Enjoy these “odd” stories: Odd Partners (Perry)

#OddPartners #NetGalley

Odd Partners is a collection of mystery stories that is edited by one of my favorite authors, Anne Perry. The conceit for this anthology is a pairing in each story of odd partners; they are odd for many reasons as ably discussed in the editor’s introduction. Authors include Anne Perry, Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, Jeffrey Deaver, Ace Atkins, Allison Brennan and others.

Admittedly, I often shy away from short stories preferring the depth of novels with their capacity to allow the reader to know characters more deeply. That having been said, I truly enjoyed this book. To give two examples:

In Anne Perry’s story, she conjures the atmosphere of WWI and the trenches, especially what it is like to be a sapper and to be a recruit who feels fear. I felt like I was there, uncomfortable, scared and eager for safety. All this within a short story. The odd partners are a German and an Englishman.

Jacqueline Winspear is known for her Maisie Dobbs novels. They are an excellent series of books which began during WWI and are now taking place in WWII. Does the author write a war story here? NO, she most emphatically does not. Here the odd partners are dogs and their humans.

There is much to enjoy in these stories. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review them. All opinions are my own.