ardai about the travails of a World War II federal agent whose part in the unintentional killing of a black marketer not only obsesses him but also leads to additional misfortune.

Queeny by Ridley Pearson shows that even mystery writers are not immune from being wrong accused and being forced to stand trial for murder – the outcome of which does not suit any of those involved.

Tim Maleeny’s take on the title of this anthology Till Death Do Us Part is a mesmerizing story about a chemist and botanist who prepare a meal for one another to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with surprising results on the menu.

It is true what they say: love hurts and in this case, we have prime examples of this happening and the repercussions. This is certainly a high-quality assortment of stories propelled by human passions behind crimes both hot and cold-blooded. These short stories are certainly not for those of the cosy persuasion. With additional stories by such luminaries as R L Stine, Jim Fusilli, Jeff Abbott, and Charles Todd to name but a few, this is certainly a collection worth reading.

Reviewed by Ayo Onatade, December 2006

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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