Tag Archives: Mystery

Otto’s Pet Shop, the Horror in the Dark

by VJ Miller, Sr.

Suspense in a Dark Room:

Pet Shop owner, Otto Dengler awoke slowly in the dark.  He sensed first the uncomfortable chill of the air, then the pasty taste of his mouth.  He reached for the blanket to cover his naked body but couldn’t find it.  Stiff and sore from the cold, the mattress felt unusually hard; in fact, he could swear he was laying on a bed full of crumbs.  He didn’t recall eating anything in bed; he never did that.

Rising to another level of consciousness he sat up.  His back prickled all over; his buttocks felt like he’d sat on crushed glass.  Startled, he flipped over to his hands and knees.  While his senses warmed up from their stupor he became aware he’d been laying on gravel.  A handful rubbed between the fingers was flung to the side. Continue reading Otto’s Pet Shop, the Horror in the Dark

WRONG QUARRY by Max Allan Collins (review)

 review by VJ Miller, Sr.

The Wrong QuarryThe plot was superb, very interesting that a hitman should take out a war on other hitmen. I look forward to reading the other quarry novels. Why only four stars for such a good story? I was dismayed at having to wade through all the descriptions of: every room, every person, in every setting, every automobile, every, everything. Mr. Collins actually told me more than I really needed to know. I would’ve preferred less description and let my own imagination fill in the rest. I feel that all this extra description actually slowed down the pace of the story. At times it appears Mr. Collins was giving descriptions to an illustrator for a graphic novel rather than setting the scene for a book.

This was a great story even though I did figure out the end before it happened. Too many clues maybe but still a good book. Anyone who enjoys good hard-boiled stories should pick this book up, they’ll really enjoy it. I

Four Stars

©Copyright Realms Uncharted and VJ Miller, Sr. 2015