Ever since Chester Witherspoon was a child, he had been picked on by older, larger boys. One day he got hold of his fathers revolver and, in an attempt to even the odds, shot at the town bully. He missed, but that single action earned him a reputation that would serve as the basis of The Terrorist. He would learn at an early age that killing was not only exhilarating, but infectious. It wasnt long before he had every lawman on the West Coat searching for him. To add insult to injury, he managed to get on the mobs hit list as well. And they knew where he lived!
It is early morning and after dispatching the guards, Nazaroff has just enter the castle of Aldo Camboini where Pope John Paul II is spending the night. He studies the old man's peaceful face a moment before driving a stiletto into his forehead. He departs as quietly as he came, taking no notice of the most valuable and important symbol of the Pope's religion, the Shroud of Turin. It is only after he has returned to his home when he reads of the tragic dealt of the Pope and the missed opportunity to destroy the precious cloth. He vows to return to destroy it and anyone who gets in his way.
Here are twelve stories from thriller writer Howard Losness, beginning with the tale of a man who refuses to act his age. You'll read about the deal he makes with a Mr. Sattan in return for his youth and the consequences thereof. Then there is Harm, who is living the good life with his wife and family, until the arrival of a letter announcing an additional member that he hadn't counted on, or even knew about. Charlie finds his dream girl and marries her, only to give everyone at the wedding reception the surprise of their lives. And then there is Paddy O'Toole, a gangster wannabe. Wait until you read what fate has in store for this fool. No collection of short stories would be complete without a 'Who done it'. In The Butler Did It, you'll discover Howard Losness' version of not one butler, but a plane full of them. In each of Howard Losness' short stories you will find yourself drawn into the lives and dilemmas that his characters create for themselves.
Mark Landsing is a student in a small northwestern community where his only claim to fame is being a go-fer, a clean-up boy for the football team. One day, one of his classmates, a new kid in town, a bully, goes missing after an altercation with the star quarterback where he nearly breaks the star's neck in a fight. Several days after his disappearance, Mark is strolling down by the river when he comes across the boy's murdered body, hidden in his car under some brush. The police are summoned and while Mark awaits their arrival, he comes across a vital clue that will later enable him to identify the killer, someone that would never be suspected of cold blooded murder. A friend. Presented with the dilemma, does he expose the friend to the authorities or keep the secret?
There is something old-fashioned and sage-like in Walter Howard's poetic voice. I can imagine him reading from a mountaintop-- with the raging elements a backdrop to his words. Howard is a learned man-- and has been an academic for many years-- but his poetry is in the tradition of a true romantic. He uses nature and emotion to find spiritual truth. He embraces beauty-- with all its allure, but is not afraid to reveal its frightening and dark side as well. Howard uses ample doses of levity to pull the fly down on our most cherished traditions and notions, but in the same token he shows a deep respect and affinity for all the things this world has to offer." - Doug Holder, Publisher of Ibbetson Street Press
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