Review: Satisfying and clever
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2012
Yes, the formatting is wonky on this (not the editing, as one reviewer erroneously described it).  It's not unreadable, just imperfect, and in a longer and more expensive collection, it might become annoying.  Now with that out of the way, it's on with the stories:The Ink ManThis opening story takes up two thirds of the collection, and is easily the best story in it.  The first person voice is clear and engaging, and I was kept guessing all the way through where it was going to go.  Without giving away any spoilers (I hope), I'll just say that I'm not a fan of that kind of ending with first person narratives, but aside from that, it was a satisfying read.The Robbery CountdownVery short, very clever.  Loved the way the author used the countdown device to structure the story.Rock and Roll All NightIt's almost impossible to effectively review this story without revealing spoilers.  I've read this kind of story before (the predators become the prey), but the setting in the bar and the twist at the end make it an above average example of the trope.The ChairEverybody is evil in this story.  Even the furniture.  Even the cat.  It's always so much more fun when everybody is evil...I haven't read the author's novel-length works, but I am impressed with the facility with which she moves from short stories to flash fiction (a difficult form to master).