GIVEN IN EVIDENCE

GIVEN IN EVIDENCE

BY VARIOUS AUTHORS

I was disappointed in all but a couple of the short stories in this anthology. The first story, “Hard Time,” drew my attention immediately, and I was absorbed in the tale thoroughly until it just abruptly ended. Yes, short stories are abrupt sometimes, but this one just ended with nothing resolved at all, and I was left wondering what the heck? Then, reading the blurb at the end, it was explained that this was a prologue to the book NEMESIS. What?? A prologue? So the reader is expected to buy a book of short stories to entice you to read the rest of the story in a longer version? That seems a little…wrong.

The best story of the bunch was “The Encounter,” by A.A. Chaudhuri, in my opinion the only thing that saved this anthology. Thrilling and suspenseful! “Room 228” was also enjoyable, if predictable. “Murder Hole,” by Rob Parker, was good, but again – was only an excerpt of a continued story in another book. “Halfway,” by E.R. Fallon, held my interest until it, too, abruptly ended, with me wondering where the heck the story was meant to go.

I have no problem with short stories being part of, or precursors to longer novels; it happens all the time. I just find it annoying when that isn’t explained ahead of time so that the reader knows there might be more to the story than what is initially laid out. I felt that this book was deceptive in that regard, and it left me frustrated with stories that I otherwise could have enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lume Books for an ARC in exchange for this review. Opinions are my own.