"Wicked" Women Whodunit

Brava anthology "Wicked" Women Whodunit is a bit of a mixed bag. One story is excellent, one is very good, one is good, and one is not as good. However, I won't complain; I've added two people to my authors-to-watch list.

MaryJanice Davidson's "Ten Little Idiots" is the good story. It's fast-paced and humorous, but there isn't a whole lot of room for character development. With apologies to Wendy (who likes the shorter contemporary story), I have to say that I prefer Davidson's paranormal books.

"Single White Dead Guy," by Amy Garvey, is the excellent story. I think it's difficult to create a credible scenario in which the hero and heroine meet and head for the bedroom shortly thereafter. I'm always impressed when a writer uses this plot and makes me believe that the relationship is about more than just hormones. That was the case for this book. The mystery was interesting, the characters multidimensional, and the sex spicy. I will make it a point to pick up Murder in the Hamptons, a full-length book from Garvey coming out in May.

Jennifer Apodaca's "Fast Boys" is the very good story. I was initially put off by the e-mail-ends-up-in-wrong-hands plot, but the main characters quickly came to life, which helped immensely. I will look for Apodaca's future stories, too.

"Three Men and a Body," by Nancy J. Cohen, is my least favorite story in the anthology. I'm having a difficult time getting into the reality-show plots that seem so popular right now. On another note, I wasn't convinced that the hero and heroine really connected. Their relationship seemed only physical to me.

So, the results:

"Ten Little Idiots": 3.5
"Single White Dead Guy": 4.5
"Fast Boys": 4
"Three Men and a Body": 3

That puts this anthology at 3.5 out of 5.

Spring is coming. I say this not because I want to comment on the weather, but because I want to warn you that this is my busiest time of year at work. Last year, there were times I would work, then come home and collapse. I'm hoping that won't be the case this year. The good news is that two new people joined the publications department last week, so I won't be the only one working on the annual website updates. But I do want to give you a heads up. I'm not expecting to drop off the face of the earth, but if it happens, I'll be back eventually. I promise. :)

Alyssa