CHRIS RHATIGAN and DAVID NEMETH (ed.) - ALL DUE RESPECT 2020 (2020)

 

Synopsis/blurb ....

Twelve short stories from the top writers in crime fiction today.

Featuring the work of Stephen D. Rogers, Tom Leins, Michael Pool, Andrew Davie, Sharon Diane King, Preston Lang, Jay Butkowski, Steven Berry, Craig Francis Coates, Bobby Mathews, Michael Penncavage, and BV Lawson. Edited by Chris Rhatigan and David Nemeth.

2020's latest All Due Respect anthology book collates the stories which featured on their site through the course of the year. The full list of stories is (with a brief summary) ....

Stephen D. Rodgers - Mad Dog ... a violent confrontation

Tom Leins - 49,000 Ways to Die ... Leins main man, Joe Rey looking for a guy. 

Full of the author's renowned poetic turns of phrase..... 

Still once a punk, always a punk - the guy smells like a petrol station toilet.

Michael Pool - Everything's Coming Up Duane .... the pool guy and a difficult client, a bucket of jobbies and a confrontation

Andrew Davie - Perennial .... prison, a new life, illness, more

Sharon Diane King - On the Edge ... a final therapy session of sorts, family issues, and a lack of forgiveness

Preston Lang - The Woman from Florence .... an art con, some conflict

Jay Butkowski - What's One More? .... crematorium setting, extra work load

Steven Berry - The Gangster's Game .... stolen goods, The Krays, the Richardsons, friends of friends, a future reunion

Craig Francis Coates - Donors .... sickness, fund-raising, organ donation, recompense and an account settled

Bobby Matthews - A Little Push .... a murder podcast and a hitman as a subject, a sailing trip

Michael Penncavage - The Last Supper .... death row dining

Dave (not Chris)

BV Lawson - Quaking in My Boots .... rocks, robbery, earthquake tremors or not

I'm familiar with a few of the authors featured. I absolutely love Preston Lang and Tom Leins. They are both auto-purchase authors as soon as anything new drops from them. I've also enjoyed reading Andrew Davie and Michael Pool in the past, with more from all four on the TBR pile.

An enjoyable collection and a few hours entertaining reading into the bargain. I think I smashed through the whole collection in a few hours sitting in the sun in my back garden.

I liked stories featuring shady characters .... con men, ex-prisoners, grifters, desperate people and others of a similar ilk. Not a cop in sight. 

Chris (not Dave)

4 from 5

Read - April, 2021

Publihed - 2020

Page count - 160

Source - purchased copy

Format - paperback