Kwik Krimes

In the table of contents, I marked those stories I particularly enjoyed. That way, when I pick up this book a year or two from now, I can reread my favorites.As it turned out, I only marked 9 stories...about 11% of the total contents. There were, in my opinion, recurring weaknesses in almost 90% of the very short stories. It's apparent, long before one reads the majority of these very brief stories, that the format is extremely challenging. Weaknesses include totally unrealistic occurrences, one-dimensional characters (no surprise here, given the brevity), stories that simply do not lead to any meaningful conclusion, and most common of all, works in which the "punch line" or conclusion is obvious before the end of the initial page.The good stories are very, very good, but there aren't enough of them to warrant anything other than a neutral or mixed rating and review. The authors try their best; the format is simply too limiting most of the time.If you do choose to read this book, I suggest you do so by reading one or two stories at a time. By reflecting on them...letting them "sink in"...you might enjoy them more than if you read 40 or 50 pages at a time. If you read a fair number of stories in one sitting, most will be immediately forgettable.

All of these crime short stories are very short and yet they tell you all the necessary information, so you can follow the characters. Many of them leave you with the finale open, so that you can think what would probably happen. I only hope there are other editions of this type of crime short stories that are about 1,000 words.

OK, I'm a big fan of Otto Penzler's annual collections. There's certainly satisfaction in reading well told tales and allowing authors the space to stretch out and tell them. This collection is different because as the name suggests, the selections are mostly short, short stories. Some maybe even "flash" stories. And they work WONDERFULLY!I've stayed up much too late reading "just one more" before turning out the light because the stories are so good and the pleasure of reading them is so compelling.This book should be required reading; it's that good. You will absolutely never regret this one. I'm already looking forward to Kwik Krimes 2.

The book has stories written by the best in the trade. I did not like the endings, though. I realize they are very short stories, but the endings left me empty. I needed a little more. I have given 5 stars to most of the books I have read by the various authors. I have also read, and liked, many short stories, but most of the ones in the book left me thinking; "is that all?" I plan to read the book again in order to see if I left something out during my first reading. I want to be fair!

Wow. What a great read. Fitting a short story in a thousand words or less is a work of art. Doing it with great character build up and sometimes a twist is even harder. The fact that this is cutting edge noir increases the difficulty level. Having close to 90 of these gems in one volume is priceless. Many short story compendiums are like a bag of chips, mostly air before you get to minuscule amount of potatoes and salt. Not in this case, not a dud in the bunch.

A charming collection of short stories that can be read in small bites or large gulps. Many well known authors and some that were new to me.

Unfortunately the idea of Kwik Krimes in a 1000 words or less just did not work. Too many of the crimes were not conclusive and left me wondering what happened in the end or a feeling of "so what" . I am a avid crime/thriller reader but too many of the stories just had no meaning for me -- maybe I am not all that bright or have not been exposed to this genre of crime writing but the format just did not work for me.

I was looking for something to read in those moments when something quick was best. Add good writing and diverse plots and you have a great deal to boot. If you're looking for the short-winded examples of a host of authors mysteries, this is the book for you.

I can only speak from a personal preference and I feel that short stories do not engage me as much as a novel, which involves the reader. This book would be good on a plane or train, where one might get interrupted and short stories suit themselves for this purpose. The stories themselves are some very clever, sharp, and interesting while others were just a page turner and I couldn`t wait to get to the next one.None of them sticks in my mind. I am an avid reader and short stories may be more suited to someone who has only recently discovered the joys of reading and still struggles to focus on a whole novel.

I did try to read more of this book but the tales were so dreadful that I gave up early. This book will doubtless appeal to some people who just want a series of very quick reads but it certainly wasn't for me.

total rubbish i dont normally write a review on books but i feel i must warn others to stay well clear

worst book ever