Shot to Death is a totally tantalizing collection of 31 cleverly thought-out and well written short stories by revered author Stephen D. Rogers. Each story is fresh and original, set against a New England backdrop, and includes colorful characters from diverse walks of life. Each plot twists and turns to its totally surprising and unpredictable ending.
One of the most unforgettable characters was the unnamed private investigator from “Sidework” who was originally hired to investigate his client’s cheating wife. The entire plan is unraveled, after all of the main players either commits suicide or murder, and his now dead client’s adulterous wife suffers a nervous breakdown brought on by too much alcohol consumption. The unnamed PI comments that, “Just as accidents seem to unfold in slow motion, I watched in dismay as one possible revenue stream after another was lost to me.” He continues,” And as if that wasn’t bad enough, it didn’t look like the case was going to generate any referrals either.” I love the irony!
Rogers’ complex, multifaceted characters provide the reader with a look into the human psyche. In “BOGO in Aisle Three,” “Puzzling,” “Inn,” and “Tenant at Will,” Rogers masterfully describes just what a human being is capable of doing when subjected to years of abuse and controlling behavior. In “Sidework,” “Itching for Scratch,” and “Raising the Bar,” the main characters are so completely self-absorbed that nothing else matters. “Fill it with the Cheapest,” “Appearances to the Contrary,” “The Big Store,” “Pipe Dreams,” and “Smoking Gun” all touch on the idea that looks can be incredibly deceiving, and “Unweaving the Rainbow,” “Custody Battle at Red Creek,” and “Death Buys a Burger” are classic stories of revenge. All are creatively entertaining and make you think long after you’ve read the last sentence!
Shot to Death is published by Mainly Murder Press and was released mid-February 2010. It is available for purchased on Mainly Murder Press, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and local bookstores everywhere. It is also available in libraries across the country. His other recent novels include Quarry: Crime Stories by New England Writers and My First Year in the Classroom. Some of Stephen’s stories will also be featured in a new mystery anthology ebook, tentatively entitled “Discount Noir,” scheduled to be released late September/early October, and published by Untreed Reads Publishing.
Rogers is a multi-published author of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry with over six hundred of his stories and poems appearing in more than two hundred publications. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the “Derringer award,” “Notable Online Stories,” and countless Readers’ Choice awards. Stephen is a dedicated advocate for literacy, the director of the non-profit literacy organization Literature Is For Everybody, Incorporated, and the head writer at Crime Scene.
Visit Stephen’s website at http://www.StephenDRogers.com/.
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