Included here are eight short stories of drama, comedy, adventure, and a memoir. The two mystery novelettes are The Great Pearl Alley Caper and The Girl Next Door. The short stories include a wannabe beatnik/hippie/punk, a frustrated writer, a lovesick coworker, a remembrance of childhood, and a peace-seeking individual in a not-too-peaceful situation. In the two novelette's, wine bars and bistros are meeting places for heroes and villains, for...