Thin Ice

It isn't often that I get a chance to read a book of short stories from a collection of authors with so much talent, and even less often that I get to review such a book. Thin Ice, Crime Stories by New England Writers is an anthology of twenty-five of the most cleverly written and thought-provoking crime stories ever assembled in one collection, from some of New England's best and brightest award-winning authors!

As the title implies, the story settings take place all over New England. From the dunes of Martha's Vineyard where a pair of shoes come alive to play detective; to a funeral in Boston where childhood friendships take a dark turn; to a scorned wife who is savvier about social media than she lets on; Thin Ice has a story for even the most discerning reader!

Each story, in this eighth anthology, is unique and original. Some stories vary from dark and edgy, to ironic, where the end is a cruel twist of fate; some even teach us a moral; and some do not fail to remind us that karma is ever present. One thing is consistent, though: every one of these twenty-five stories is an enjoyable read.

Many of the authors have been previously published, but the collection also offers several exciting new voices.

Thin Ice is published by Level Best Books and was released in mid-November, 2010. Edited by Mark Ammons, Kat Fast, Barbara Ross, and Leslie Wheeler, who also contributed content; it features stories by Steve Liskow, Ray Daniel, Ben Hanstein, and several other very talented crime fiction and mystery writers. It also includes "The Bank Job" by Bev Vincent, winner of the New England Crime Bake's sixth annual Al Blanchard Short Crime Fiction Award.

You can purchase Thin Ice at the Level Best Books website: http://levelbestbooks.com/ which is also a great place to visit to find out more about the individual authors, and the previous anthologies in the Level Best Books series. Thin Ice is also available on Amazon and at select bookstores.