Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
short story anthology with multiple authors. Quality of the individual stories varied greatly from poor to good
This one was pretty good. I understand that Ruth's husband died sometime around publication. This is evident in the editing of her story. Confusing tale for tail, and changing the locket from silver to gold in ten short chapters is unacceptable.
Taken In Death by J.D. Robb - another wonderful novella with Eve and Roarke! Kidnapped children, bread crumbs, evil witches, and fairy tales......
This would be her core team, she thought. Peabody, Baxter, Trueheart, Feeney—McNab in his screaming orange baggies and shirt of daffodil and kiwi stripes—and Callender, her curvy body snugged into red skin-pants, and her pockets crowding over a long, sleeveless vest covered with silver stars.
Peabody straightened in her pink cowgirl boots and ordered the comp to print the various ID shots for the murder board.
They might resemble a motley crew, Eve thought, but they were some of the best cops in the department.
LOL
”No, I just need to think a minute without all the chatter. And the bopping and jiggling. What is it with e-geeks and that constant—” She bopped and jiggled to demonstrate, made Roarke laugh.
“Even Feeney, a little. He bobs his head around, bops his shoulders once he really gets going.” She got the coffee, frowned at Roarke. “You don’t. Why don’t you do the geek boogie when you’re working?”
“It’s heroic control,” he told her, and skimmed a finger down the shallow dent in her chin. “Inside I’m a dancing fool.”
The children are a wonderful addition to this novella. So very brave and smart.
This would be her core team, she thought. Peabody, Baxter, Trueheart, Feeney—McNab in his screaming orange baggies and shirt of daffodil and kiwi stripes—and Callender, her curvy body snugged into red skin-pants, and her pockets crowding over a long, sleeveless vest covered with silver stars.
Peabody straightened in her pink cowgirl boots and ordered the comp to print the various ID shots for the murder board.
They might resemble a motley crew, Eve thought, but they were some of the best cops in the department.
LOL
”No, I just need to think a minute without all the chatter. And the bopping and jiggling. What is it with e-geeks and that constant—” She bopped and jiggled to demonstrate, made Roarke laugh.
“Even Feeney, a little. He bobs his head around, bops his shoulders once he really gets going.” She got the coffee, frowned at Roarke. “You don’t. Why don’t you do the geek boogie when you’re working?”
“It’s heroic control,” he told her, and skimmed a finger down the shallow dent in her chin. “Inside I’m a dancing fool.”
The children are a wonderful addition to this novella. So very brave and smart.
Two okay stories (Robb and Ryan) bookended three truly eye-rolling tales. The middle ones were terrible. I almost didn't finish each of them.
This was in a compendium which I had because of an Eve Dallas novella (and this computer I'm on doesn't seem able to put links in! Eve Dallas is a series by J.D. Robb which is in its 40+ novel plus several novellas (some of them better than others)). I had nothing else to read on the bus so read this one as well and quite enjoyed it.
Merged review:
This was in a compendium which I had because of an Eve Dallas novella. I had nothing else to read on the bus so read two more of the stories and quite enjoyed them.
Merged review:
This was in a compendium which I had because of an Eve Dallas novella. I had nothing else to read on the bus so read two more of the stories and quite enjoyed them.
The J.D. Robb story, "Taken In Death," was enjoyable - a nice thing, since it's the reason I bought the anthology. In it, Dallas takes on a kidnapper in a rebelling of Hansel and Gretel. I skipped the stupid coin story by Mary Blayney. I read one of her coin stories once and it was just too clichéd and predictable for me to ever put myself through that again. I do wonder, though, if she ever writes anything else? I went ahead and read "Beauty, Sleeping" by Elaine Fox, to see if the rest if the book would be worth reading.. While Fox's piece was okay, it was more romance than anything else. It had a supernatural twist, and it was a reworking of Sleeping Beauty, but in the end it was a romance. And to be honest, I just didn't trust the editors any more at that point. They chose Blayney and then the Fox piece, and one Robb story didn't outweigh them. I suppose if I'm ever truly hard up for something to read, I might try the other two stories in the book - but I would probably read one of the many free novels available before then.
I liked this set of stories based on fairy tales.
J D Robb takes on Hansel and Gretel in Taken in Death. Twins are stolen by a woman who looks like their mother and they try to leave some breadcrumbs for someone to find them.
If Wishes were horses tells the tale of a servant who finds true love when she embraces a chance she gets. Nice story by Mary Blayney, a little supernatural stuff and I'd like to see more of these characters.
Beauty, Sleeping by Elaine Fox is a story of Faerie and a man who disappears who finds love is the answer to his problem of incorporeality.
The Christmas Comet by Mary Kay McComas is a story of a woman who tries to do good who finds that there's love under her nose.
Stroke of Midnight by R C Ryan, takes a twist on the tale of Cinderella. Dear Author, Shannon is in the WEST of Ireland, it's an Airport, Dublin Airport is in the EAST, both have routes to the US. Asking to go to "Dublin, please. Shannon Airport" (p 397) is going to incur one hell of a taxi fare from everywhere in the country, it broke the suspension of disbelief for me just before the end. A little research goes a long way. Though the Ireland was thankfully not as twee as many other authors would have it, plaudits due for that.
Overall not a bad set of stories and well done. I want to read more by several of the authors, J D Robb is already on my must-read list.
J D Robb takes on Hansel and Gretel in Taken in Death. Twins are stolen by a woman who looks like their mother and they try to leave some breadcrumbs for someone to find them.
If Wishes were horses tells the tale of a servant who finds true love when she embraces a chance she gets. Nice story by Mary Blayney, a little supernatural stuff and I'd like to see more of these characters.
Beauty, Sleeping by Elaine Fox is a story of Faerie and a man who disappears who finds love is the answer to his problem of incorporeality.
The Christmas Comet by Mary Kay McComas is a story of a woman who tries to do good who finds that there's love under her nose.
Stroke of Midnight by R C Ryan, takes a twist on the tale of Cinderella. Dear Author, Shannon is in the WEST of Ireland, it's an Airport, Dublin Airport is in the EAST, both have routes to the US. Asking to go to "Dublin, please. Shannon Airport" (p 397) is going to incur one hell of a taxi fare from everywhere in the country, it broke the suspension of disbelief for me just before the end. A little research goes a long way. Though the Ireland was thankfully not as twee as many other authors would have it, plaudits due for that.
Overall not a bad set of stories and well done. I want to read more by several of the authors, J D Robb is already on my must-read list.
I read this a while back and I must say I generally enjoyed most of the short stories. I remember the collection being higher than average.
I found this was an enjoyable anthology with five twists on fairy tales. It opened my eyes up to some authors that I've never read before and included a nice In Death Novella as well.
Taken in Death by J.D. Robb- 4 Stars
If Wishes Were Horses by Mary Blayney- 2 Stars
Beauty, Sleeping by Elaine Fox-4 Stars
The Christmas Comet by Mary Kay McComas- 3 Stars
Stroke of Midnight by R.C. Ryan- 4 stars
Taken in Death by J.D. Robb- 4 Stars
If Wishes Were Horses by Mary Blayney- 2 Stars
Beauty, Sleeping by Elaine Fox-4 Stars
The Christmas Comet by Mary Kay McComas- 3 Stars
Stroke of Midnight by R.C. Ryan- 4 stars
Good compilations of stories, but definitely only worth buying it if what you are interested in reading is Robb’s story. The other stories are sweet but mediocre at best. I like that each story was based on a classic fairy tale, modernized in some way. I just wished Layney, Fox, McComas, and Ryan had done a better job at doing so.
Taken In Death, J.D. Robb
Great short story; the plot and the characters were vert interesting. I even enjoyed this story line better than the last In-death book, Thankless in Death. It won’t disappoint In-Death fans.
If Wishes Were Horses, Mary B. Layney
Compared to later stories in the compilation, it is an okay story, but the characters seemed nothing special to me. I was also very frustrated by the main heroine, who had an obsession of sleeping on different beds at the house she was employed so she could find “the perfect one for her.” I found that a bit weird.
Beauty, Sleeping, Elaine Fox
I actually quite enjoyed this story, although it felt rushed and incomplete, probably meant more for a longer story than the ones in this compilation. There were a few things that were left unclear. The characters kept referring to a past life together, but the author never clarified why they felt that way, unless I missed something. Also there was a hint that the evil fairy was actually not evil, but again, that was never explored in depth.
The Christmas Comet, Mary Kay McComas
This was one of my least favorites of the compilation. The main heroine is selfless to the point of stupidity, and although I usually like characters that are innocent and good, I still like for heroines to at least have some common sense.
Stroke of Midnight, R.C. Ryan
If you like cheesy stories, then you will enjoy this book. For me, it just was a bit too much. It sort of felt like the kind of story the new Disney movie Frozen ridicules at the beginning (such as marrying someone who you’ve known for a day), except that here is almost taken to the extreme. And again, a lot of untied ends.
Taken In Death, J.D. Robb
Great short story; the plot and the characters were vert interesting. I even enjoyed this story line better than the last In-death book, Thankless in Death. It won’t disappoint In-Death fans.
If Wishes Were Horses, Mary B. Layney
Compared to later stories in the compilation, it is an okay story, but the characters seemed nothing special to me. I was also very frustrated by the main heroine, who had an obsession of sleeping on different beds at the house she was employed so she could find “the perfect one for her.” I found that a bit weird.
Beauty, Sleeping, Elaine Fox
I actually quite enjoyed this story, although it felt rushed and incomplete, probably meant more for a longer story than the ones in this compilation. There were a few things that were left unclear. The characters kept referring to a past life together, but the author never clarified why they felt that way, unless I missed something. Also there was a hint that the evil fairy was actually not evil, but again, that was never explored in depth.
The Christmas Comet, Mary Kay McComas
This was one of my least favorites of the compilation. The main heroine is selfless to the point of stupidity, and although I usually like characters that are innocent and good, I still like for heroines to at least have some common sense.
Stroke of Midnight, R.C. Ryan
If you like cheesy stories, then you will enjoy this book. For me, it just was a bit too much. It sort of felt like the kind of story the new Disney movie Frozen ridicules at the beginning (such as marrying someone who you’ve known for a day), except that here is almost taken to the extreme. And again, a lot of untied ends.