This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
Dabbling in Crime: Death of a Violinist and Other Stories is an intriguing and fascinating collection of short stories by Shelly Reuben. The collection starts with the story of a young violinist, a prodigy aptly named by the narrator (a New York cop) as Dante no-last-name no-middle-initial. The Super Bowl fan, who also thinks Frank Sinatra was a bully, doesn't really apologize for his lack of finesse in terms of storytelling, for he is a cop who's good at writing reports and testifying in criminal court. Dante is an unexpected enigma, and the narrator recalls how the young man touches people’s hearts and lives with his violin playing skills.
Then there’s the sweet, nostalgic and educational story about a dedicated teacher, Elizabeth Fox, and her favorite student, Mickey Dove, in ‘A Terrible Thing to Do.’ My favorites are ‘Mrs. Pomfrey’s Elderberry Wine,’ a story about mean-spirited Hilda and her timid husband, and ‘Hero Worship Eyes,’ a great story with a twist that I didn't see coming.
I don’t want to give away all the substance of this anthology, but I can guarantee that the multidimensional characters will transfix readers with their seemingly peculiar but relatable stories. These are characters that I know I could find in the real world, and some of them resemble people that I have encountered in life. There are insightful and valuable lessons that readers can take away from each tale. Overall, this is a thought-provoking and commendable work from Reuben and I’m definitely interested to read her other works.
