This one has been on my reading pile for quite some time, getting shuffled back down to the bottom every time something else caught my eye. It finally got to the top and, I have to say, I owe the writers an apology for letting this fine trio of noir novellas sit so long. They were truly a dark treat. A spy thriller, a horror story, and a classic noir complete with an alluring femme fatale - all featuring teenaged protagonists.

In Russ Colchamiro's Red Ink we get to meet 14-year old Isaac Fuller, a paper boy in the mid 1980s. The commie threat is at an all time high, movies like Star Trek III, Police Academy, and Gremlins are in the theaters, and a strange new disease called AIDS is spreading fast. It's prime fuel for a kid with an active imagination... And Isaac Fuller has a very active imagination. After he stumbles across the scene of a murder he begins to doubt what he saw. He's pretty sure he saw it. He thinks he did. Probably. Finally, when others doubt what he says, he decides he has to prove it for himself.

The Devil's Delinquents by Shawney Hatton takes place ten years later during Halloween 1994. Two teenage misfits, Derry and Cal, meet a girl named Natalie Glantz. Where the boys are into smoking pot and doing nothing except listening to Death Metal music and talking big talk, Natalie is completely into the imagery of satanic ritual. She gives the boys the motivation to actually DO something... With deadly results.

Finally, A Many Splendid Thing by Patrick Thomas takes us back to 1955. Studebakers, Uncle Miltie, and green stamps. Jethro's home-life has gone down the toilet since his mom ran off with another guy and his dad crawled into the bottle. Still, he isn't prepared for the body he finds at the beginning of this story, unrecognizable after weeks in the water and stinking something fierce. He just wants to get up the courage to ask out his secret crush, Jenny. Things take an unexpected turn when Jethro finds himself in a Double Indemnity scenario with the delicious science teacher Mrs. Carmine... It seems like one big cliche unfolding as expected, but not so fast - there are a few twists that may take you by surprise!

These three novellas are on the darker side of noir. Not for the easily offended. There is some adult language and a bit of graphic violence. I would say rated R (mainly for F - bombs).

A good batch of stories.

i really enjoyed these novellas, the stories were great and I felt that each worked with the theme of the book and each story.

Murder in Montague Falls is a horror anthology featuring three short stories that take place in the town of Montague Falls. The first story is Red Ink by Russ Colchamiro. It tells the story of Isaac Fuller, a 14 year old neighborhood paperboy who has a vivid imagination. Though he is only a high school student, Isaac fantasizes that he is a spy who is helping President Reagan in the fight against the Soviets. One day, while Isaac is collecting money on his paper route, he witnesses a murder. . . or did he. Even Isaac is a bit uncertain if he really saw a dead body or if his overactive imagination made his think he saw a murder victim. He decides to investigate the situation more in depth in hopes of finding out the truth.

The second story was The Devil's Delinquents by Sawney Hatton. This is the story of two stoner high schools friends, Derry and Cal, who are more interested in heavy metal music and the occult than in schoolwork. When a new girl Natalie Glantz shows up in detention hall, the boys are instantly intrigued by her Goth style and her devil may care attitude. When it turns out that Natalie is a practicing Satanist, the boys decide they want to be a part of Natalie's dark rituals. What is this trio willing to do in order to achieve their goals of success, power, and revenge.?

This final tale was A Many Splendid Thing by Patrick Thomas. This is the story of high school student, Jethro, who finds himself entangled with his science teacher, the beautiful Mrs. Carmine. Jethro is frequently bullied, so he is surprised when his teacher takes a special interest in him. Unfortunately, she tries to convince him that he needs to kill her husband. Will Jethro kill for this sultry femme fatale?

These three stories can all be categorized as coming of age tales as these young adults work through what they want their identity to be. There is plenty of self doubt as our characters navigate a through the world and make decisions concerning the events going on around them. I enjoyed reading all three stories and found them light and fun. I especially liked the throw back feel and sense of nostalgia while reading these stories.