Overall review:
Excellent murder and crime anthology, worth owning.
Standout stories:
1.) "The Children of Noah" - Richard Matheson: A cross-country, speeding motorist (Mr. Ketchum) gets pulled over in Zachry, Maine and finds that leaving this strange town may be more difficult than he first thought. Fun story, with a Twilight Zone-esque feel.
2.) "Fair Game" - John Cortez: Plot-twisty, excellent story about a hunting guide (Sam Ludlow) whose attraction to his client's wife leads to some dark revelations. I especially love the ending to this one.
3.) "The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution" - Richard Stark: A man (Freddie) and his mistress (Karen) plot the demise of his materialistic wife (Janice) and encounter unforeseen complications. Darkly humorous and increasingly intense tale.
4.) "Your Witness" - Helen Nielsen: Fun, well-written story about a woman (Naomi Shawn) whose husband's vicious lawyerly tactics inspire her own revenge on him.
5.) "Blackout" - Richard Deming: A drunk man's murder confession turns out to be more complicated than it initially seems. The ending isn't a surprise, but the story is well-written.
6.) "The October Game" - Ray Bradbury: Memorable, nasty (in a dark notions way) and Halloween-atmospheric tale about a man and his family who host a horrifying holiday party. This is one of my favorite stories in this collection. The ending is especially effective.
7.) "The Last Escape" - Jay Street: An escape artist (Joe Ferlini) has more tricks up his sleeve than anyone - including his wife (Wanda) - suspects. Great finish to this one.
8.) "Most Agreeably Poisoned" - Fletcher Flora: Urbane and "civilized" work about a cuckolded husband who suggests to his wife and her lover a unique port-wine-and-poison solution to resolve their sudden-change situation.
9.) "The Best-Friend Murder" - Donald E. Westlake: Police procedural tale about a polite poisoner's immediate confession to the cops, and how his confession rings odd to one of the investigating officers (Abraham Levine). Great, reader-hooking writing in this work, with palpable, effective themes of youth and mortality. Love the ending to this one.
