This is a review of two short stories that appear in the book, "First Cases: The Early Years of Famous Detectives, Volume 4" edited by Robert J. Randisi. The first story I read is titled "Second Fiddle" by J. A. Jance.
This was a great story. It was easier to read and understand than the others I had read so far. The main characters, Gail and Georgiana, are sisters. When I first saw the title, I wasn't sure what the theme of the story was. However, as I began reading it, I saw what the author's message was. The two sisters had a struggle with sibling rivalry. One of the girls felt like she wasn't as good as her sister. Now you are probably asking yourself, "Who was feeling inferior and why?"
The main plot of the story happens when Georgiana and Hal leave a party. Both of them had too much to drink. As a result, they are in an accident. Georgiana is arrested because Hal is killed. J. P. Beaumont and Sue Danielson are the two detectives who are assigned to investigate the case. Gail tells the detectives about the conflicts she and her sister had throughout their lives. You'll have to read the story now to find out what caused the conflicts between the two sisters, which one had the inferior feelings, and what happened.
I recommend this story highly. I feel like the author did a great job. I was able to understand what the author was trying to reveal about the two girls and to readers. J. A. Jance is also the author of several novels that are set in Arizona and Washington.
The second story I read is "Dead Man's Curve" by Judith Van Gieson. This story was also an excellent story. It is about a man named David who was in a car and collided with another car. The driver of the other car was injured, but the woman and her three children who were with him were killed. Neil Hammel is the detective who is investigating the case. You'll have to read the story to find out what happened. Was David sent to jail? Was he found not guilty?
I also recommend this story. "Dead Man's Curve" also appears in "Murder on Route 66," which is another collection of short stories. I've also read some short stories in that book and recommend it as well.
In my last article, I mentioned that Randisi had Volume 1, 2, and 3 as well. I have ordered Volume 3 and thought that Volume 2 was not available, but I recently found out that it is available. When these books come in, I'll have all four volumes. Look for more short story reviews in the near future.
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