The Gift

Heard a lot of chatter about this author. This was the 1st book I was able to read this year. Being a short story it only took me about 2 days to read.

To me it felt like a Tales of the Crypt kind of style. Didn't realize it was author's vision of The Gift of the Magi.

There was a lesson in there. How loving and caring for each other is greater than the stuff you have. Although Justin's way was sweet but with a motive just for Christmas. Then he would be gone.

Stella's way was more intent of losing her hair. However she really wanted to give Justin something nice she needed to be talked into it though. For all that they fought and it was not worth it after all.

All in all shows that sometimes it better to find the little things you have. You may find they are the bigger, sweeter ways of life.

Stella did take her power back but happiness ???

Author has written this story smoothly and tells it with no fancy words. You knew what each character was and what they stood for. Keeping towards the original work of O. Henry 1905

I give The Gift 5-------->

 

Towards Zero

 

This was an interesting story. A story that any character could be a killer. Each character had something going on in their lives that made them suspicious. Didn't realize this was Sergeant Battle's last showing. And so he had a lot of things to do. Things to show is nephew who was a policeman also. Although a brief section of Battle and his daughter was written, apparently Battle saw that that gave a break for him in this case.

This was a different read from Agatha Christie's books. More about mental abuse than just sinister murder, or was it? Especially between Audrey, Kay and Neville Strange that was some kind of sickness going on there

Interesting to solve a murder people begin with the murder. The murder is at the end. The story begins long before that. For this it takes a lot of research, questions, prodding etc.. A lot of characters as usual AC writes.

It was fun to read that Hercule Poirot made this story. Battle brought him up because with giving everything Battle and his nephew had with these murders at a party. There's nothing I can say or do like being in a trap and you can't get out. Battle thought about Poirot things not being quite symmetrical gets him worked up. Then he solves the case. So Battle goes about that way.

Finally in Poirot style, Battle gets everyone together and one by one rules each out. Sort of! And solves the case. First time for me that there was a romance at the end. Audrey falls for the person who helped her.

I give Towards Zero 5-------->