From the Publisher
This latest collection... showcases [Oates’s] talent for imbuing mundane events with menace and the kind of irony that springs from narrow brushes with disaster… Oates’ hypnotic prose ensures that readers will be unable to look away.” — Kirkus Reviews
“[A] masterfully honed collection of dark tales… With precision and force, the ever-mesmerizing Oates rips open the scrim of ordinariness to expose the chaos that undermines every human notion of control, reason, and sanctuary.” — Booklist
Library Journal - Audio
Oates wields her trademark focus on the darkest possibilities that lurk in unexpected places in the human psyche in this collection. The title story, for example, involves the chance connection between Elizabeth Short (the infamous Black Dahlia) and Norma Jean Baker (Marilyn Monroe), both of whom are destined for tragedy. The stories are engagingly read by Paul Michael Garcia, Coleen Marlo, and Tavia Gilbert. VERDICT This collection is recommended for readers who enjoy delving into the darker side of the human condition. ["Another winner for Oates. The stories are well crafted, leaving the reader tense and uneasy but captivated just the same," read the review of the Ecco: HarperCollins hc, LJ 11/15/12.—Ed.]—Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Lib., Providence
