Sinister Shorts

by Perri O'Shaughnessy

Book Overview

The New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Nina Reilly thrillers brings her prodigious storytelling gifts to this first-ever collection of short crime fiction. From desperate housewives to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385337973
• ISBN13: 9780385337977
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.6" x 1.0" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Sinister Shorts

Quite a departure from the Nina Riley series. Some stories border on fantasy, but very readable. Not a lot of suspense, however.

Perri is at it again

I love this book! The assorted stories are all very well written and were very entertaining. They even worked in a "Nina" story for those who still miss her... I only wish they would keep writing more novels...

A delight

I enjoyed this collection immensely. These stories drew me in immediately and kept me guessing (consistently incorrectly!) at every twist and turn. Perri O'Shaughnessy does a great job of packing loads of intrigue into the short story form; even the characters are well developed. Each of these stories is its own little gem. If this book is any indication of the possibilities of the short story mystery, I'm ready for more!

Engrossing and Enjoyable Short Stories

Okay, I'll admit it right off the bat. When I saw the title of Perri O'Shaughnessy's new book I thought, "Aha, Nina Reilly has a case involving tennis pros!" But, no. SINISTER SHORTS is actually a collection of "short" stories written by sisters Pam and Mary O'Shaughnessy, who between them have penned eleven legal thrillers that always leave readers eagerly wanting more. Fans will not be disappointed with this diversion from their norm. While SINISTER SHORTS is not the series we're familiar with, it does contain all of the elements that go into making that series so popular. And, in addition to the usual fast-paced, no-nonsense writing, there are components that reveal a darker side of the usually sanguine duo that will resonate with readers who enjoy a bit of the macabre with their mystery. The introduction challenges readers to try to figure out which sister wrote which story. But no matter. These nineteen stories are so engrossing you will soon forget the writers and become immersed in the characters and action. Which is as it should be. Over the years I had forgotten how satisfying reading short stories can be: an entire plot, with well-defined characters, a theme, suspense, irony, humor and resolution, all wrapped up in ten exciting pages. In SINISTER SHORTS there is the almost poetic "Sandstorm," which unexpectedly reveals how easy it is to follow a disturbed stream of consciousness. "The Couple Behind the Curtain" offers a frank exchange between husband and wife that is both haunting and shocking. To keep you guessing, there's the paranoid lady of "Lemons" --- and we find out she has a lot to be paranoid about. Look at the time, it's way past my bedtime but, oh, just one more!!! The plot twists will keep you from becoming too confident of your detecting skills. Sometimes what goes around comes around, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the good guys win and sometimes the guys who don't know they're good guys win. It's all great fun and sure to satisfy. --- Reviewed by Maggie Harding

terrific crime based anthology

Starting with the challenge by the O'Shaughnessy sisters in their introduction to guess who wrote which tale, this terrific crime based anthology consists of eight new stories as well as eleven others previously published elsewhere but not together. The tales are fun to read especially the delightful Nina Reilly's sleuth story Paul van Wagoner stars in "Success without College" and Gertrude Stein heads two others. Each tale is fun to follow especially when the audience learns of the crime. In addition the award winning The Long Walk is also part of the compilation. Fans of the O'Shaughnessy siblings will appreciate their salute to the criminal mind while new readers will seek their Reilly legal thrillers, but everyone will take their fifty-fifty shot at guessing authorship. Harriet Klausner