Review of "Moonchasers and Other Stories," by Ed Gorman

 Review of

Moonchasers and Other Stories, by Ed Gorman, ISBN 0312860102

Five out of five stars

Very tight and entertaining short stories

 In this collection, Ed Gorman demonstrates his versatility in writing about the faults and foibles of human beings. The title story is about how two boys sneak around and explore an abandoned building. While moving around, they encounter a wounded bank robber who still has the money. Desperate for provisions and medical supplies, the robber gives the boys money to buy supplies. There is a police officer that has some real personal issues, so there is a complex interaction between all the players.

 Gorman creates a complex story where the line between the good and bad guys is blurred. The resolution of the issue of police malfeasance is one that was very unexpected. Boys will be boys, sometimes they are full of mischief and other times they stand their ground to try to make the wrongs as right as possible.

 Other stories cover tense topics such as wife abuse, unusual crib death, sexual assault, incest, and citizens that are trying to stand up to runaway crime. In most cases, the true reasons for the events are not resolved until the last page. While some are a bit predictable, most are unexpected. There are many bad things that happen in the world and Gorman is superb at making some of them the basic plot device of a story.

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