Official Review: People Behaving Badly by John D. Ottini

[ananya92]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "People Behaving Badly" by John D. Ottini.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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People Behaving Badly: A Collection of Short Mystery Stories by John D. Ottini is a book in the crime/murder mystery genre.

The book features thirteen short stories exploring the different shades of criminal behavior. The stories are:
Easy Pickings: A small time thief is going to find out why it is always best to follow mum’s advice about not picking up strangers.

Dumpster Rose: The protagonist is about to discover that every beautiful face is not innocent.

True Confession: Everyone has a dark secret waiting to come out. Even the righteous Priest has a confession to make.

A Shoulder to Die On: A suspicious wife will have her suspicions confirmed in a most unlikely fashion.

Killer Karma: As they say, Karma can be a …., you know what I mean.

The Auditor Cometh: Predicting the future can be a risky business, and a fortune teller should know that telling people’s future might have consequences in present.

Falling is the Hardest Part : It is not advisable for one’s health to dump a woman who doesn’t like being rejected.

Matter of Disposal: Even the walls have ears. One should not eavesdrop on other people’s conversations. You never know what you might hear.

A Deadly Act of Kindness: Children are incapable of anything evil, right? Wrong!

Hell to Pay: A set of brothers are about to earn their punishment for bad behavior and learn that it’s never wise to cross the old woman living next door.

Sorrow Point: Some people always get the last laugh, even if they have to rise from their ashes.

The Butcher: It’s never a good idea to lie to your wife, especially when you might be caught on camera.

Lucky Thirteen: Take enough for your need but not for your greed because the greedy will get their just desserts.

The stories in this book are just the right length to keep the anticipation level and make readers wait with bated breath to find out what happens. The strongest point of these stories is their unpredictability. The reader would get completely engrossed in the story and then there would be this unlikely twist where the story would end. The writing is absolutely flawless. There are no unnecessary details or drama. The stories are crisp, without being too short.

The author mixes the right amount of quirks and horror to make the stories both humorous and horrifying. It’s exciting to read about the characters getting their comeuppance, but there are deeper themes underneath the entertaining tales. The stories comprehend the reasons behind murders. What motivates a person to commit a crime? Greed, vigilantism, infidelity, lust, insanity, there is no end to the list. The author also looks at some sensitive issues like a woman’s self-esteem and the damage that stereotypes do to our society ("I can’t ever imagine bringing someone like you home to meet my parents”), or the effect of sexual abuse on children.

Apart from being really captivating stories, the book is short and can be finished in one sitting. I would seriously recommend this book to people who love reading quirky crime mysteries or who prefer a short and entertaining read. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.

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People Behaving Badly
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[debo9967]

All the stories seem really gripping. Good review.

[ananya92]

Thanks

[Hurricane John]

ananya92

Thanks for the wonderful review.......so glad that you enjoyed the book..

I just wanted to share with you and the readers, that this book made the semi-finals in the Royal Palm Literary Awards competition, which is sponsored annually by the Florida Writer's Association. Thanks again for reviewing the book.

Regards - John D. Ottini

[ananya92]

Thanks

[Hurricane John]

I would be curious to know which short story (or stories) you found most entertaining? This question also goes out to anyone who has read the book.

[ananya92]

I loved all the stories, they were all wonderful. If I have to choose among them, then I think it would be a tie between A Deadly Act of Kindness and Hell to Pay. The latter reminded me of Agatha Christie's And Then There were None for some reason.

[Hurricane John]

I loved writing both of those stories especially the twisted endings.

When I began writing this book, my main goal was to make sure that every story was unique and that they somehow covered as many human vices as possible. I'm very pleased with the final results and hope that readers will find the book entertaining. Thanks again for taking the time to review it. JDO

[gali]

Sounds intriguing. Thank you for the great review.

Congratulations to the author for making the semi-finals and good luck!

[ananya92]

Thanks Gali

[Hurricane John]

Gali wrote: "Congratulations to the author for making the semi-finals and good luck!"

Thank You Gali. I appreciate the kind words. JDO

-- June 18th, 2015, 9:59 am --

For those of you who are not into reading e-books, this book is also available in paperbook format.

[Jennkies]

I'd like to throw another congratulations your way, Hurrican John! Good luck in the semi-finals!

This book review was thorough an captured my attention. I do not generally read murder mysteries because they are hard to follow at times. I am 'dying' to find an author that will turn me on to murder mysteries because it seems like a great genre to get lost in. I would be willing to give this author a try based on the reviewer's claim that there are no unnecessary details within these short stories. Thanks a lot for the review!

[Hurricane John]

Jennkies

Thank you for the congratulations. Hope you give my book a try, I think you'll enjoy it. Happy Reading - JDO

[ananya92]

Thanks Jennkies!

[Hurricane John]

Read this wonderful review and if you're interested in the book, it's on Kindle Countdown for $0.99 Sept 21, 2015 - one day only