Death of a Bad Neighbour - Revenge is Criminal

Fratricide is funny-in the hands of STEVE HOCKENSMITH-but, mostly, bad neighbours (related or not) are bad news and endlessly infuriating, as in HILARY DAVIDSON's "King of the Castle," or endlessly preying on your goodwill, as in EVE MORTON's "Vengeance Takes a Holiday."

(Yet what relief!-be honest now-when that neighbour hits the dance floor for their final dance: the great Mortal Coil Shuffle!)

Sometimes, naturally, the hatred is mutual and one against one, as in EVE ELLIOT's "One Spye After Another," or one against many, as in KEVIN QUIGLEY's "The Woman Who Cried Cat."

And a bad neighbour should never underestimate their victim, as WARREN MOORE's "One of Us Is Dying" venomously suggests or F. D. TRENTON's "I Found Me a Bigger Flea" tells us in a disagreeable escalation of, er, disagreeableness.

(And what's not to like-come, search your soul and tell me I'm wrong-with a little bit of biting back?)

In a traditional vein, a little investigation can go a long way, as we find in WENDY HARRISON's "A Little Power," or the wrong way in DAVE ZELTSERMAN's "Woops!"

Happily, a bad neighbour might turn out to be the worst possible neighbour to themself, as in L. C. TYLER's "Fifty Something," or ROBERT LOPRESTI's "Lambs and Wolves."

While KAY HANIFEN portrays a dedicated handmaiden to bitter non-regret, and MARILYN TODD bangs the rock into rock star, and NICK MANZOLILLO challenges us to take a trip next door. But only SHINY NYQUIST can tell us what "Sir Fergus Allison's Bench" is for.

Themed these stories may be; same-ish they are not. This crime and mystery anthology is edited by JACK CALVERLEY.