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Title: Tales to Take Your Breath Away
Series: ———-
Editor: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Crime Fiction
Pages: 370
Words: 140K
Table of Contents:
THE ARROWMONT PRISON RIDDLE—Bill Pronzini
END OF THE LINE—Edward D. Hoch
THE DETTWEILER SOLUTION—Lawrence Block
THE WHITECHAPEL WANTONS—Vincent McConnor
CORA’S RAID—Isak Romun
A CUP OF HERBAL TEA—Robert S. Aldrich
ALBION, PERFIDIOUS ALBION—Everett Greenbaum
LIFE OR BREATH—Nelson DeMille
THE SILVER LINING—Mick Mahoney
A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR—William Brittain
SUPERSCAM—Francis M. Nevins, Jr.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THIS WOMAN?—John Lutz
JOE CUTTER’S GAME—Brian Garfield
A CABIN IN THE WOODS—John Coyne
CROOK OF THE MONTH—Robert Bloch
DEATH OF A PERUKE-MAKER—Clayton Matthews
THE FOREVER DUEL—James McKimmey
THE CHALLENGE—Carroll Mayers
EXTRA WORK—Robert W. Wells
THE FIRST MOON TOURIST—Duffy Carpenter
THE LONG ARM OF EL JEFE—Edward Wellen
DEATH SENTENCE—Stephen Wasylyk
KID CARDULA—Jack Ritchie
INVISIBLE CLUE—Jeffry Scott
ACCIDENTAL WIDOW—Nedra Tyre
ELEMENT OF SURPRISE—Bruce M. Fisher
LOOKING FOR MILLIKEN STREET—Joyce Harrington
JUDGMENT POSTPONED—Robert Edward Eckels
THE WINDOW—William Bankier
Unfortunately, while there were some intriguing stories in this collection, I’d already read about 1/3 of the stories in other Hitchcock anthologies. Also, one of the stories dealt with the rape of a 15 year old girl while another dealt with a woman being tricked and as a result losing her unborn baby. That is why I’ve given this the Disturbing tag.
After I realized there were multiple stories I’d already read, I just started skipping them as soon as I recognized that I’d already read them. I really don’t like doing that but I’m not going to waste my time re-reading a short story that I’m not intentionally re-reading.
The new stories, when they weren’t disturbing, were all good and what I’d expect from a book like this. I just hope I don’t run into this situation again.
As for that cover. Is Hitchcock a fatso or what?!? I always knew he was chubby but my goodness, he’s beyond portly. This is why you should never put a real person on the cover of a book. Because people like me come along and mercilessly mock them.
★★★☆☆
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