The tone of the
tales ranges from Lynn Calhoun’s Gothic tale “Cayce’s Treasures,” (with its
references to the fad for wearing “lover’s eye” jewelry to the black humor of
Libby Hall’s “Stewing” and the flinging around of dog carcasses to the
hilarious send-up of country music songs (“”Take My Heart, Leave the Dog”) in
Sherry Harris’ “Country Song Gone Wrong.”
A couple of
stories touch on the supernatural—Ronald Sterling’s “Just like Jiminy Cricket”
for one, and Brad Harper’s “Shadow Man.” Food comes up a lot and the reference
to grilled bacon and pimento cheese sandwiches will make any reader’s mouth
water. (K.L. Murphy’s “Burn.”)
Twist endings,
unfaithful spouses, unreliable narrators, and lots and lots of southern local
color—pick your poison (and yes, there’s poison here too).
If you love crime
fiction, pick up Deadly Southern Charm and enjoy. You can buy it on Amazon or directly from Wildside Press. For more Sisters in Crime anthologies with Virginia writers, check out the SinC website.
