Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery and Murder Paperback – June 5, 2018

Looking at the roster of writers clarified the contents of this anthology for me. Rather than the usual group of genre writers in the crime field, the editors seem to have reached out to the MFA crowd, the New Yorker crowd, those who write what are called literary stories. Accordingly, many of these writers seemed more interested in exploring the mind of a criminal, or experimenting with the form, than actually telling a story. If you enjoy stories that don't actually tell a story but offer literary value, you might enjoy this collection. If you are an Ellery Queen reader, you should be cautioned that there isn't a whodunit in the whole book. Special note should be taken of one exceptional story by J. Robert Lennon, Circuit City, a meta take on the crime form that I found hilarious.

Do not buy this in Kindle. As others have commented, you cannot resize it plus the print is very light. It's extremely hard to read and I think Amazon should warn or not even sell something for Kindle that is so very incompatible with the device. I'm still trying to work my way through them despite the reading difficulty (after all -- almost twice bucks spent) and the stories are good.

As a crime fiction fan, I loved reading these short story offerings from many of my favorite authors. Each story (around 500 words or less) are very well written, bringing the reader into a whole new lived-in world while never feeling overwhelmed. I highly recommend purchasing the hard copy of the book as the presentation of the collection adds to the aesthetic in a way that an ebook cannot. It is the perfect book to add to your collection. Tiny Crimes is a 2018 standout among all of the great works published this year. It's the perfect gift for the crime fiction fan in your life.

I like that the stories are short and I can read a few pages while waiting for an appointment or before bed. I do not like that most of the stories don't make sense to me. My husband bought this thinking they were actual crime stories (think Law & Order or CSI) but I would not put it in that category.

Top-notch crime in tiny packages that add up to a satisfying whole.

tiny loss

“Tiny Crimes” is an anthology of short, some very short, stories, but there is adventure and mystery in every one. The stories are all different, and there is something for every reader. This collection allows a fan to read and finish a compelling story all in one sitting. This collection is unique because the variety of the stories make for perfect reading on plane trips, car rides, and some can be even be finished while waiting on phone hold.Some of my favorites involved the doctor seeing a patient with “Writer’s Scourge.” I will not soon forget the person living as the character would have lived, and died. I envy the one who decided, “I’ll work in a bookstore until they put me in the hospital.” I know more than I want to about the Chinese actuarial betting syndicate. And, I will always be careful if I do backstage work in the Opera House.I received an advance copy of “Tiny Crimes” from Ingram Publisher Services, and I was able to finish the stories on my time schedule without interrupting my other plans or forgetting where I was in the book. I could read these stories again and again and love them each time.

Ranging aesthetically from postmodern approaches to simple dialogues between criminals, TINY CRIMES is a delightful anthology featuring some new writers as well as veteran storytellers. I was excited to see how writers I personally cherish approach the genre, not being a big crime reader myself—and did they ever deliver. Big fan of this editorial team after GIGANTIC WORLDS, and so I will routinely check out whatever they create for readers in the future.