4-Book Box Set: 44 Short Stories

"This winning compilation of 44 short stories contain skullduggery, shady contracts, blackmail, sleazy lawyers and PIs, overweening greed, and killing for hire or just for fun. In "A Final Note in D-Sharp Minor," a jazz virtuoso gets back at his cheating wife from the other side of the grave. "My Thousand and One Last Suppers" is an amusing take on the Arabian Nights story. "Signatures for Sale" shows an amoral, disturbing sense of justice; in it, Albert Hammersmith is blackmailed for a deception he arranged to get money he's rightfully owed. These are more than simple morality tales: the good guys don't always win, and sometimes nobody does. "Deceptions on a Canvas of Thin Air," a very clever entry, shows people doing the right things for the wrong reasons, and vice versa. Fate and dumb luck are always ready to step in and help, so that readers understand that this isn't a just fictional universeit's simply, implacably a chaotic one just like the real one. Convolution is the order of the day, and the stories' last paragraphs often reveal the final plot twist. A blithe rich man's fatal attraction to bullfighting unravels his secret lives; a Tibetan monk attempts a do-or-die escape from a Chinese prison; a Swedish businessman told that he has a year to live embarks on a plot to ensure that if death is inevitable at least taxes won't be; a henpecked husband fakes his own death to escape the improvement regimen of his shrewish wife; a lucky lottery ticket brings joy and then grief to a Malaysian farmer; a shipwreck survivor sees his only chance for life in a boat full of dead sailors; a Russian duchess is courted by a mysterious, handsome figure in black; a condemned man waiting for his lethal injection to kick in looks back on his time with the vengeful femme fatale who caused his predicament; and in the collection's most disturbing tale, a Guatemalan youth viciously abused by society vents his rage on an even more innocent victim. Ekemar's tales are vigorously plotted genre pieces, full of engrossing procedural on prison breaks, bank fraud, mass extermination, and improvised shark fishing, along with colorful characters caught in improbable circumstances and deadpan wit. They also manage to invest sometimes-lurid scenarios with psychological depth and social nuance, whether set in a placid Swiss suburb or a fetid jungle narcotics depot. These are lively stories told with considerable style and verve. Ekemar is an engaging storyteller who keeps things moving along nicely in this collection of engrossing dances with death that highlights the vanity and poignancy of life." Kirkus Reviews

"This collection will appeal to readers of literary fiction, particularly those who enjoy fiction with an absurdist twist that nears magical realism. Told in engaging, balanced prose this is a collection of frank and unpretentious short fiction. It moves seamlessly between countries and characters all around the world, carrying a global appeal that will be attractive to readers of world literature. In addition to clever cons and lovable survivors, you'll be presented with some very powerful work touching on themes of love, survival, abuse, beauty, and the human need for respect and for the chance to thrive. This balance of character development will delight readers interested in complex characters and thought-provoking stories with a twist. " CreateSpace Reviews

"I am always thrilled when I can rate a book 4 out of 4 stars. This collection was a powerful and fascinating read. After I had finished it, I tried to think back and pick a favorite story, but they were all so different and so well written that I couldn't decide on the best. I would recommend this book to any mature reader." OnlineBookClub Reviews

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