Thank you to James Cudney, prolific drama and cozy mystery author, for this amazing review of Death Among Us, an anthology of murder mystery short stories by ten authors, including me. If you enjoy books, do visit Jay’s lovely book, he writes reviews daily of all the amazing books he reads and has a great selection of his own books too.
![Death Among Us: An Anthology of Murder Mystery Short Stories by [Bentley, Stephen, Alldredge, Greg, Artieri, Kelly, Kane, L. Lee, Spinelli, Michael, Cheadle, Robbie, Castaneda, Kay, Bauer, Justin, Locatelli, Aly]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51qMfFj8L3L.jpg)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My favorite book genre is mysteries. With so many wonderful authors and series, it’s often difficult to decide what to read next, especially when you’re looking to expand your horizons with something new. That’s often why I’ll turn to an anthology of short stories, as collections allow you to sample a dozen or so writers who hold a vast array of experiences and styles. This month, I took a chance on one called ‘Death Among Us,’ published in July of 2019 and edited by Stephen Bentley. In this fantastic collection, readers are exposed to ~10 authors who have each contributed 3 stories. What’s even better is that the three stories are generally connected to one another, so it’s almost like reading a mini novella several times over.
Prior to each author’s stories, there’s a lively and informative intro about what readers are getting themselves into. The writer will tell us if the stories are connected by the same character or a similar murder plot, a continuation of the previous tale but with a twist, or something even more dastardly and thrilling. I enjoyed this aspect of the anthology, as often in these types of books, each author only has a single story. With three, we get a better feel for their voice, style, and tone. The collection kicks off with the award-winning editor’s ‘The Rose Slayer’ stories, where homicide cops trace a killer who leaves behind a calling card. It spoke to me for many reasons, but to watch the transition from the first to the second and the last story, I felt like I could understand the motivation and operating procedures / boundaries of the heroes (and possibly the serial killer too!).
Another favorite is Robbie Cheadle, an author who’s participated in another short story collection that I’ve read as well as written many children’s books with her sons. What a vastly different style across her entire inventory of books and stories… to kick off with, in ‘Justice is Never Served,’ we have a woman who murders babies! Then there are the chimney sweeping killers (not what you’re thinking either!)… Cheadle delivers just the right amount of gore and thrills without going over the top, as the topic could be quite difficult to swallow. The best parts of her three stories are how they are all based on some sort of true story… which makes the tale even more horrific. She’s definitely cultivated her talents in these three tales, and I hope to see a full-length horror novel from her one day.
Carry on reading here: https://thisismytruthnow.com/2019/06/21/book-review-death-among-us-by-stephen-bentley-editor-of-the-anthology/
roberta-writes.com 
Great review! I have this on my TBR list:)
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I was, I was thrilled. Thanks Denise.
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You are definitely amazing at the darker prompts from Colleen! I hope to see a full length horror novel from you, as well. Until then, I’ll defintitely have to check this out and go visit Jay!
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Thank you, Nicole. I have a full length YA horror novel coming out in early September when I get back from my holiday.
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That’s exciting!! I’ll have to check it out! ❤️❤️
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What a fab review. You must be pleased that he especially liked your stories.
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Thank you, Darlene. Jay is a great writer so I am very pleased and flattered that he enjoys my writing. Have a lovely weekend.
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Congrats on the wonderful review!
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Thank you, Jacqui. It is always so exciting when someone enjoys your writing as you know, of course.
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Woohoo! Excellent!
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Thank you, that is exactly how I felt.
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Excellent review! Congratulations on the mention of your contribution, Robbie! I can’t wait to read this. 😀 xo
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Thank you, Vashti. It is very exciting.
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congrats on a rave review Robbie and I can only endorse what he says, your talent across genres and linking these mysteries to real life ones make them even more surreal! Keep up the good work 🙂
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Thank you, Kate, I appreciate you comments.
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likewise
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Great review, and – sorry i just recognised – very new genre by you. Have to read asap. Michael
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Thank you, Michael. I like to experiment with everything in life, including writing. Have a lovely new week.
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Robbie,
You are very welcome. I was away this weekend and purposely left my laptop home… now I am catching up. So glad you are happy with the review and sharing it everywhere. I will be soon too. 🙂
Have a wonderful rest of your weekend… although I suspect with our time difference, yours has just come to an end… hope the week back is amazing and easy!
j
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Thank you, Jay. It is good to take a complete break from time to time and just recharge. Your creativity has probably benefited from it a great deal.
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