Moonlight & Misadventure – 20 Stories of Mystery & Suspense by Edited by Judy Penz Sheluk
Publisher: Superior Shores Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by AstilbeWhether it’s vintage Hollywood, the Florida everglades, the Atlantic City boardwalk, or a farmhouse in Western Canada, the twenty authors represented in this collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of “moonlight and misadventure” in their own inimitable style where only one thing is assured: Waxing, waning, gibbous, or full, the moon is always there, illuminating things better left in the dark.
Featuring stories by K.L. Abrahamson, Sharon Hart Addy, C.W. Blackwell, Clark Boyd, M.H. Callway, Michael A. Clark, Susan Daly, Buzz Dixon, Jeanne DuBois, Elizabeth Elwood, Tracy Falenwolfe, Kate Fellowes, John M. Floyd, Billy Houston, Bethany Maines, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Joseph S. Walker, Robert Weibezahl, and Susan Jane Wright.
Mischief comes in many forms.
“Tammy Loves Derek” showed what happened after Tammy discovered her boyfriend was cheating on her again. She was the sort of woman who used her physical appearance to attract attention from men. I wasn’t sure what I thought of her at first, but my opinion quickly warmed as I got to know her better and discovered parts of her personality that the shallow men she dated never would have thought to pursue. There were some clever plot twists in this one for sure. I enjoyed peeling back the metaphorical layers of the main character and trying to figure out what she really had up her sleeves.
This was a solid anthology in general, but there were a few stories in it that I wish had been explained more thoroughly. “My Night with the Duke of Edinburgh” was one of them. It was about a few University of Toronto students who attempted to kidnap something from the Royal Ontario Museum in 1951. This was such an outlandish plan that I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to do it or how they thought they’d get away with it. While the characters did eventually go into some detail on these matters, I could have used a little more exposition here.
The main character in “A Currency of Wishes” hatched a plan with his uncle to make some much-needed money over the summer. This was one of those tales that was filled with surprises. I enjoyed following all of the twists and turns in it, especially since I didn’t see the biggest one coming. It wasn’t until the last page that I realized what was happening, and even then it took a moment to confirm that my suspicions were correct. Based on how much I enjoyed Ms. Fellowes’ work, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of it in the future.
Anyone who loves short mysteries should check out Moonlight & Misadventure – 20 Stories of Mystery & Suspense.
Thank you for the great review!