Short Story Collections

Short stories and poems reflect life in southern Appalachia.

"In an earlier life, McCrumb must have been a balladeer, singing of restless spirits, star-crossed lovers, and the consoling beauty of nature. . . . The overall effect is spellbinding." --The Washington Post Bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb is "a born storyteller" (Mary Higgins Clark) who astonishes readers and reviewers with the power and scope of her talent, prompting the San Diego Union-Tribune to declare: "There is no one quite like her among present-day writers. No one better, either." Foggy Mountain Breakdown, the first-ever collection of Sharyn McCrumb's short fiction, is a literary quilting of old and new, humorous and heartfelt, offering award-winning works--and two stories never before published, contrasting mountain childhoods past and present. Chilling tales of suspense alternate with evocative character portraits and compelling narratives that embrace the southern Appalachian locales and themes of McCrumb's acclaimed Ballad Novels. Within this cornucopia of two dozen stories, Old Rattler, a mountain healer, skirmishes with a serial killer . . . Princess Di investigates long-kept secrets within the House of Windsor . . . A reincarnated murder victim seeks delicious revenge . . . And while honeymooning in the bridegroom's ancestral hilltop homeplace, two newlyweds harbor second thoughts. The author's perfect-pitch ear for dialogue and ability to illuminate the dark side of human nature merge with her brilliant artistry to make Foggy Mountain Breakdown a virtuoso collection for devotees of Sharyn McCrumb--and for the legion of new readers who will find themselves caught under her spell.

Rattler, the curmudgeonly shaman of Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad novels, travels to the battlefield at Gettysburg to explore a supernatural element of the Civil War. Then, in Rattler and the Wild Hunt, Rattler confronts supernatural beings brought to the valley by the "new people". (Short Story).

"John F. Suter has few peers in the construction of highly imaginative short fiction." — Bill Pronzini "A writer's writer." — Sharyn McCrumb The characters in these mysteries might look like ordinary small-town folk, but some of them harbor an appalling capacity for greed, lust, and revenge—unsavory motivations that lead to a fascinating variety of crimes. These intriguing tales of detection are also thoughtful character studies of American rural life. They represent the best work by award-winning author John F. Suter, who entertained readers of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine for decades. Set amid the natural beauty of West Virginia, the mysteries include the 19th-century adventures of Uncle Abner, a deeply religious cattle-breeder who sees God's hand in every event. The old-time character was revived by Suter at the request of the estate of Uncle Abner's creator, Melville Davisson Post. Other featured sleuths include the modern-day investigative team of Arlan Boley and Warren McKee, a heavy equipment operator and a sheriff whose common sense and keen insights into human nature guide their solutions to crimes in their close-knit community.