Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Crime Fiction/Short Story
Collection
Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or
Smashwords store
Author:
Chicagoan
Jake Hinkson writes crime fiction. In addition to this short story collection,
he has three novels available. For more, visit Hinkson’s website.
Description:
In this
short story collection “desperate characters grasp for moments of grace: A
lesbian couple running a homeless shelter try to save a young woman controlled
by a self-proclaimed prophet. A stripper commits a terrible crime to protect
her sister from going to jail. A Pentecostal snake-handler avenges his
daughter’s murder only to find himself tormented by his own unbelief. An
alcoholic cop, drunk on duty, attempts to stop Dick Cheney from robbing a gas
station. In these stories and more, which range from the heartbreakingly tragic
to the bizarrely funny, characters struggle violently with each other, and with
themselves.”
Appraisal:
A fun and
different kind of read. As the full description on some retail sites mentions,
Hinkson’s first novel, Hell on Church
Street, combined religious fundamentalism with crime fiction. Many of these
stories do the same to varying degrees. This is a strange juxtaposition and
prior to reading I was curious as to whether the stories would slant towards a
positive or negative portrayal of religion. While every reader is going to view
the answer to that question through his or her own personal lens, to me the
collection as a whole didn’t do either. Instead, religion was an integral part
of the characters or setting. Not likely to offend or please either
non-believers or the more faithful, while still adding to the story. A varied
collection that should please fans of crime fiction.
FYI:
Adult
language and situations.
Format/Typo Issues:
No
significant issues
Rating: **** Four Stars
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