Convicted by Jan Burke

Published by Pocket Star on July 14, 2014

I was unfamiliar with Jan Burke's work so this collection of four short stories served as an introduction. The stories are more breezy than substantial, but I enjoyed them.

"The Anchorwoman" is a young woman named Cokie who spies out her window and reports neighborhood gossip to her friends. She enlists the help of the story's narrator (a new fan of Sherlock Holmes) in solving a mystery about a moving van full of singing clowns. The story is cute and clever, if not quite in the same league as Arthur Conan Doyle.

"Revised Endings" features a mystery writer who plots to do away with her demanding editor. This is again a cute story, even if it seems like a frustrated writer's revenge fantasy.

The lead character in "Devotion," forensic anthropologist Ben Sheridan, apparently appears in at least one Jan Burke novel (Kidnapped). Sheridan uses his devoted dogs to track a boy who is missing from the house in which the body of a murdered man is found. The story is a smart whodunit with a strong message about the devoted friendships that people form with each other (and with their dogs).

The longest story, "The Muse," is about a young man who is trying to be a writer. A chance encounter with a woman who drives a Rolls Royce leads to a relationship and an end to writer's block. Their mutual love of Hitchcock movies plays a key role when the woman's sister interferes with their relationship. There isn't much of a mystery here (and no Hitchcockian suspense) but the story is pleasant.

None of the stories build tension, while character development is limited by their brevity. I'm not sure this story collection persuaded me to check out Burke's novels but it certainly didn't dissuade me from doing so.

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