Hard Bite and Other Stories by Anonymous-9 – review

By Mar Preston

I came upon Hard Bite by Anonymous-9 quite by chance, meeting and liking the author before knowing her work. I also must say first I’m not a usual reader of noir or hard-boiled fiction. But I love murder and mayhem as much as any other murder mystery author.

These stories knocked me off my comfortable-with-murder perch.  I started turning the pages slower and slower because for one thing, I was tentative about reading whatever came next. The other reason was that the writing and characterization are superb and I read slower to enjoy it.

I paused over lines like this: “The moon is on the lam; the sun bursts in like a search party.” “I walk past a mirror and hardly know that woman with straw hair and dark hollows under her eyes, so black they match her widow’s dress.” Every word counts in these pared down stories, bringing to life a unique character and situation.

The first, “Hard Bite” begins with the line “I like to kill people.”  Ah, yes, you think you know where this is going, but you don’t. “I bring righteous vengeance to evil people, make a living, and take care of myself. What do you do with your life, motherfucker???” Major attitude for a guy in a wheelchair who resembles Stephen Hawking. It’s how precisely he brings down hit-and-runs killers that’s the kick and you need to buy this ebook of stories, available on Amazon under Anonyous-9, to find out.

The stories range from the point of view of a bar room cat, observers and actors way over there on the edge, some too about upstanding citizens. These characters would be fascinating to know–in a way, but I’d keep my distance.

The author sees the range of human behavior in a way that’s different from mine. I was disappointed to see most of the stories end. I wanted them to go on, but the artistry in the ending is that each story is complete. It’s just that they stick to you and you find you want to know what happened the next day after the pivotal event.

In her company, the author has a way of turning her head and looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. After reading her work, I’m almost afraid to know what she’s thinking.

But eager for more stories. It’s good to hear that Anonymous-9 is at work on a novel.

Mar Preston is the author of NO DICE, a police procedural series set in Santa Monica, California.

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