Case Files: Collected Short Crime Stories Vol. 1 by Rachel Amphlett

Today it’s my great pleasure to be joining the blog tour for Case Files: Collected Short Crime Stories Vol. 1 by Rachel Amphlett. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the invite and to Rachel Amphlett for the advance copy for review. Here’s what it’s all about:

About the Book

Discover twelve dark and twisted mysteries from USA Today bestselling author Rachel Amphlett.

This page-turning collection features The Man Cave, in which Darren regains consciousness in a dank basement where escape turns out to be the least of his worries; in All Night Long Zoe soon wishes she wasn’t working the late shift; and in Nowhere to Run a rookie detective encounters her first serial killer… but will she survive?

Case Files Short Crime Stories Volume 1:

The Reckoning
A Grave Mistake
The Beachcomber
The Man Cave
A Dirty Business
The Last Super
Something in the Air
Special Delivery
A Pain in the Neck
The Last Days of Tony MacBride
The Moment Before
Nowhere to Run

Case Files: short crime fiction stories that will have you on the edge of your seat.

My Thoughts

I love these short stories. The eagle eyed amongst you will know that I’ve already shared my thoughts on some of the stories, and you can read those review in full on the blog at your leisure. Case Files Volume 1 draws together some of the fine short stories in Rachel Amphlett’s catalogue into on handy book, perfect for the occasional nibble over your lunch break or, for the more voracious reader, devouring in one sitting.

Short sharp and always with an unexpected sting in the tail, these stories pulled me in from the start, the author quick to set up the premise of each tale. By their conclusion they all had me smiling for a variety of very different reasons. Be prepared for some real surprises as little as it appears on the surface.

Whilst we can guess from the fact these are crime shorts, something is going to go slightly awry, if not for the main characters in our micro journeys, then at the very least for someone who crosses their path. Rachel Amphlett is brilliant at establishing characters, and whilst some people can be out off by a short story, feeling as though you get little meat not he bones, Rachel Amphlett quickly dispels that fear. I felt like I had experienced a full story, packed with twists and each truly unique.

My favourites, it I had to choose would probably be The Last Super, a surprisingly heart warming tale, A Pain In The Neck where a spa visit takes a unexpected turn, Something in the Air which hasn’t helped my suspicion of air travel one bit, and Special Delivery, which made me smile for very personal reasons. That said, each story holds it’s own and there wasn’t a single one I didn’t enjoy.

If you like a short story, particularly a wonderfully sneaky crime themed one, then this is definitely a collection I can recommend.

About the Author

Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction with over 30 novels and short stories featuring spies, detectives, vigilantes, and assassins.

Rachel’s stories are available in eBook, print and audiobook formats from libraries and retailers as well as her own shop. 

A keen traveller, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship.

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