Murder & Other Love Stories: Thought-Provoking Suspense by Bruce A. Hanson
Love at first sight is one thing. Love at first sound — or love that becomes a motive for revenge — is another.
In Murder & Other Love Stories, Bruce A. Hanson brings together over a dozen works of short fiction about people whose dreams of happiness and loving relationships collide with their own shortcomings or the schemes of others. Where those collisions lead is another question: true love, heartbreak and death are all possibilities.
In “The Salesman,” Hank is determined to right a wrong, only for his efforts to go very, very wrong. “The Performer” introduces Marie Fleuri and Franz Stromeister, for whom an attraction begins with sound. In “Swimming,” a young woman swims for her life after her grandfather dies. And in the award-winning “The Collector,” Natalie’s enthusiasm for collecting dolls comes with an ominous question: what could possibly go wrong? Four other award winners appear in this volume: “Twins,” “The Saviours,” “The Unknown Civilian” and “Daddy’s Home.”
The collection moves among twisted murder mysteries, historical romance, drama and character-driven stories. Its lengths are equally varied, ranging from fewer than 100 words to 10,000, offering readers both brief encounters and longer immersions in Hanson’s fictional worlds.
Author Julia Blake praises a sparseness in Hanson’s writing that is “elegant and precise.” His tales are chock-full of unexpected twists, psychological unease and moments of tenderness. For readers who like a little apprehension with their affection, Murder & Other Love Stories offers multiple ways to explore how the pursuit of happiness can take an unexpected turn.
