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Rating: 
Summary: Tight
Review: I've read another collection of Ritchie's stories, "The Adventures of Henry Turnbuckle," but this has more realistic, engaging, and concise stories, tales that range across the board from light humor to borderline Jim Thompson. The style is simple and straightforward, but the characters have little quirks that make them memorable. Certainly deserves to be in print again.
Rating:
Summary: Tight
Review: I've read another collection of Ritchie's stories, "The Adventures of Henry Turnbuckle," but this has more realistic, engaging, and concise stories, tales that range across the board from light humor to borderline Jim Thompson. The style is simple and straightforward, but the characters have little quirks that make them memorable. Certainly deserves to be in print again.
Rating:
Summary: You may be bewildered, but you'll certainly enjoy yourself.
Review: Ritchie's stories are spare (but describe everything)and macabre (but funny). His narrators are usually histrionic or extreme, but in a calm way, and arrogant, but likeable. Each plot sweeps along swiftly, but the journey is so enjoyable you actually want to slow down and savour the asides. As if all that weren't enough, Ritchie has a talent for the surprise ending, the little flick of that story that turns it completely over. Great and consistent skill is at work here, but some stories are standouts: "A Deadly Game of Cyanide" (hilarious on one page, chilling the next); "A Taste for Murder" (quite gruesome); and, as the previous reviewer mentioned, "The Killing Philosopher," with a terrific ending, one of the most compact, neatly stuffed and folded stories ever written.
Rating:
Summary: You may be bewildered, but you'll certainly enjoy yourself.
Review: Ritchie's stories are spare (but describe everything)and macabre (but funny). His narrators are usually histrionic or extreme, but in a calm way, and arrogant, but likeable. Each plot sweeps along swiftly, but the journey is so enjoyable you actually want to slow down and savour the asides. As if all that weren't enough, Ritchie has a talent for the surprise ending, the little flick of that story that turns it completely over. Great and consistent skill is at work here, but some stories are standouts: "A Deadly Game of Cyanide" (hilarious on one page, chilling the next); "A Taste for Murder" (quite gruesome); and, as the previous reviewer mentioned, "The Killing Philosopher," with a terrific ending, one of the most compact, neatly stuffed and folded stories ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant short stories
Review: This collection of Jack Ritchie's short stories is unfortunately out of print, but if you can find a copy I suggest you grab it. "The Killing Philosopher," which may be my favorite in the bunch, is the best use of a really condensed amount of prose I've encountered. It's less than three pages, and it's given me a kick each time I've read it. Not a weak story in the lot. If you like dark comedies or twisted mysteries, give Ritchie a look.
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