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Title: Hardbroiled by Tom Sweeney, Robert Lopresti, Michael Bracken ISBN: 1-59224-949-3 Publisher: Wildside Pr Pub. Date: March, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $32.95

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Average Customer Rating: 4.67 (3 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Some Food is Best Served Cold
Comment: For Christmas, I received this book autographed by three of the authors and by the editor. As a gift, the personalized autographs were great. I tend to prefer the novel to this format, which is a compilation of short stories with common elements (Private Investigators and food). Some stories were funnier, while others could be described as gritty. A couple of the stories were so good that I wish that they were novels so I could sink into them for the day. Overall, it was a great gift and good reading, but not something that I will read on a regular basis.

Rating: 5
Summary: Serving Up Murder And Mystery: Hardbroiled
Comment: I am not a big fan of anthologies regardless of the genre and much prefer the traditional novel format. However, after previously reading and reviewing "All White Girls" and "Deadly Campaign" by Michael Bracken, I was very interested in reading this anthology, which he edited. I certainly wasn't disappointed.

Dispensing with the usual multi page editor's commentary so often found in anthologies, Editor Bracken allows the reader to delve straight into the works. He selected fourteen stories featuring very different writing styles, but all geared towards the dark shadows of human nature. Each story has a twist at the end as well as in most cases, using food as a theme in one way or another.

This is especially true in the story titled "Munchies" by Jack Bludis. The narrator is out on the town with his girlfriend Sheila after seeing a double feature of "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Big Sleep." They go to a local bar and by happenstance meet another couple. Before long, the story goes off in an unexpected direction and the narrator finds out more about himself and Sheila than he ever would have thought.

Stephen D. Rogers also works the food theme in a story that goes to unexpected places entitled "Tough Guy." (He has another story in the book titled "Cheating Heart" as well). The narrator sits down with a kidnapper to negotiate on behalf of the victim and the family over a meal. The kidnapper thinks he has everything under control and for him, is sadly mistaken.

Then there is "Holiday Bonus" by Nick Andreychuk featuring Private Investigator Earl Stack. Someone has been skimming money and Earl has checked everywhere and can't find the money. Everywhere that is except for the holiday turkeys, one per employee, that are supposed to be given out on Friday. Earl had needs of his own and a turkey with all the trimmings would hit the spot.

While I would like to go into great detail concerning each of the other eleven stories that make up this anthology, I can't because of space limitations. However, before you believe that everything in this book is doom and gloom, I have to mention the humor often involved in these works. Several authors have very funny lines in the course of their story, but Linda Summers Posey's story is funny from start to finish.

In "Who Put The Armadillo In The Avocado Dip?" Posey writes a funny tale concerning a fundraiser held by the Alliance of Animal Advocates in Houston, Texas. The narrator is working for Mat Martin Investigations has been hired as security for the fundraiser as well as to protect mattress king Walt Waters during his appearance before the group. But, there is a power struggle within the leadership of the alliance and not everything is right about Walt. I can't do this one any justice as it simply has to be read to be appreciated.

In addition to the authors mentioned above, Tom Sweeney, Dan Sontup, Art Montague, Carol Kilgore, Andrew McAleer, Dorothy Rellas, Kenneth Thornton Samuels and Robert Lopresti all have stories in the book. Each story in the anthology is good and each showcases the author's own style and voice. Each author plants one if not more twists in the story and packs a lot in the few short pages allowed. This anthology was very enjoyable and well worth the read.

Rating: 5
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyable.
Comment: I had forgotten how enjoyable a series of short stories can be! What a great idea, possibly a whole new genre of mysteries foods. Once I began, I became fascinated in intrigued with how each author would integrate food into their story. A very creative group of authors. I hope there is going to be a sequel.