Mark Hirshfeld

This is Elle Stockton's third in her series of books of short stories preceded by Bourbon Street Nocturne and Harvest Moon Wish. Ms. Stockton is a master of concisely painting clear images of her characters and settings. This time, she includes a few longer short stories, and we get to have a greater understanding of how her characters became who they are. There is a lot of variety here. Genres include psychological drama of a "misfit," paranormal dark fantasy, and horror. Her style includes surprise, pathos, humor, and even a touch of cultural anthropology. One of the stories is just plain fun, the others have greater depth yet can be read on multiple levels. This book is an adventure, I did not want to end. I highly recommend it.

Elle Stockton’s psychological insights, along with her grasp of subcultures in varied locations, help create striking visual images of her characters and scenes. It is easy for one to become lost in these, feel like you are there, and sometimes . . . not want to come out. This is a challenging and enjoyable read I did not want to put down. Addend: Elle's second book in the series, Bourbon Street Nocturne and Other Short Stories adds more mystery with "Noir" detective stories, as well as humor, horror, and romantic suspense. Evoking a full range of emotions, this is easily the best book I've read in the last sixty plus years.