Deadly Housewives Anthology
by Christine Matthews (Editor)
Published by Avon Trade, an imprint of HarperCollins
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at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Sharron Stockhausen
On television the housewives are desperate, but in this page-turner collection of short stories by award-winning women mystery-suspense writers, the housewives are deadly.
Anyone who knows the mystery genre knows the authors in this anthology: Nevada Barr, Barbara Collins, Carole Nelson Douglas, Eileen Dreyer, Vicki Hendricks, Suzann Ledbetter, Elizabeth Massie, Christina Matthews, Denise Mina, Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky, Nancy Pickard, S. J. Rozan, and Julie Smith.
Resist any temptation to ignore the introduction and head straight for the stories because the introduction sets the tone for the rest of the housewives you'll meet in the pages that follow.
Some of the housewives are bored, others are disgruntled, but all discover nasty ways to respond to what irritates them. I tried to choose a favorite tale, but couldn't. I recommend you read them all, just not necessarily in the order they appear in the book. "Trailer Trashed" makes reality television worse than you thought. "Joy Ride" gives prudent insight on knowing who you're dealing with. "The Next-Door Collector" makes anyone look at the new neighbors a bit differently. "Lawn and Order" shows new ideas about plants and pets-two things that are supposed to help reduce stress. Ten more stories await you, so make sure you block enough time to enjoy them all.
After you've finished the stories, you'll want to read the "little black book" containing extra entries of comments and recipes supplied by the authors. After seeing how these ladies think, however, I don't know if I'd actually allow anything from the recipes into my mouth without a food taster trying it first.
You're in for a real treat as you move from story to story. Be on the lookout for haunting humor, precious pets, hurtful husbands, naughty neighbors, and generation gaps. Enjoy the ride.
Reviewer Sharron Stockhausen served two terms as president of Twin Cities (Minnesota) Sisters In Crime.
Armchair Interviews says: Wow, sounds like a fun read.