Crime Bites Volume 2

A second collection of excellent short stories from Susan Handley. 

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Book description

A pick and mix collection of short stories designed to be devoured in one sitting. Put them on your phone or tablet and never be stuck for something to satisfy your appetite for crime.

With stories ranging from light bites, where crime is served with a dollop of humour, to dark and delicious stories designed to get the pulse racing, there’s something to satisfy every palate.

My review 

In this second ‘menu’ from Susan Handley we again have some unforgettable short stories. Susan’s style is very readable and the tales have a kick at the end. Many of them are quite funny too. If you’re a fan of shorts stories and crime you are sure to enjoy this collection. I didn’t find a poor one in there.

About the author

Susan Handley grew up in the Midlands and despite a love of literature, and crime fiction in particular, she never dreamt of being able to carve out a career as a published writer. But the desire to write never left her and after years of writing by night she has at last been able to share the results of her efforts.

Susan now lives in a small village in rural Kent with her husband and three cats. When she's not indulging in her love of writing crime fiction she loves walking (the hillier the better), bike riding (the flatter the better) and tending her veggie patch. 

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Just a thought

Books fall open, you fall in ― David McCord

Feather and Claw

Second in Susan Handley's crime series and this has an exotic holiday setting.

Amazon UK link

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Book description -

On the sun-soaked island of Cyprus, Cat McKenzie should have been enjoying a relaxing holiday. Instead, she finds herself delving deeper and deeper into the death of a fellow guest. With a keen intuition and an inability to walk away from even the smallest of loose ends, she continues to dig, uncovering the way into the world of a ruthless killer. Outside of her jurisdiction, Cat is forced to use all of her wiles to find the murderer and bring them to account; a task made all the more difficult given the cold-hearted killer’s cunning. 
Choice not chance determines human destiny, but away from home, on sunnier shores, people aren’t always what they seem and choices can be ill informed. 

My review - 

Can a detective ever truly take a holiday? Cat and her friend Amy find the body of a fellow holiday maker and Cat’s mind starts ticking. She believes the circumstances indicate murder but she can’t get solid evidence. The story of her search for it takes her into danger. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Cat, who’s annoying enough to feel human rather than some know-it-all or goody-goody. Also her friend Amy who wants a holiday romance which gets in the way of her and Cat’s original plans. The writing is elegant and the atmosphere created becomes tense. A great crime story in an exotic setting.

Author info

Susan Handley grew up in the Midlands and despite a love of literature, and crime fiction in particular, she never dreamt of being able to carve out a career as a published writer. But the desire to write never left her and after years of writing by night she has at last been able to share the results of her efforts. 

Susan now lives in a small village in rural Kent with her husband and three cats. When she’s not indulging in her love of writing crime fiction she loves walking (the hillier the better), bike riding (the flatter the better) and tending her veggie patch. 

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Just a thought - “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”

― Jorge Luis Borges

Susan Handley

A great collection of short stories.

Crime Bites

Amazon.com link

My review -

This collection of stories of varying lengths is arranged like a menu, with starters, more substantial ‘mains’ and desserts – short, sweet and to die for, as the section heading says. I enjoy short stories as they cut to the chase quickly and, when well done, can be satisfying. These are very well done. I keep thinking back to some of them, and there wasn’t one that disappointed. They take a slightly different slant on the world of crime. In some the ending is unexpected, in one or two I guessed but loved the way the story reached its conclusion. Altogether, a great little book.

Susan Handley

An excellent debut novel and first in a series.

A Confusion of Crows

Amazon.com link

My review -

Cat McKenzie is a recently appointed detective. Her boss is her late brother’s best friend. Cat feels she has his memory to live up to. They begin to investigate the murder, by garrotte, of a young woman. They think they have the killer, only to find another woman murdered by the same method, while their suspect is in custody. Then a third body turns up. Are they connected?

This is an excellent debut novel and augurs very well for a potential series. Cat is sometimes hesitant, sometimes reckless, as a new detective would be when feeling her feet in the job. She has to contend with a chauvinist boyfriend and a sergeant who is a bit of a dinosaur. I found it all very realistic and exciting. It was great to see the way Cat grew both in her personal and professional life throughout the book. A highly recommended read.