Spinetingler Magazine announced its inaugural award nominees, including the following for Best Short Story On The Web:
The Leap by Charles Ardai - Hardluck Stories
Breaking in the New Guy by Stephen Blackmoore - Demolition
Amphetamine Logic by Nathan Cain - Thuglit
The Switch by Lyman Feero - Thuglit
Seven Days of Rain by Chris F. Holm - Demolition
Shared Losses by Gerri Leen - Shred of Evidence
The Living Dead by Amra Pajalic - Spinetingler
Convivum by Kelli Stanley - Hardluck Stories
Good luck to all.
Showing posts with label Charles Ardai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Ardai. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
NBS Special Report: Best Short Story Edgar
Announced last night, the Mystery Writers of America's Best Short Story Award went to "The Home Front" by Charles Ardai. Congratulations, Charles.
The full list of nominees is here.
The full list of nominees is here.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
"The Home Front" by Charles Ardai
From: Death Do Us Part ed. Harlan Coben, Little, Brown, and Company, 2006.
Hired to enforce U.S. rationing laws during World War II, a P.I. tricks a garage attendant into selling him four gallons of gas instead of the allotted two. Back on the road, the well-meaning attendant cuffed beside him, the P.I. is blindsided when a car swerves into his path. The attendant dies in the resulting fire, and the P.I.'s livelihood goes to hell.
Once back on his feet, the P.I. closes his office and walks aimlessly yet uncannily finds himself back at the same garage. Against his better judgment he stays to help the attendant's mother, assuming another man's identity, hoping no more of the past catches up to him. But of course, it does.
The P.I.'s voice is classically hardboiled, driving the story at just the right pace to give its twists full impact.
Hired to enforce U.S. rationing laws during World War II, a P.I. tricks a garage attendant into selling him four gallons of gas instead of the allotted two. Back on the road, the well-meaning attendant cuffed beside him, the P.I. is blindsided when a car swerves into his path. The attendant dies in the resulting fire, and the P.I.'s livelihood goes to hell.
Once back on his feet, the P.I. closes his office and walks aimlessly yet uncannily finds himself back at the same garage. Against his better judgment he stays to help the attendant's mother, assuming another man's identity, hoping no more of the past catches up to him. But of course, it does.
The P.I.'s voice is classically hardboiled, driving the story at just the right pace to give its twists full impact.
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