Old Flames by Jack Ketchum

 

Old Flames by Jack Ketchum - 287 pages

Burned again. Men never treated Dora well. This latest cheated on her and dumped her. The last decent guy she knew was her old high school boyfriend, Jim. He'd said that he loved her. Maybe he did. So with the help of Flame Finders, Dora's found him again. Turns out he's married with two kids. But Dora isn't about to let that stand in her way...

This was an ok short story, not quite what I expected but ok, it also includes the short story called "Right to Life", which was brutal but a bit predictable, it was just ok as well.

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King

 Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King-111 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s beloved novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption—the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award–nominee The Shawshank Redemption—about an unjustly imprisoned convict who seeks a strangely satisfying revenge, is available as a standalone book.

Suspenseful, mysterious, and heart-wrenching, Stephen King’s extraordinary novella, populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, tells a powerful tale of crushing despair and liberating hope through the eyes of Ellis “Red” Redding. Red’s a guy who can get you whatever you want here in Maine’s corrupt and hard-edged Shawshank State Penitentiary (for a price, of course), but the one thing he doesn’t count on is an unexpected friendship forged with fellow inmate Andy Dufresne—an inscrutable one-time banker perhaps falsely convicted of brutal, calculated murder who will go on to transform everyone’s lives within these prison walls.

Originally published in the 1982 collection Different Seasons, it was adapted into the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this modern classic has become one of the most beloved films of all time. A mesmerizing work of unjust imprisonment and strangely satisfying revenge, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption remains one of Stephen King’s most beloved and iconic stories.

Thoughts: I've seen this movie many times. Any time it's on TV, I'll usually watch it (at least clips). It's such a well done, good movie. This is our next choice for the Book to Movie Club. There are many differences and some similarities (some almost exact) between the book and the movie. I prefer the movie slightly to the book, though. Without the book/short story, the movie would have never been made, though. 

You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa

You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa -- 51 pages

A freshly broken-up couple agrees to grin and bear it for their family’s sake in a story about the healing power of the holidays from Mia Sosa, USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man.

Juliana and Eric called off their engagement—but Christmas with the family is just around the corner, so things are going to get awkward, fast. Unless, of course, they pretend the wedding is still on. But the holidays are gonna holiday. And the only thing harder than pretending they’re still in love is trying not to fall for each other all over again.

Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen

Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen -- 63 pages

What starts as a Hail Mary fake romance scheme turns into the real deal in this delightful story of holiday deception from Ali Rosen, author of Alternate Endings and Recipe for Second Chances.

Miriam Brody is dreading Hanukkah with her overbearing family in Charleston. Ditto for dreamy pro football player Cal Durand and Christmas. After sharing a few flirty drinks on the flight there, the strangers conspire to tackle the holidays together, posing as a couple. But as shenanigans unfold, Miriam realizes her feelings are anything but fake. Uh-oh. Are they headed for a holiday miracle—or a holiday disaster?

All Wrapped Up in You by Rosie Danan

All Wrapped Up in You by Rosie Danan -- 76 pages

Holiday magic helps two oblivious neighbors discover just how close they are in bestselling author Rosie Danan’s cheerful short story about big comedy, small tragedies, and the gifts found in between.

When stand-up comedian Piper has a panic attack outside the club, it’s not funny. But Scott, a handsome ER doctor from the crowd, gives her something to smile about as he calms her down. Turns out they’re neighbors—they just don’t know it yet. When Christmas Eve presents an opportunity for them to get even closer, Scott and Piper realize they share much more than just a wall.

Snow Place Like Home by Laura Pavlov

Snow Place Like Home by Laura Pavlov -- 57 pages

After a devastating breakup, a sunny veterinarian goes home to the mountains to lick her wounds—and savor a holiday snack—in this heartfelt story from Laura Pavlov, author of the Blushing series.

At her brother’s wedding, Goldie Jacobs brushes shoulders with Ace Bonetti, his childhood best friend turned Hollywood hotshot. Ace has been crushing on Goldie ever since high school, and seeing her again reminds him exactly why. They spend one toe-curling night together, then part ways, expecting nothing more. But when those moments under the mistletoe felt so right, how can they ever let each other go?

Small Things by Wanda M. Morris (Alibis Collection)

Small Things by Wanda M. Morris (Alibis Collection)

When a jewelry maker’s only escape from an abusive marriage is threatened, she must go to creative lengths to protect it in a haunting short story by the award-winning author of What You Leave Behind.

Hannah and her husband appear to live a good life. No one knows the emotional nightmare Hannah endures behind closed doors. A blessed freedom is in the jewelry she crafts in the shed behind her house. But what will Hannah do when her husband threatens to take away even the smallest things that bring her joy? Hannah has a plan. Now it’s just a matter of pulling it off without leaving a single trace behind.

Wanda M. Morris’s Small Things is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. 

This was my least favorite in the Alibis Collection, I think because of how Hannah's husband treated her.  But the plot was still good.  

Good Neighbors by Chad Zunker (Alibis Collection #5)

 

Good Neighbors by Chad Zunker (Alibis Collection #5) - 45 pages

Curiosity could get the best of a watchful neighbor in a chilling short story about friendship, secrets, and sneaking suspicions by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Family Money.

Kara will do anything for her best friend and neighbor, Mindy. Especially when she learns that Mindy’s husband might be having an affair. Kara promises to remain vigilant. Maybe she’ll even catch the rat in the act. Then one night when Kara observes someone sneaking into Mindy’s house, she decides to take a closer look. But what’s happening across the street isn’t what Kara expects. And what she sees could get her killed.

Chad Zunker’s Good Neighbors is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Kara finds out that nothing good happens when you stick your nose in others' business.  This was a good story and I enjoyed the ending

The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian (Alibis Collection #4)

 

The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian (Alibis Collection #4) - 49 pages

For two brothers, an inheritance triggers a dark chain of events in a thrilling short story of loyalty and revenge by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant.

Aspiring musician Pete Hamilton has nothing in common with his older brother, Leo, an aerospace engineer. Until their late father leaves them the family farm, a sprawling dairy operation in Vermont. Pete wants to hold on. Leo wants to sell. All the embattled brothers can agree on is to skydive over the fields and sprinkle their father’s ashes—a grand gesture the old man would have loved. But when the plan goes terribly wrong, only one unexpected eyewitness can see what’s really going on.

Chris Bohjalian’s The Skydivers is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

I really enjoyed this short story and didn't predict the ending.  I haven't read anything by this author before but I may have to give some of this other books a try.

False Note by David Lagercrantz , Elizabeth DeNoma (Translator) (Alibis Collection #3)

 

False Note (Alibis Collection #3) by David Lagercrantz ,  Elizabeth DeNoma  (Translator) - 41 pages

A toxic father-son relationship unleashes dark impulses and unthinkable betrayals in a riveting short story by the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl in the Spider’s Web.

William’s father is a beloved opera singer in Stockholm, charismatic and unpredictable. Raised in the shadow of his father’s addictions—women, drink, and cruelty—he knows the man’s dark side. William believes he’s found the light when he falls in love with a fellow university student, a young woman named Ebba. But his father’s hold on his life is not so easily broken. Even in death.

David Lagercrantz’s False Note is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

This was a decent short story, not my favorite but it was ok.

The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth (Alibis Collection #2)

 

The Ex-Wives Club (Alibis Collection #2) by Sally Hepworth - 83 pages

Celebrity chef Ian Curley is found dead in his walk-in freezer. The prime suspects are his three ex-wives, who meet up every Friday evening in their favorite corner booth of his restaurant. It’s a tradition for Anita, Mary-Jane, and Rosie to drink, dine, and commiserate. But commit murder? All aggrieved, each one has a motive and an alibi. And a brilliant detective has reservations. Who did it? The night will tell.

Sally Hepworth’s The Ex-Wives Club is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

This was a great short story; I couldn't pin down who did it.  The ending was great!

The Fall Risk

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez | 82 pages | 2025

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Breeding Ground by S.C. Mendes

 

Breeding Ground by S.C. Mendes - 43 pages

Lonely and reeling after a medical diagnosis, Lexi Macomber agrees to a weekend retreat at her ex-fiancé's secluded cabin. No drama. No expectations. Just a fun chance to reconnect.

A promising start quickly unravels as old grudges and buried arguments resurface. After a shower mishap ruins their final attempt at repairing the relationship, Lexi demands to leave.

Something in the woods has other plans.

Trapped in the cabin with trauma and mistrust, Lexi must investigate whether the force marking her as prey is real or a terrifying product of her own mind.

Breeding Ground is a fast-paced novelette of body horror; a 12K-word fever-dream pushing the limits of trust and desire.

This is a nice, creepy, short story that will have you cringing.  Well done!

Dark Storm Rising

 Dark Storm Rising by Linda Castillo 65pages

Newlyweds Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti are happily spending their honeymoon at a beautiful Lake Erie cabin that was once part of an historic Amish settlement. But when a violent storm suddenly erupts, Lovina Nisley, the Amish owner of the cabin, goes missing. Lovina is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, so it initially appears the elderly woman simply took the wrong path, but her disappearance takes an ominous turn when her husband reveals that a developer has been threatening them if they refuse to sell him their home. With temperatures dropping and local law enforcement unable to reach them, Kate and Tomasetti must brave the perilous weather to find her. But will they reach Lovina in time to save her life?

This was no more exciting then a forty minute episode of Blue Bloods or CSI. It is super short. This can entertain you at an airport while waiting to board. 

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey -- 59 pages

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood -- 73 pages

For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories in a delightful short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.

The Gift

 

The Gift by Freida McFadden   53 pages

She is so broke that despite working two jobs, she can’t even afford a present for her husband on their first Christmas as man and wife. But then a mysterious storekeeper at a pawn shop offers Stella an intriguing trade.

Stella wants more than anything to buy her husband the Christmas gift of his dreams. But will it come at a terrible price?


The Gift is a gripping Christmas-themed thriller inspired by the classic O. Henry tale, The Gift of the Magi.

This is a very quick read. It doesn't go the way a reader may think it would go and it's interesting to learn why.

Pros and Cons by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Pros and Cons by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg -- 28 pages

FBI special agent Kate O’Hare has made it her mission to nail international con artist Nicolas Fox. When she discovers his plot to plunder a venture capitalist’s twentieth-story Chicago penthouse of all its cash and treasures at the same time that the self-proclaimed “King of Hostile Takeovers” is getting married, Kate is 85 percent—okay maybe 92 percent—sure that she’s finally going to bag Nick Fox.

Problem is, first Kate has to convince her boss, building security, and maybe even herself, that wedding planner Merrill Stubing is actually Nicolas Fox. Second, she has to figure out how to corner and capture him without disrupting the event of the year. And third, what’s going to happen once O’Hare finally gets her hands on Fox? It’s going take a pro to catch a con before the fireworks over Lake Michigan go off.

The Shell Game by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

The Shell Game by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg -- 29 pages

Con man Nick Fox is after Garson Klepper’s golden Peruvian relics. For Fox, convincing Klepper to hire him as security for the relocation of the relics to the Getty museum in L.A. was easy. Problem is, Fox wasn’t planning on Klepper also enlisting the help of the FBI. Fox also wasn’t planning on being paired up with rookie special agent Kate O’Hare. She’s smart, she’s tenacious, and when she’s conned, she holds a grudge. Life for Fox and O’Hare will never be the same again.

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

 The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

96 pages

★★★

Opening the flaps on this unique little book, readers will find themselves immersed in the strange world of best-selling Haruki Murakami's wild imagination. The story of a lonely boy, a mysterious girl, and a tormented sheep man plotting their escape from a nightmarish library, the book is like nothing else Murakami has written.