A collection of three short mystery stories by Judy Penz Sheluk, author of the critically acclaimed debut mystery novel, THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE: A GLASS DOLPHIN MYSTERY (Barking Rain Press, July 2015).
Death and Deception
Appearances are often deceiving and that is the underlying premise in this collection of short crime fiction:
In “Live Free or Die,” naive 21-year-old Emmy falls hard for … falls hard for 31-year-old Jack, an efficiency expert from New Hampshire who is not all that he seems.
In “Murder in the Marsh,” cyclist Carrie Anne Camack discovers more than she bargained for in the fertile farmlands of Ontario’s Holland Marsh.
In the final story, “The Cycopaths,” a triathlon team’s open-water swim training in Collingwood, Ontario, has deadly consequences.
Judy’s short crime fiction has appeared in THE WHOLE SHE-BANG 2 (Toronto Sisters in Crime, Nov. 2014), WORLD ENOUGH AND CRIME (Carrick Publishing, Oct. 2014), and FLASH AND BANG: the first anthology by members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society (Untreed Reads, Nov. 2015). Her literary fiction has been published in THEMA, a New Orleans-based literary journal, on three occasions. LIVE FREE OR TRI is Judy’s first independently published collection.
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I liked these 3 short mystery stories. Although the stories were short, they were completely and well written. It’s worth listening to.
Live Free or Tri, my third enjoyable mystery read from author Judy Penz Sheluk. Well-written short read with interesting characters. 59-minutes of enjoyment. No spoilers here, buy the book, read & review the book. I was given an Audible copy of this after reading & reviewing the first 2 books in her Marketville Mystery series. Now I’m voluntarily reading & reviewing this. Kate Tyler’s narration adds to the book’s enjoyment. I look forward to reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
This is an enjoyable collection of short stories. The characters are interesting and mysteries are well-developed. If you looking for a quick mystery this book is for you.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator Kate Tyler does a wonderful job bringing the stories to life. She gives each character personality and brings out emotion through her tone and pitch.
I received a copy of this book at my request, and I have voluntarily left this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
Trifecta! ~~ And each of the three short stories involves a triangle. These are delicious little bonbons of murder most foul–or was it? Kate Tyler’s narration was on target and I grinned my way through my laundry (oh, the joys of audio!).
This author is great at telling an entire story in a short amount of time. You get all the details and yet it doesn’t feel rushed. The ending isn’t spelled out in the first two, but you just know what happened. I like that, it’s unusual in the mystery genre. The third gives a recounting of the crime, but I believe it had to. I won’t spoil it, you’ll understand.
I recommend this collection of short stories.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.
This is a collection of three short stories by the author of the Glass Dolphin Cozy series and Marketville Mystery series. These stories are a bit darker and a bit twistier than the author’s other work but no less enjoyable. These are well-written stories with relateable MC’s and just enough underlying deviousness to intrigue. These stories reminded me of “Twilight Zone” tv show – where you’re not exactly sure what to believe or if what you’re seeing is true. Really enjoyable!
I listened to this book – the narrator did a nice job.
Ahhh, Toronto! Where the people are fun, imaginative, and the humor is subtle. The three very short stories are summarized in the publisher’s blurb and that’s good enough, but the skill employed in crafting good character exploration and a devious plot are the important stuff! Great length for short waits or rides.
I have the audio narrated by Kate Tyler whose audio interpretation really adds good things!
This is 3 short mystery stories and I mean short. If you are looking for a indept sit on the edge of your seat mystery then this is not for you. But if you want a quick listen to a good mystery then these fit the bill. I enjoyed the fact that the stories were not complex it allowed me to do things that required a little of my attention and still be able to listen to the book. Kate Tyler does an outstanding job of narrating this 3 short stories. I was gifted this audio book by the author with the understanding that I would leave an honest review.
“Live Free or Tri” earns 5/5 Triple Scoops of Mystery!
Judy Penz Sheluk has penned three delightful short mysteries that provide entertaining twists and turns on murder. All three stories are written from the first-person perspective, her characters innocent bystanders often with theories that might not be enough to serve up justice. The descriptions give a visual picture of the Canadian landscape, and along with realistic dialogue the three stories are engaging.
I also listen to the stories with Kate Tyler as the narrator of the recently released audio version. She enriches the stories with her voice artistry portraying well the emotions and personality. She goes beyond the traditional read aloud by changing her tone and pitch for male and female characters. Not many accents to portray…it’s Canada. (Giggle)
“Live Free or Die”
This was my favorite with our heroine Emerald, preferring Emmy, being taken in by Jack, the handsome blue-eyed efficiency expert brought in to the company to make them more…efficient. However, after a delightful lunch, they strike up a relationship. He asks her to keep their relationship a secret sparing her from the gossips and HR scrutiny, but it turns out it may be to cover up evidence of his womanizing ways. She is shocked to find the truth about his “single” status, and his fiancé Jill (yes, Jack and Jill) devises a plan of action to force him to mend his ways. Plan A isn’t realistic since it might earn them 25 to life, but Plan B is quite creative. “Live Free or Die” earns 5/5 Bites of Karma!
“Murder in the Marsh”
Carrie Ann Camack has decided to join boyfriend Jasper in a triathlon, but her skill with the clipless pedals requires more practical application. He suggests she head out to Holland Marsh where the flat farm land will be perfect for her needs. However, an off-road crash into crates of carrots reveals more than carrots have been harvested. A dead bank has been foreclosed on. “Murder in the Marsh” earns 5/5 Crates of Karma’s Carrots!
“The Cycopaths”
What could possibly happen when you get a bunch of Type A personalities together in the freezing water? Not much, but…murder? A group of woman, dubbed the Cycopaths, are training for the opening triathlon of the season by practicing their open water swim, but Cordelia ‘Sunny” Lemay, the Miss Congeniality of the group, ends up dead. Lots of suspects due to proximity, but motive? “The Cycopaths” earns 5/5 Green Bathing Caps!