Says Ed Gorman in his Introduction: "Whatever she chooses to write, she does what so few others do. Several of these stories hinge on motives that Roald Dahl might have come up with." Thirteen stories by Christine Matthews, including two published for the first time, introduce us to a private investigator who tries to frame her father for murder, a psychiatrist whose whole family needs help, a grifter who knows when to seize the moment, and several people looking for special kinds of revenge. In a lighter vein, we tag along as that old Hollywood bad boy Fatty Arbuckle helps solve a murder. With an Afterword in which Christine Matthews explains a bit about her work.

Author Biography

Christine Matthews's short stories have made many appearances in Year's Best anthologies. She is the co-author with Robert J. Randisi of three mystery "cozies" from Perfect Crime: Murder Is the Deal of the Day, The Masks of Auntie Laveau, and Same Time, Same Murder.