MEDIUM OF MURDER
Original Stories of Mystery and Suspense
edited by Susan Budavari and Suzanne Flaig
Eighteen new stories about fake mediums, possibly authentic mediums, happy mediums and, of course, the media.
When every medium is fair game, there’s no fear of repetition. Gay Toltl Kinman’s online beau travels to chilly Minnesota to find a freezer full of corpses; Frank Zafiro’s mobster falls victim to a gypsy’s curse; Nancy Streukens’s antique dealer fends off her rapacious daughter; Carol Sojka’s murderer weeps because the perfect crime hasn’t made him famous; Rachelle N. Yeaman’s witness to an uncanny stabbing embarks on paranormal research. Sadly, none of these stories lives up to the promise of its premise. Only Kris Neri’s full-bodied tale of a bogus medium thwarting a terrorist bomber is fully achieved. As for what the rest of the authors provide: John Randall Williams offers a sympathetic look at a most unlikely avenger; Gary Earl Ross the public unmasking of a phony psychic; D.B. Reddick a murderous spin on local politics; Gigi Vernon a Depression-era bank robbery; Howard B. Carron some pleasing Philippines atmosphere; Diana Catt a glimpse of a Kenya back story; Judy Starbuck a demonstration by a crime-busting graphologist; Warren Bull a Nigerian-style trial; S.M. Harding a routine serial killer; and Sarah Parkin a story of two video gamers that seems aimed at a younger audience.
The editors (Map of Murder, 2007, etc.) add a pair of stories that raise the body count but not the general level of inspiration.