Hook, Line & Sinister

This captivating collection of short stories resulted when 16 authors, who are all anglers but not necessarily mystery writers, agreed to write a mystery using fly fishing as the theme. The book's proceeds will be donated to charity. Narrators John Nelson and Justine Eyre competently catch the voice of each author and the unique perspective provided by the focus on the sport. Both narrators venture into regional accents sparingly, wisely relying on the more subtle devices of pacing and tone to create personalities and deliver suspense. This is an entertaining anthology of fish tales fashioned to expose the dark undercurrents of greed, violence, and even murder that lurk beneath the surface of this seemingly placid, contemplative sport. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

February 22, 2010
Fishing can be murder both literally and figuratively, as shown in this rich string of 16 original stories caught and displayed by bestseller Parker. Not all are trophy worthy, but most are keepers, like “Mr. Brody's Trout” by the late William G. Tapply, in which bait shop owner Stoney Calhoun guides an elderly fisherman on a monthlong quest for “a ten-pound native Maine brook trout.” Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak solves a missing person case and metes out poetic justice in her Alaskan village in “Cherchez La Femme.” In John Lescroart's clever “Unsnaggable,” a Yellowstone fishing trip offers a spouse the chance to exit a marriage. Three brief fishing lessons from a hit man teach a suicidal man a life lesson in Brian M. Wiprud's provocative “Granite Hat.” Other contributors include Michael Connelly, Ridley Pearson, C.J. Box, and James W. Hall. This solid anthology demonstrates that a passion for fishing and a passion for writing can hook a reader and reel him in.