Humorous Short Stories compiled by Greta A. Clark

Humorous Short Stories by Damon Runyon, William J. Lederer, Ludwig Bemelmans, James Thurber, Max Shulman, Ellis Parker Butler, and Hannibal Coons Trade Paperback: 94 pages Publisher: Hart Publishing Company Released: 1960

Source: Inherited from a grandparent.

My Review:
This book review isn't likely to help anyone else since the book is so old, but it does fulfill my short story challenge, so...

Humorous Short Stories is a collection of 8 funny short stories. They were all about someone pulling a trick over on another person (though they're not always premeditated tricks), and they did come across as funny. Overall, the writing was good, and I could easily follow the story. It was a fun read, but since it's so old that it's probably difficult to find, I wouldn't say it was good enough that people should go out of their way to find it.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Hideaway by Hannah Alexander

Hideaway by Hannah Alexander ISBN-13: 9780373810987 Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Steeple Hill Released: March 1, 2005

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
When E.R. doctor Cheyenne Allison's own sister dies on the trauma bed, Cheyenne is forced to take leave and retreats to isolated Hideaway, Missouri. She hopes to find peace from the nightmare of being sued by her greedy brother-in-law and her grief over the death of her sister. But peace and solitude elude her in this picturesque Ozark community now terrorized by a dangerous vandal.

Mayor Austin Barlow insists the culprit resides with Cheyenne's handsome neighbor, Dane Gideon, whose ranch for foster boys has given rise to previous violence. But Dane inspires Cheyenne's respect, and perhaps something more--although she can't share the faith that sustains him as the violence turns deadly.


My Review:
Hideaway is a Christian romantic suspense novel. This novel is the first in a series, but it reads like a stand-alone novel.

The characters were engaging and complex. The various characters dealt with real issues in realistic ways. I've been consistently impressed by how Hannah Alexander's characters come across as real people.

The details about the area and small town life brought the story alive in my imagination. There were some ER medical scenes at the beginning. The technical terms were frequently explained or could be understood from the context.

While there were spurts of high suspense during medical emergencies and such, most of the book had a lower level of suspense created by relationship tensions and wondering how the lawsuit would be resolved.

Cheyenne struggled with why some Christians we cruel, greedy, and otherwise not-nice people. If that reflected what God was like, then she wanted nothing to do with him. In the story, the genuine Christian characters' faith affected their decisions and everyday life, and the Christian elements felt like a natural part of the story. I also felt Christianity was portrayed in a realistic manner, from the Christians actions to how non-Christians reacted to them.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this suspenseful, realistic novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Amazon's "Look Inside."

The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon by Leann Sweeney

The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon by Leann Sweeney ISBN-13: 9780451236470 Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Obsidian Mystery Released: April 3, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When quilter Jillian Hart returns to her lake house in Mercy, South Carolina, she discovered her boyfriend, Tom, is missing-and his estranged half-brother has moved into Tom's house. Jillian doesn't trust the guy, especially since he allowed Tom's diabetic cat to escape. When police officers find Tom's wrecked car with a dead stranger inside, Jillian is determined to find out what what kind of trouble Tom has gotten himself into.


My Review:
The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon is a cozy mystery. This book is the fourth in the series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous books.

The heroine was a sensible lady, at least when it came to dealing with a crisis. She was directly involved in the events, so she didn't have to poke about to find clues--the clues were happening all around her. Whodunit wasn't difficult to figure out, though it took a little longer to figure out why.

The characters were either super-nice people who all wanted to cooperate to solve the mystery, or they were mean, scary, or obnoxious "bad guys." It was fairly easy to determine who would play what role in the story. And the eighteen-year-old boy acted like a twelve-year-old who came from a loving, sheltered family, not a runaway from a abusive, neglectful family. So the characters were fun, but not very realistic.

The cats and dog were also main characters, and their every action was mentioned, even if it was just to go lie in the sun. They acted like idealized versions of cats and dogs (or Jullian interpreted their actions that way).

The author frequently cut short potentially suspenseful scenes which meant that the novel lacked suspense. The story wasn't always predictable (in the sense that the scenes could have had this, that, or the other happen, but didn't), but it was never surprising.

There was no sex. There was a minor amount of explicit bad language and a minor amount of fake bad language. While the novel wasn't bad, it also didn't leave me sorry to see it finish. If you like mysteries involving lovable cats and dogs, then you'd probably enjoy this one.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from Chapter One:
Cats don't worry, I thought as I pulled two of the three pet carriers from my minivan and lugged them to my back door. I disabled the security alarm and carried a couple fur kids inside. Cats are brave, sometimes afraid, always curious, but they do not worry. How wonderful that must be.

Worry had plagued me my entire trip home to Mercy, South Carolina. For the last week, I'd been on a business trip, traveling across a few Southern states selling my handmade cat quilts at craft fairs and cat shows. November can be a sweet month in South Carolina, weather-wise, and offers lots of opportunities to sell my wares. I'd had a successful tour, but my cell phone had not rung once during my journey home. I'd left at least ten messages for my friend Tom Stewart. Maybe more. Why wasn't he calling me back? Had I left too many messages and he'd gotten tired of my calls? Or had there been some kind of emergency?

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the Lucky Leprechaun Hop. Including Twitter entries, we had 60 entries. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:


@ZaraAlexis


Congratulations! I'll be contacting you on Twitter for your address.

For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of these books from your favorite bookstore or see if they have them at your local library.

Hidden Motive by Hannah Alexander

Hidden Motive by Hannah Alexander (Original title: The Crystal Cavern) ISBN-13: 9780373442850 Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Steeple Hill Released: April 8, 2008

Source: Bought through Half.com

Book Description from Back Cover:
Someone had murdered her grandfather. And Sable Chamberlain was next on the villain's hit list. With the help of her friend Paul Murphy, she hoped to hide at her family's isolated Ozark home. But then an ice storm trapped the couple there with a busload of shady characters and an atmosphere of tension...and evil. Sable and Paul could trust no one but each other. Their only hope to prevent sharing her grandfather's tragic fate was to solve the mystery surrounding his death, though danger lurked around every corner...


My Review:
Hidden Motive is a Christian suspense novel with some romance. It's a very fast, suspenseful read. It's a case of "everything that can go wrong will go wrong" with no pauses in between. The suspense was created by physical danger to the two main characters and by trying to discover the truth about what Sable's grandpa had done and had discovered. There were a few, minor things that were never fully explained by the end of the book. However, surviving and stopping the bad guys seemed to be the main focus, and that was tied up by the end.

The setting was vividly described and brought back my own memories of caves and of a bad ice storm here in the Ozark mountains. The characters were engaging and realistic, and they acted in realistic ways. The Christian element flowed as a natural part of the story and seemed to primarily be remembering to trust God rather than their own strength, and recognizing how God had protected them even though they did get hurt.

There was no sex and no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this heat-pounding suspense novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Lucky Leprechaun Hop

As a part of the Lucky Leprechaun Hop, I'm holding a giveaway for:


A Killer Read by Erika Chase. It's a cozy mystery with a good bit of romance.

You can read my review here.

Book description:
Reading specialist and mystery book lover Lizzie Turner was excited for the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society hosted in Molly Mathew's old Southern mansion. But she didn't expect the gathering to become the scene of an actual murder. A stranger has been shot--and nobody knows who the victim is, or how Molly's antique gun came to be used as the murder weapon.

As the plot becomes all too real, the police chief--Lizzie's former high school crush--steps in to investigate. Then Lizzie begins finding mysterious manuscript chapters in her mailbox and receives phone calls in the middle of the night urging her to find out what her journalist father was investigating when he died in an accident years ago.


This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) you can twitter me saying "Hi @genrereviewer. Enter me in the giveaway for A KILLER READ by Erika Chase."

OR

2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered. Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement. I'd be fun if you also included why you're interested in reading this novel.


This giveaway ends on March 22, 2012 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on March 23, 2012 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the Follower Love Giveaway Hop:

A Killer Read by Erika Chase

A Killer Read by Erika Chase ISBN-13: 9780425247037 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: April 3, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover (slightly modified):
Reading specialist and mystery book lover Lizzie Turner was excited for the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society hosted in Molly Mathew's old Southern mansion. But she didn't expect the gathering to become the scene of an actual murder. A stranger has been shot--and nobody knows who the victim is, or how Molly's antique gun came to be used as the murder weapon.

As the plot becomes all too real, the police chief--Lizzie's former high school crush--steps in to investigate. Then Lizzie begins finding mysterious manuscript chapters in her mailbox and receives phone calls in the middle of the night urging her to find out what her journalist father was investigating when he died in an accident years ago.


My Review:
A Killer Read is a cozy mystery that also has a good bit of romance in it. This novel is the first in a series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. The characters were interesting, engaging, and reacted in realistic ways to the various issues they faced (which was more than just "whodunit").

While there were clues, it was difficult for Lizzie (and the reader) to know how they all connected--though once you knew how, it all made sense. I didn't guess whodunit, though there was enough clues it was technically possible. The author did a very good job with this.

The descriptions of the people and setting were vivid, but there weren't many details about Lizzie's job (though I didn't mind that). On the other hand, the author was a little heavy with some unnecessary details. We got a complete description of what everyone was wearing every time we came across them and a list of every item of food eaten whenever a mealtime or snack time went by. It did slow the pacing, but never for very long.

I thought it was interesting that Lizzie has a low level eating disorder. She finds comfort in eating food. She can't turn down a sweat or high calorie food, but she justifies this by adding more time to her already long exercise routine. I'd be interested in seeing this issue subtly addressed in a future book in the series, but I doubt it will be.

There was no sex. There was a minor amount of explicit cussing and swearing. Overall, I'd recommend this engaging and interesting mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from Chapter One:
"I've got an idea, Lizzie...why don't you just do, like, brain surgery or something on me. Slice me open, pull out my brain, squish all this Shakespeare stuff into it, put it back and sew me up like new. Maybe that way I'll finally get it!" Andrea Mason punctuated her proclamation with a long groan.

Lizzie Turner internalized her own groan. She knew that Andie felt like she was being tortured, but Lizzie felt little remorse about the pain she'd inflicted. It was for her student's own good.

"Okay, Andie. I guess that's enough for today. I'll see you next Thursday, same time, same place, same English lit."

Andie groaned again, stroking her silver nose ring. She shifted from her terminal slouch to a more upright position and stuffed her book, notepad and pen into her black skull-and-crossbones backpack.

Through the Fire by Shawn Grady

Through the Fire by Shawn Grady ISBN-13: 9780764205958 Trade Paperback: 328 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: July 1, 2009

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, modified from Back Cover:
Firefighting burns in Aidan O'Neill's blood, but his innate gift for reading flames has made him overconfident. When one call goes horribly wrong and a rookie is hurt, Aidan ends up suspended and finds himself questioning everything.

It couldn't have happened at a worse time. An arsonist is targeting Reno, leaving a scorched path of destruction. The department needs Aidan back, but his return is troubled. The gift he relied on for so long has gone silent, and he has difficulty performing the basic tasks he should know well.

Teaming with a beguiling fire investigator, Aidan is determined to discover who is setting the fires that are so similar to the one that killed his father. Aidan must discover where his trust rests as the flames burn ever closer.


My Review:
Through the Fire is a Christian suspense novel about firefighters and a serial arsonist. The fast-paced, non-stop action mainly involved fighting fires. The details about firefighting and firefighters were expertly woven into the story in a way that brought the job vividly alive in my imagination without slowing the action.

The characters were interesting, but I felt like we only "got to know" Aidan. Even him, we didn't get to know very well. I also never understood why anyone at the station would suspect Aidan of setting the fires since he was right there at the station when most of the fires were set. As to "whodunit," I had wondered if the person who turned out to be the arsonist was the arsonist, but it also could easily have been another character. The story was more about action than clues.

Aidan was a Christian who apparently rejected God for letting his father die and refused to listen when the other Christians in the story told him the same thing again and again. Then, suddenly, he listened, said a prayer, and started heavily using Church-speak. The change seemed abrupt to me, especially since I didn't quite understand what was different that time that made him listen--unless it was never God he was actually mad at.

There was a minor amount of "he cussed" style bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this book to Christians who enjoy action-packed firefighting stories.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Sacred Trust by Hannah Alexander

Sacred Trust by Hannah Alexander ISBN-13: 9780373786510 Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages Publisher: Steeple Hill Released: 2009

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Dr. Lukas Bower believes in God, the Hippocratic Oath and doing the right thing. Lukas won't prescribe drugs to an addict just because he's the son of a hospital board member. Or let an obese man die because he doesn't have insurance. Lukas didn't play hospital politics at his former job, and he won't in this small-town Missouri emergency department. One very attractive colleague seems to appreciate Lukas's commitment to honor and truth. But Dr. Mercy Richmond's feelings will be tested when her child is brought into Lukas's E.R., putting her sacred trust, her heart--and her daughter's life--in his hands


My Review:
Sacred Trust is a Christian suspense novel with some romance. This novel is the first in a series, but the issues in the book were wrapped up enough that it can be read as a stand alone.

The characters were interesting, complex, and acted realistically. The various characters dealt with real issues (like "office" politics, child abuse, alcoholism, the damage caused by gossip, children dealing with their parent's broken marriages, and more).

The medical scenes were plentiful. While the technical terms were rarely explained, I could still follow what was going on and the medical details didn't slow the fast pace.

Some of the main characters were Christians. The Christian characters' faith affected their decisions and everyday life, and the Christian elements felt like a natural part of the story. I also felt Christianity was portrayed in a realistic manner, from the struggles the Christians had to the reactions of the non-Christians. If you like faith as a major part of the novels you read, then you'll probably enjoy this novel.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this suspenseful, realistic novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Killing Frost by Hannah Alexander

A Killing Frost by Hannah Alexander ISBN-13: 9780373786404 Trade Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Steeple Hill Released: December 25, 2008

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, my take:
Doriann never expected to be kidnapped--what eleven-year-old would? Both the killer and his girlfriend are high on drugs, and reckless driving seems likely to kill her before they do. Instead, it provides a way for her to escape. But her kidnappers are trying to catch her, and Doriann is lost in a swampy wilderness with freezing temperatures predicted for that night...

Dr. Jama Keith has returned to her home town to work at the new medical clinic under a difficult boss. She doesn't want to be there: everyone knows her mistakes from when she was a rebellious teen and the man she just refused to marry lives there. It doesn't look to be a pleasant two years to work off her student loan, especially since Tyrell doesn't seem ready to take "no" for an answer. And she does love him. It's simply that he's bound to hate her if he ever learns the secret guilt she carries from her past.

Events throw Jama and Tyrell together to save lives and then to help search for Doriann, Tyrell's niece.


My Review:
A Killing Frost is Christian romantic suspense. Actually, it's two stories--Doriann and the kidnappers in one storyline and Jama and Tyrell in another, and they only briefly merge at the end.

The characters were complex and acted in realistic ways. The vivid details brought the setting and characters alive in my imagination. The high suspense was created by medical emergencies, threat of physical danger to Doriann, and relationship tensions.

Doriann--the kidnapped 11-year-old--was grabbed by the bad guys while she was disobeying her parents, so she started bargaining with God that she'd never do this or that again if he'd only protect and save her. By the end, she realized that God had been taking care of her long before she started making bargains with him. One of my favorite lines was, "This was why Humphrey was a wandering dog. Because God knew that someday, this dog would need to wander here and find a freezing kid in the middle of a killing frost" (to help keep her warm). I loved Doriann's part of the story.

The Christian element was woven into the story, and it never came across to me as preachy. There was a minor amount of "he swore" style bad language. There was no sex. Over all, I'd recommend this well-written, suspenseful novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand ISBN-13: 9780764206283 Trade Paperback: 332 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: February 1, 2010

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area, and worse, he seems to be setting her up to take the fall.

Reporter Logan Woods is following the break-ins with the hope of publishing his coverage as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything.

As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?


My Review:
Beguiled is a Christian romance with a strong suspense element. The romance started out as "Oh, he is sooo handsome, and look at his BMW!" and "Wow, her legs go from here to there in that miniskirt!"--as in, solely physical attraction, but they did eventually get around to appreciating the kindness and other personality traits of each other.

The main characters were very earnest, and they dealt with realistic issues. The suspense was well-written and was mainly created by the threat of physical harm to Rylee from a stalker, false accusations threatening to ruin her business, and wondering who was behind the robberies. The vivid details of the setting brought the area alive in my imagination.

The Christian element mainly was a few reminders to the main characters that they needed to read the Bible, attend church, and pray more. I will say, though, that Logan and his friends did a very nice job of showing Christian love toward Rylee near the end.

There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd recommend this novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.