“The balance of character development will delight readers interested in complex characters and thought-provoking stories with a twist.”
– Amazon Editorial Reviews
“This collection of nine short stories takes a jaundiced view of humankind as it posits a universe that dispenses wicked, ironic retribution—or not.
“Ekemar has subtitled this book Nine Short Stories about the Traps and Benefits of Taking Advantage. Readers will have no argument there; these are stories of skullduggery, shady contracts, blackmail, sleazy lawyers and PIs, overweening greed, and killing for hire or just for fun. In ‘A Final Note in D-Sharp Minor’, a jazz virtuoso fakes his death to get back at his cheating wife. ‘My Thousand and One Last Suppers’ is an amusing take on the Arabian Nights story. ‘Signatures for Sale’ shows an amoral, disturbing sense of justice; in it, Albert Hammersmith, one of the few honest men in these stories, is blackmailed for a deception he arranged to get money he’s rightfully owed. These are more than simple morality tales: the good guys don’t always win, and sometimes nobody does …
“‘Deceptions on a Canvas of Thin Air’, a very clever entry, shows people doing the right things for the wrong reasons, and vice versa. Fate and dumb luck are always ready to step in and help, so that readers understand that this isn’t a just fictional universe—it’s simply, implacably a chaotic one (perhaps just like the real one). Convolution is the order of the day, and the stories’ last paragraphs often reveal the final plot twist.
“Ekemar is an engaging storyteller who keeps things moving along nicely. An inventive compilation!”
– Kirkus Reviews
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