Short Story – 26 Pages
Synopsis:
A random encounter leads to deception, love and murder. While vacationing at a ski resort, professional hitman Robert Prescott meets a strange and beautiful woman.
They discover passion and embark into a dangerous game hiding their relationship from her powerful husband. Then a further twist of fate makes Robert’s occupation collide with his new found love.
My Take:
Being in the reviewing business for a while now I’ve come to expect certain things. 1: People really don’t like bad reviews. 2: The more I dislike a book the wordier I become. 3: Subject matter and length tend to come in waves.
2 years ago when I first starting I couldn’t go more than 2 hours without getting a request containing vampires. Last year it was Dystopian or Apocalyptic lit. This year… it’s short stories.
Why?
I have no idea. Maybe it’s because life is really busy, and settling down with a 600 page book about WWII doesn’t sound all that appealing when your trying to unwind from you 60 hour work week. Maybe reading at work has become extremely popular and knowing that you can read an entire story while chomping down your fast food lunch in the Mc Donald’s parking lot leaves you giddy. Hell…maybe it’s because authors finally realized that I’m not biased to short reads. Whatever the case, short stories are increasing in demand, and I…being the total sheep (aka follower) that I am, am here to tell you about another one.
The thing about short stories is that they have to hold the same intrigue that a full length novel does. Yes, the author only has 30 or so pages to work it all out, but without proper set up and character development (similar to full length novels) the story can quickly become predictable and flat.
This (unfortunately) is the case with JH Bogran’s short “The Assassin’s Mistress.” While the “conceptual” aspects for the story were interesting, the way it was presented left little to be desired.
How so?
It was unbelievably predictable and by page 3 I had everything worked out in my head.
“Hey Misty…maybe you’re just super smart!”
Why thanks! And no. While my literary muscles may be stronger than most (due to a heavy work out schedule.) the reason the story was so predictable was mostly due to its very flat writing. For a story that was supposed to be laced with deception (insert finger quotes around the word supposed) there were no twists and turns, (besides the obvious, which was…obvious) even the ending held very little surprise and IT (I’m sure) was supposed to be the kicker, the piece de resistance, the cherry on top.
So what does this mean for Bogran as a writer? It means he needs to pay closer attention to his building strategy (and character development) if he decides to continue down the murder mystery route. Cause this little ditty was a flop.
Sorry Bogran.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Never go to the pool without sunscreen! (sorry…it’s really hot outside and that’s all of the wisdom I could muster for one day.)
[Rating:1/5]
