Bark M For Murder by J. A. Jance, Virginia Lanier, Chassie West, Lee Charles Kelley, Chassie West, Lee Charles Kelley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Bark M For Murder
Book Review: Bark M For Murder
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoy reading a book that has mulitple short stories in it & J.A. Jance is top notch.Book Review: Do you like canines?
Summary: 4 Stars
It is rare to have a collection of stories all about canines. This book has four of them. I enjoyed all four fairly well, but I did have my favorites that I cheered for as the stories progressed.
"Red Shirt and Black Jacket" follows two bloodhounds as they search for a murderer through the backwoods of Georgia. The dogs and their handlers are not afraid of the culprits but the criminals in hiding were sore afraid of them.
"Nightmare to Nowhere" tells of a woman that had an accident, or so she thinks, whom a German Shepherd leads from the scene of that accident into a mystery life. The Shepherd knew where he was going but how far dare this woman trust him?
"The French Poodle Connection" was perhaps my least favorite. This could be because I have never really adored Poodles. The story is interesting and canine lovers will find it interesting as the story traverses through a mystery.
"The Case of the London Cabbie" is very good. J.A. Nance keeps the story moving and interesting. Two Golden Retrievers share a story of "who is what they say they are" and "who do we believe?" You will find this mystery fast moving and intriguing as you watch the characters weave their way to deception.
All in all, if you like dogs and mysteries, you will not want to put this book down.
Book Review: Enjoyable but not exceptional stories
Summary: 3 Stars
This collection of 4 short stories is a pleasant read but not exceptional. Virginia Lanier's story is the strongest and the others are good but lack "heft".Book Review: Half time
Summary: 2 Stars
With four experienced writers contributing stories to this book, I expected better. The first two stories are readable, the last two are a waste of time. Sometimes combining authors is not a 'good thing'.Book Review: How I Wrote this Story
Summary: 5 Stars
I was surprised and thrilled when I got an e-mail from my editor telling me about this project, and asking me if I wanted to be involved. I was also a little nervous. I'd never written a short-story (not since a couple of stupid, silly, arty college stories, at least), and if I accepted the project I was destined (or doomed, perhaps) to have my writing stand side-by-side with two modern mystery legends: J.A. Jance and Virginia Lanier. I had two advantages (I thought) going in: I'm an expert dog trainer (which neither Jance nor Lanier are, or were) and I'm also a dedicated student of the form, meaning the Black Mask short-story from the 1920s.
The thing is, when I was in college the BYU library not only had every novel ever written by Dashiell Hammett, they had every short-story of his as well. Even today there are certain stories of Hammett's that I've read and that have not been published in any collection (at least none that I'm aware of). No one else has ever read some of these stories, at least not since the 1920s, but I have. (For die-hard aficionados, the books I found in my college library were actually hand-bound editions of actual Black Mask pulp originals.)
Well, I thought, that's kind of what I have to do, then, isn't it? I have to honor the spirit, style, and power of Dash Hammett. I mean, after all, aren't Jack and Jamie just my feeble attempt to create a 21st Century Nick and Nora? So, I thought, if I can't do this, then what the hell did I spend all those days in class for?
So, that's how "The French Poodle Connection" came about. It was my attempt to not only tell a great tale (tail?) but to be as punchy and grabbing and compelling a storyteller, while being as facile with language as Dash had to be when writing his Black Mask stories at 2 cents per word.
Oh, and there's one other part: there actually IS a French poodle named Charlie. Her owner e-mailed me after reading my first novel and said that the poor dog had been mis-diagnosed by his vet and a previous trainer as having "classic alpha tendencies." Reading A NOSE FOR MURDER helped her solve this doggie's dilemma. He's the real hero of this story.
More Bark M For Murder reviews:
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