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A Killer Thriller Collection Eight The Hard Way Mystery Thriller Suspense edition by Nick Stephenson Ryan King Kay Hadashi Alan McDermott Micheal Maxwell RS Guthrie Robert Swartwood D D VanDyke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks

Download As PDF : A Killer Thriller Collection Eight The Hard Way Mystery Thriller Suspense edition by Nick Stephenson Ryan King Kay Hadashi Alan McDermott Micheal Maxwell RS Guthrie Robert Swartwood D D VanDyke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks

A Killer Thriller Collection Eight The Hard Way Mystery Thriller Suspense edition by Nick Stephenson Ryan King Kay Hadashi Alan McDermott Micheal Maxwell RS Guthrie Robert Swartwood D D VanDyke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks

I have to say this is really, really the “hard” way.
Eight short (in some cases, extremely short) “thrillers” with the obvious objective to get the reader to buy books by each of the authors. Sorry, but I found them all lacking.
Paydown introduces us to Leopold Blake, a rich guy who likes to “help” Mary Jordan, an NYPD detective. Leopold isn’t as enticing or personable as Richard Castle. Can’t say if he’s “ruggedly handsome” because we’re never told what he looks like. He does have a handsome bodyguard named Jerome (just Jerome), who’s got a dry wit and a winning personality. Formulaic, no real twists, not enough to entice me to read another book with Leopold.
Off the Leash was even more formulaic. Ex-cop-turned-PI Cal Corwin is trying to find a missing teenage girl. She runs into her ex-partner at a crime scene, and he allows her to do as she pleases as long as the turns over whatever evidence she finds. Any real cop would lose his badge if he behaved like the cop (don’t even remember his name, which is how memorable he is).
There are actually two Cal stories in this collection, neither of which would entice me to read more. She comes across as bitter, caustic and angry, and there's nothing appealing or likeable about her.
Mr. Mockingbird Drive was intriguing. This was the only one that made me want to know more about the protagonist. Made me think of John Wick. This was a nice snippet. Excellent writing, nice suspense, even if the final outcome was predictable.
Ladies’ Weekend is billed as a “delightfully twisted story”, but I can’t agree. Too damn many women to figure out who’s who, and I didn’t care for any of them. Viewpoint shifted, making things even more confusing. It was short, depressing, and there was no real point to it.
Veritas: Concubine - A journalist is writing the memoire of a serial killer on his way to execution. I didn’t care enough about either of them to read more.
Divide and Conquer – Auntie is babysitting her twin nieces when home invaders break in. The plan is to hold Auntie and the girls hostage until Mama gives them the combination to the safe. I couldn’t get into any of the characters and felt none of them acted the way normal people would. The twins would be screaming their heads off, auntie would be more concerned, and the bad guys would be a bit more threatening. I didn’t care for Super Auntie at all.
Recidivist was like an episode of Twilight Zone. A 12-year-old boy with 97 arrests to his record is given a “deal” that sounds like something I’d expect to see on an episode of Supernatural. Again, none of the characters are memorable.
Return of the Bride – I finished the entire book a few days ago, and I’m sorry to say that I don’t remember this one at all. That’s how memorable it is.
If you’re looking for a “book” you can finish in a short time, this might work for you. The shortest story is (gratefully) 2,000 words, the longest (Paydown) 25,000. If you’re looking for a meaty read with good characters and actual plots, I’d advise you to keep looking.


Tags : A Killer Thriller Collection - Eight The Hard Way (Mystery Thriller Suspense) - Kindle edition by Nick Stephenson, Ryan King, Kay Hadashi, Alan McDermott, Micheal Maxwell, R.S. Guthrie, Robert Swartwood, D. D. VanDyke. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading A Killer Thriller Collection - Eight The Hard Way (Mystery Thriller Suspense).,ebook,Nick Stephenson, Ryan King, Kay Hadashi, Alan McDermott, Micheal Maxwell, R.S. Guthrie, Robert Swartwood, D. D. VanDyke,A Killer Thriller Collection - Eight The Hard Way (Mystery Thriller Suspense),FICTION Mystery & Detective Private Investigators,FICTION Thrillers Crime

A Killer Thriller Collection Eight The Hard Way Mystery Thriller Suspense edition by Nick Stephenson Ryan King Kay Hadashi Alan McDermott Micheal Maxwell RS Guthrie Robert Swartwood D D VanDyke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks Reviews

Most readers know that some of the best bargains available are the anthologies that present the works of a number of different authors either for free or a minimal price. "Killer Thriller Collection" is a condensed version of one of these anthologies a collection of shorter works by eight different thriller and sci fi writers that usually offers for free (as I received it). "Killer Thriller" is as entertaining as any of the longer anthologies but a considerably quicker read.

As in any anthology, the theme and quality of the different works vary somewhat

"Paydown" by Nick Stephenson (3 stars)The prequel novella to Stephenson's Leopold Blake series featuring Blake, the wealthy heir to a financial empire who is a brilliant detective in his own right, Mary Jordan, a New York City detective who works with Blake on various cases, and Jerome, Blake's bodyguard, who helps extricate him from tough jams. In this book (which Stephenson sells on on a standalone basis), Blake and Mary investigate the murder of a Wall Street banker that's tied into the 2007 financial crisis. Although the book is heavy on clichés and short on actual investigating, it has good action sequences, and Stephenson often displays a good sense of humor. For those new to Stephenson, the book should spark interest in reading about Blake and company's further adventures.

"Loose Ends" by David VanDyke (3.5 stars) A novelette featuring California ("Cal") Corwin, a female PI based in San Francisco. VanDyke usually writes science fiction, but he has a natural flair for the hardboiled detective genre. Although Corwin seems to be a series character, as far as I can tell, this story represents her only adventure available on . She's an interesting character, an ex-cop dealing with some heavy physical (and possible heavy) emotional trauma resulting from being caught in a bomb blast. In the story, she tries to help a pharmaceutical company executive recover her kidnapped daughter and thwart some kidnappers trying to get their hands on some prescription drugs with considerable street value. The story is entertaining but probably could have been a good 30-40 pages longer, as some of the plot developments are a bit hard to follow.

"Mr. Mockingbird Drive" by Robert Swartwood (4 stars) A short story about two muggers trying to rob a victim withdrawing money from an ATM machine. The robbers actually want to get inside the man's home and loot it, but find out they have let themselves in for more than they anticipated. The story is reminiscent of the types of tales Alfred Hitchcock used to feature on his TV anthology series tightly written with a clever twist at the end.

"Ladies' Weekend" by Ryan King (4 stars) A novelette about the female members of a Southern family making their annual weekend trip to a Gulf Shores beach resort. As the story begins, readers are probably expecting a typical "Steel Magnolias"-type of bonding story, especially when the author reveals that one of the women is dying of cancer and likely on her last such weekend. However, there's far more sinister goings on here, as one of the women soon finds out. The story does a better job of plotting than character development, but it's a good contrast to typical weepy melodramas of this genre.

"Veritas Concubine" by R.S. Guthrie (4 stars) A tale about a convicted mass murderer and the journalist who records his final hours. Veritas is a former Army ranger who made it his life's mission to go after sexual predators and other scummy characters who had evaded legal punishment for their crimes, including the man who had kidnapped the journalist's daughter and sold her into white slavery. It's heavy, fairly graphic reading but compelling for readers who aren't offended by the material. The ending is rather abrupt for a standalone story, but, in the Afterword, the editors explain that author Guthrie plans a series of books detailing Veritas' exploits. If so, this story establishes the series' main characters, and the premise, quite well.

"Divide and Conquer" by Kay Hadashi (5 stars) A cat-and-mouse suspense novelette about a clever woman baby sitting her two nieces who finds herself the victim of a home invasion by three hardened ex-cons. She faces seemingly insurmountable odds but proves extremely adept with both words and fists and gradually evens the odds she faces against the criminals. Hadashi frequently makes readers privy to the heroine's thought processes as she tries to figure out her next move, which actually makes a seemingly preposterous story quite credible. This fast paced, suspenseful novelette is easily the best story in the book and begs to be made into a movie.

"Recidivist" by Alan McDermott (4 stars) A short story about a wealthy man who offers juvenile offenders a second chance for those who want it and something rather different for those who don't. This story has science fiction elements but also a good old-fashioned twist at the end and makes for a good, quick read.

"Return of the Bride" by Michael Maxwell (3 stars) A short, short story about a man going to the Middle East to rescue his dead brother's wife, who has been kidnapped by extremists and held for ransom. It's a sad story, but one that could have been longer to have the optimum emotional impact.

Overall, the quality of these stories is very good. "Divide and Conquer" is an excellent short thriller, and four of the other stories are very good. Best of all, there are no clunkers in the lot. Based on the overall quality of the stories and the book's added value in assembling all these stories in one volume, I give "Killer Thriller" a rating of 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on the basis of the value-for-money factor.
I have to say this is really, really the “hard” way.
Eight short (in some cases, extremely short) “thrillers” with the obvious objective to get the reader to buy books by each of the authors. Sorry, but I found them all lacking.
Paydown introduces us to Leopold Blake, a rich guy who likes to “help” Mary Jordan, an NYPD detective. Leopold isn’t as enticing or personable as Richard Castle. Can’t say if he’s “ruggedly handsome” because we’re never told what he looks like. He does have a handsome bodyguard named Jerome (just Jerome), who’s got a dry wit and a winning personality. Formulaic, no real twists, not enough to entice me to read another book with Leopold.
Off the Leash was even more formulaic. Ex-cop-turned-PI Cal Corwin is trying to find a missing teenage girl. She runs into her ex-partner at a crime scene, and he allows her to do as she pleases as long as the turns over whatever evidence she finds. Any real cop would lose his badge if he behaved like the cop (don’t even remember his name, which is how memorable he is).
There are actually two Cal stories in this collection, neither of which would entice me to read more. She comes across as bitter, caustic and angry, and there's nothing appealing or likeable about her.
Mr. Mockingbird Drive was intriguing. This was the only one that made me want to know more about the protagonist. Made me think of John Wick. This was a nice snippet. Excellent writing, nice suspense, even if the final outcome was predictable.
Ladies’ Weekend is billed as a “delightfully twisted story”, but I can’t agree. Too damn many women to figure out who’s who, and I didn’t care for any of them. Viewpoint shifted, making things even more confusing. It was short, depressing, and there was no real point to it.
Veritas Concubine - A journalist is writing the memoire of a serial killer on his way to execution. I didn’t care enough about either of them to read more.
Divide and Conquer – Auntie is babysitting her twin nieces when home invaders break in. The plan is to hold Auntie and the girls hostage until Mama gives them the combination to the safe. I couldn’t get into any of the characters and felt none of them acted the way normal people would. The twins would be screaming their heads off, auntie would be more concerned, and the bad guys would be a bit more threatening. I didn’t care for Super Auntie at all.
Recidivist was like an episode of Twilight Zone. A 12-year-old boy with 97 arrests to his record is given a “deal” that sounds like something I’d expect to see on an episode of Supernatural. Again, none of the characters are memorable.
Return of the Bride – I finished the entire book a few days ago, and I’m sorry to say that I don’t remember this one at all. That’s how memorable it is.
If you’re looking for a “book” you can finish in a short time, this might work for you. The shortest story is (gratefully) 2,000 words, the longest (Paydown) 25,000. If you’re looking for a meaty read with good characters and actual plots, I’d advise you to keep looking.