Rusty Barnes
Auteur van Breaking it Down
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Michael Bracken’s short story, “Itsy Bitsy Spider” starts off the fifteen 15 tales that make up Tough 2: Crime Tales. Mona Peterson was trouble from the moment she walked into Morris Ronald Boyette’s office. She had walked over from the University in the rain, sans umbrella and bra, and wants to have the detective to deal with the Professor’s sexual harassment. That case is one of several that take up his time in “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and is easily the most consequential to the good detective’s future.
Frank is a long way and many years in Chosin, Korea in “The Third Jump of Frankie Buffalo” by Thomas Pluck. A choke point is anywhere where things get really narrow and something can happen and the railroad crossing ahead of him is definitely a chokepoint. The cement mixer Frank is driving has a job to do and the stalled traffic is nothing more than an inconvenience. That is until, as the clock ticks and his mission takes a turn, it isn’t.
The time is also a major part of “Day Planner” by Matt Mattilla. In a story where events are marked by the hour and minute, the kid goes through his day trying to blend in and not draw attention to himself for good reason. Easier said than done. Especially when others cause issues.
Driving a car for Valley Cab is usually fairly easy for Gordon Jurewicz. He has his routine and an uneventful life. Then she jumped into his backseat and started screaming for him to drive in “Tally Ho” by William R. Soldan. She needs help and Gordon is eager to do so.
Anne and James talk a walk every morning on the beach of Amelia Island, Florida. It has been their routine for two years now. In “Beach Body” by C. A. Rowland, their walk is interrupted by the discovery of a body. James knew the now dead woman and probably knew her intimately. Anne knows that another scandal, just like what happened in Chicago, is soon in store and her marriage might not survive this one.
Piosa had loved the old Mustang and had spent many hours working hard to restore it. It only seems fitting that his ashes joins the car in a sort of “Viking Funeral.” In this tale by Nick Kolakowski, setting the car ablaze is easy. Dealing with the aftermath of the fire, just like dealing with the aftermath of what they experienced over there, proves not so easy.
Marty had no idea how much he was in trouble with Shayne until after they ate at the diner just south of Charlotte. This time isn’t like the many other runs to West Palm Beach and back. In “Long Drive Home” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Marty has to figure out a way to deal with the new situation. Things are going to get very complicated very fast
It is a beautiful afternoon and Cowan wishes he was sitting in a seat on the plane cutting through the cobalt blue sky far above him in “Masonry” by Rob McClure Smith. He isn’t. He is also being followed. The kid who is following him is just the vanguard of a bigger problem known by the name of Prince Hall. Outnumbered and outgunned, running his mouth could be his only option. Until it isn’t.
Carla has plans and needs Arron to spring for what she wants. She knows how to work her feminine magic in “Once Upon A Time in Chicago” by Tia J’anae. But, this night is off and she felt that way from the start. She really should have listened to her inner voice that was shouting a warning.
Turner didn’t want to go behind bars, but it is what it is in “The Grass Beneath My Feet” by S. A. Cosby. Cold Water Correctional Facility is what it is. At least they let him out for a brief visit to a chapel to pray his respects to this deceased mother. It has been a long 15 years and plenty is on his mind.
Marsha knows everybody says a dead body looks like a mannequin, but it really does in “No News is Good News” by Evelyn Deshane. Even though it always seemed silly to her and she knew it was a cliché, Marsha now realizes it is definitely true. She had seen the van pull away from the nearby bus stop so maybe she has a lead for the police. A lead that the police don’t seem to care about at all because some victims just don’t matter.
Bagging groceries isn’t that great a job, but it is a job. In Haggard, the options job wise are very few. In “The Bag Girl” by Alec Cizak, she does what she needs to do to survive. She has a job at the store and another at home and both are mind numbing and hard in their own ways.
From direct personal experience, Jean knew what the man who called himself “Samson” did two years ago. The fact that he stole the table was just a symbol of everything he stole that night. That night changed the course of her life forever. In “Sarah, Sweet and Stealthy” by Preston Lang, a form of justice comes slowly and with some help.
Back in the 40’s, a mother abandoned her newborn in in the woods of Red Thrush Mountain. When a search party went looking after the young mother confessed, all they found was a small feed sack dress covered in feline fur. It may be years later, but the legend of what happened is still strong and a menacing presence. In “With Hair Black Than Coal” by Chris McGinley, strange things are again going on in the woods and Sheriff Curley Knott is on the case.
“She Loves First” by Mary Thorson is the final read in Tough 2: Crime Stories. Lula has been left behind as Tom is in New York to covertly photograph an execution for a New York Paper. His bird is still present and is seriously annoying. Something is going to have to change as she can’t keep living like this.
Like its predecessor, Tough: Crime Stories, the new book, Tough 2: Crime Stories, is a solidly good read. Most of the tales are on the dark side, but there are the occasional flashes of muted humor. Even if that humor tends to be on the dark and twisted side of the ledger. As one would expect from the title, these are not tales of cozy mystery where a death is gently and politely discussed by the flickering light of the fireplace while one sips tea. These are often tales where the gut churns with physical fear and one can smell the scent of murder on the night wind. While not present in every single story, these characters are often desperately clinging to life in situations where the price each day for existing to another sunrise is to kill before being killed. A mix of styles, locations, and crimes makes Tough 2: Crime Stories an enjoyable and often complicated read.
Tough 2: Crime Stories
Editor Rusty Barnes
Redneck Press
August 2019
ISBN# 978-0578487809
Paperback Only
194 Pages
$14.95
ARC PDF supplied by Editor Rusty Barnes with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019… (meer)
Frank is a long way and many years in Chosin, Korea in “The Third Jump of Frankie Buffalo” by Thomas Pluck. A choke point is anywhere where things get really narrow and something can happen and the railroad crossing ahead of him is definitely a chokepoint. The cement mixer Frank is driving has a job to do and the stalled traffic is nothing more than an inconvenience. That is until, as the clock ticks and his mission takes a turn, it isn’t.
The time is also a major part of “Day Planner” by Matt Mattilla. In a story where events are marked by the hour and minute, the kid goes through his day trying to blend in and not draw attention to himself for good reason. Easier said than done. Especially when others cause issues.
Driving a car for Valley Cab is usually fairly easy for Gordon Jurewicz. He has his routine and an uneventful life. Then she jumped into his backseat and started screaming for him to drive in “Tally Ho” by William R. Soldan. She needs help and Gordon is eager to do so.
Anne and James talk a walk every morning on the beach of Amelia Island, Florida. It has been their routine for two years now. In “Beach Body” by C. A. Rowland, their walk is interrupted by the discovery of a body. James knew the now dead woman and probably knew her intimately. Anne knows that another scandal, just like what happened in Chicago, is soon in store and her marriage might not survive this one.
Piosa had loved the old Mustang and had spent many hours working hard to restore it. It only seems fitting that his ashes joins the car in a sort of “Viking Funeral.” In this tale by Nick Kolakowski, setting the car ablaze is easy. Dealing with the aftermath of the fire, just like dealing with the aftermath of what they experienced over there, proves not so easy.
Marty had no idea how much he was in trouble with Shayne until after they ate at the diner just south of Charlotte. This time isn’t like the many other runs to West Palm Beach and back. In “Long Drive Home” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Marty has to figure out a way to deal with the new situation. Things are going to get very complicated very fast
It is a beautiful afternoon and Cowan wishes he was sitting in a seat on the plane cutting through the cobalt blue sky far above him in “Masonry” by Rob McClure Smith. He isn’t. He is also being followed. The kid who is following him is just the vanguard of a bigger problem known by the name of Prince Hall. Outnumbered and outgunned, running his mouth could be his only option. Until it isn’t.
Carla has plans and needs Arron to spring for what she wants. She knows how to work her feminine magic in “Once Upon A Time in Chicago” by Tia J’anae. But, this night is off and she felt that way from the start. She really should have listened to her inner voice that was shouting a warning.
Turner didn’t want to go behind bars, but it is what it is in “The Grass Beneath My Feet” by S. A. Cosby. Cold Water Correctional Facility is what it is. At least they let him out for a brief visit to a chapel to pray his respects to this deceased mother. It has been a long 15 years and plenty is on his mind.
Marsha knows everybody says a dead body looks like a mannequin, but it really does in “No News is Good News” by Evelyn Deshane. Even though it always seemed silly to her and she knew it was a cliché, Marsha now realizes it is definitely true. She had seen the van pull away from the nearby bus stop so maybe she has a lead for the police. A lead that the police don’t seem to care about at all because some victims just don’t matter.
Bagging groceries isn’t that great a job, but it is a job. In Haggard, the options job wise are very few. In “The Bag Girl” by Alec Cizak, she does what she needs to do to survive. She has a job at the store and another at home and both are mind numbing and hard in their own ways.
From direct personal experience, Jean knew what the man who called himself “Samson” did two years ago. The fact that he stole the table was just a symbol of everything he stole that night. That night changed the course of her life forever. In “Sarah, Sweet and Stealthy” by Preston Lang, a form of justice comes slowly and with some help.
Back in the 40’s, a mother abandoned her newborn in in the woods of Red Thrush Mountain. When a search party went looking after the young mother confessed, all they found was a small feed sack dress covered in feline fur. It may be years later, but the legend of what happened is still strong and a menacing presence. In “With Hair Black Than Coal” by Chris McGinley, strange things are again going on in the woods and Sheriff Curley Knott is on the case.
“She Loves First” by Mary Thorson is the final read in Tough 2: Crime Stories. Lula has been left behind as Tom is in New York to covertly photograph an execution for a New York Paper. His bird is still present and is seriously annoying. Something is going to have to change as she can’t keep living like this.
Like its predecessor, Tough: Crime Stories, the new book, Tough 2: Crime Stories, is a solidly good read. Most of the tales are on the dark side, but there are the occasional flashes of muted humor. Even if that humor tends to be on the dark and twisted side of the ledger. As one would expect from the title, these are not tales of cozy mystery where a death is gently and politely discussed by the flickering light of the fireplace while one sips tea. These are often tales where the gut churns with physical fear and one can smell the scent of murder on the night wind. While not present in every single story, these characters are often desperately clinging to life in situations where the price each day for existing to another sunrise is to kill before being killed. A mix of styles, locations, and crimes makes Tough 2: Crime Stories an enjoyable and often complicated read.
Tough 2: Crime Stories
Editor Rusty Barnes
Redneck Press
August 2019
ISBN# 978-0578487809
Paperback Only
194 Pages
$14.95
ARC PDF supplied by Editor Rusty Barnes with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019… (meer)
TOUGH: Crime Stories opens with “Texas Hot Flash” featuring police Officer Sunshine McCall. A day in the life of the officer who happens to be turning 40 with plenty to do and burdened by far too many memories.
Charlie is very much lost as “Night Drive” by JM Taylor begins. A nighttime drive to the pool at the college has gone horribly wrong. He is lost and in his wandering has come across somebody from his old high school class. She is on a street corner panhandling. She needs his help and one favor will lead to another.
Someone needing help is also a major point of the next story, “Lavina” by Richard Prosch. At one end of the duplex are Danny Parks and his girlfriend, Tammy. At the other end, there is Lavina and some guy she apparently lives with. Danny and Tammy never paid much attention to them until it became very clear Lavina need their help.
Our narrator is the owner of the oldest tattoo store in the Bay Area and lives with Megan who is a waitress. Each day is pretty much the same except for some artsy kid from the university. The kid keeps coming in to the tattoo shop more and more. Not only is he a bit different, he might be up to something in “St. Girard’s Ink Den” by Mark Rapacz.
Kachencko had spotted Jonas at the airport. That was a complication he didn’t need in “Detour” by Tom Andes. The clock is ticking and Kachenko has a mission to complete.
Francie is supposed to be marrying Nattie though, at the moment with his waving around of the gun and the white powder around his nostrils, he really isn’t displaying model behavior for a potential husband. In “Kennick” by Nelson Stanley, Kennick deals with his cousin’s future husband as best is he can.
Mantra’s dad used to talk about how a man needs to know himself. Mantra lives by that principal and does in “Working Overtime” by Matt Phillips. He would also argue that one needs to know others as well. Mantra, a cop, knows what is happening in his city as well as what is going on in a certain bungalow in Palm Springs. Things have to be dealt with one way or another.
James and Harlan had a great plan in “And they Shall Take Up Serpents” by Chris McGinley. The first part of their most excellent plan was to borrow the church van used by their preacher. The same preacher who likes to use snakes in his services. They really should have thought more about the snake issue.
Being a waiter at Shenanigans on a Friday evening as happy hour rages on into the night is not a lot of fun. Rob knows he is about to get screwed as the party of ten sits down in “run, Jennifer” by Doungjai Gam. He has dealt with the group before and they always leave a crappy tip. The only person in the group he likes is Jennifer. The usual crappy tip from the group will be the least of the problems on this night.
While nobody has seen Carmen Sloane for five years now, everyone in the neighborhood has seen her husband, Tom. He always makes a major point of talking about her. What happened to Carmen is the point of “Love-Honor- Cherish” by J. D. Graves. A husband has a duty to make his wife happy.
Chess did his time and now is back home. Amir acts like they are fine and all, but Chess senses that Amir is suspicious. Considering that Chess went to prison and kept his mouth shut, Amir should be grateful in “Doubt Thou the Stars Are Fire” by S. A. Crosby.
Stan blew up his old life and is dealing with the aftermath in “Blood Daughter” by Matthew Lyons. That includes trying to stay in touch with his daughter, Cassie, despite the interference by his ex, Melinda. He may need to move forward by replacing his family a piece at a time.
Katie knows what is coming so now all she can do is “Leave The World a Better Place” by Tom Barlow. She does. One shot at a time.
The final story is an “opening excerpt” titled “Ruby Behemoth” by Court Merrigan. Ivy was supposed to pick up Ruby Hix when she stepped out from the Women’s Penitentiary in Chowchilla, California. She didn’t. That will be dealt with latter as Ruby has errands to run and people to see.
The stories in TOUGH: Crime Stories cover a broad spectrum in crime fiction. In a couple of cases the stories tend more towards the horror genre than crime fiction. In most of the cases, the situations the characters face are extreme violence or day to day drudgery as whatever promise they had, if any, was never fulfilled. These tales don’t feature kittens, balloons, or happy time thoughts---unless serious drugs are involved. These are stories of lives coming apart at the seams or lives dying a slow death in the day to day drudgery of just getting through the day. Not an easy read and certainly not for all readers, the stories in TOUGH: Crime Stories all showcase the idea that noir can come in many different flavors.
TOUGH: Crime Stories
Editor Rusty Barnes
Redneck Press
August 2013
ISBN# 978-0692166543
Paperback Only
166 Pages
$10.95
ARC PDF supplied by Editor Rusty Barnes with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018… (meer)
Charlie is very much lost as “Night Drive” by JM Taylor begins. A nighttime drive to the pool at the college has gone horribly wrong. He is lost and in his wandering has come across somebody from his old high school class. She is on a street corner panhandling. She needs his help and one favor will lead to another.
Someone needing help is also a major point of the next story, “Lavina” by Richard Prosch. At one end of the duplex are Danny Parks and his girlfriend, Tammy. At the other end, there is Lavina and some guy she apparently lives with. Danny and Tammy never paid much attention to them until it became very clear Lavina need their help.
Our narrator is the owner of the oldest tattoo store in the Bay Area and lives with Megan who is a waitress. Each day is pretty much the same except for some artsy kid from the university. The kid keeps coming in to the tattoo shop more and more. Not only is he a bit different, he might be up to something in “St. Girard’s Ink Den” by Mark Rapacz.
Kachencko had spotted Jonas at the airport. That was a complication he didn’t need in “Detour” by Tom Andes. The clock is ticking and Kachenko has a mission to complete.
Francie is supposed to be marrying Nattie though, at the moment with his waving around of the gun and the white powder around his nostrils, he really isn’t displaying model behavior for a potential husband. In “Kennick” by Nelson Stanley, Kennick deals with his cousin’s future husband as best is he can.
Mantra’s dad used to talk about how a man needs to know himself. Mantra lives by that principal and does in “Working Overtime” by Matt Phillips. He would also argue that one needs to know others as well. Mantra, a cop, knows what is happening in his city as well as what is going on in a certain bungalow in Palm Springs. Things have to be dealt with one way or another.
James and Harlan had a great plan in “And they Shall Take Up Serpents” by Chris McGinley. The first part of their most excellent plan was to borrow the church van used by their preacher. The same preacher who likes to use snakes in his services. They really should have thought more about the snake issue.
Being a waiter at Shenanigans on a Friday evening as happy hour rages on into the night is not a lot of fun. Rob knows he is about to get screwed as the party of ten sits down in “run, Jennifer” by Doungjai Gam. He has dealt with the group before and they always leave a crappy tip. The only person in the group he likes is Jennifer. The usual crappy tip from the group will be the least of the problems on this night.
While nobody has seen Carmen Sloane for five years now, everyone in the neighborhood has seen her husband, Tom. He always makes a major point of talking about her. What happened to Carmen is the point of “Love-Honor- Cherish” by J. D. Graves. A husband has a duty to make his wife happy.
Chess did his time and now is back home. Amir acts like they are fine and all, but Chess senses that Amir is suspicious. Considering that Chess went to prison and kept his mouth shut, Amir should be grateful in “Doubt Thou the Stars Are Fire” by S. A. Crosby.
Stan blew up his old life and is dealing with the aftermath in “Blood Daughter” by Matthew Lyons. That includes trying to stay in touch with his daughter, Cassie, despite the interference by his ex, Melinda. He may need to move forward by replacing his family a piece at a time.
Katie knows what is coming so now all she can do is “Leave The World a Better Place” by Tom Barlow. She does. One shot at a time.
The final story is an “opening excerpt” titled “Ruby Behemoth” by Court Merrigan. Ivy was supposed to pick up Ruby Hix when she stepped out from the Women’s Penitentiary in Chowchilla, California. She didn’t. That will be dealt with latter as Ruby has errands to run and people to see.
The stories in TOUGH: Crime Stories cover a broad spectrum in crime fiction. In a couple of cases the stories tend more towards the horror genre than crime fiction. In most of the cases, the situations the characters face are extreme violence or day to day drudgery as whatever promise they had, if any, was never fulfilled. These tales don’t feature kittens, balloons, or happy time thoughts---unless serious drugs are involved. These are stories of lives coming apart at the seams or lives dying a slow death in the day to day drudgery of just getting through the day. Not an easy read and certainly not for all readers, the stories in TOUGH: Crime Stories all showcase the idea that noir can come in many different flavors.
TOUGH: Crime Stories
Editor Rusty Barnes
Redneck Press
August 2013
ISBN# 978-0692166543
Paperback Only
166 Pages
$10.95
ARC PDF supplied by Editor Rusty Barnes with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018… (meer)
Richard Logan was 14 that summer, and things were pretty much the same as always in his little Pennsylvania town. His parents were caring but stubbornly corrective, his grown relatives and neighbors coarse, hard-working and mysterious, his love-life non-existent. He was full of adolescent yearning and small-town ennui.
Then, so quickly, nothing was the same. There was a naked woman – new in town – running out of the woods with ornery Lyle Thompson close behind her, scared out of a tryst by Richard's careless shot at a woodchuck. Later, there was another naked woman, dumped near a stream like an unwanted dog, found by Richard and some new friends, including the fetching but prickly daughter of the first naked woman.
Now there was a riddle to solve, and women and girls to protect. Lyle Thompson was in it up to his neck, which put him and Richard on a collision course from the moment of that first encounter.
Rusty Barnes doesn't waste any of the potential of this setup. He builds tension all the way through as Richard fights his own youthful timidity, deciding ultimately to do the right thing, to go to battle, to make the dangerous leap from kid to hombre.
A wonderful sense of place, great characters, a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.
… (meer)
Then, so quickly, nothing was the same. There was a naked woman – new in town – running out of the woods with ornery Lyle Thompson close behind her, scared out of a tryst by Richard's careless shot at a woodchuck. Later, there was another naked woman, dumped near a stream like an unwanted dog, found by Richard and some new friends, including the fetching but prickly daughter of the first naked woman.
Now there was a riddle to solve, and women and girls to protect. Lyle Thompson was in it up to his neck, which put him and Richard on a collision course from the moment of that first encounter.
Rusty Barnes doesn't waste any of the potential of this setup. He builds tension all the way through as Richard fights his own youthful timidity, deciding ultimately to do the right thing, to go to battle, to make the dangerous leap from kid to hombre.
A wonderful sense of place, great characters, a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.
… (meer)
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"(…) as i noticed by the reek / of perfume these were girls. i admit / to yelling CHICKFIGHT! and settling back / against the concrete wall to watch. / i am not proud; these are just details, / like how the younger smaller girl / sunfished her way out from under / the big girl and came up with a knife, / one wild slash on a roll of fat (…) / (…) / i fell in love with her soon after. after we necked / in my father’s fairlane, i went too far of course. / her cool fingers marked the side of my neck. / i released from her crotch and panicked, began / to watch for it; the sharp right hand, the blade, (…) (high school chick fight)"… (meer)