First published 1982
Stanley Ellin presents a collection of his most compelling short fiction spanning decades of his career. These stories move between the mundane world of ordinary people and the dark territories where crime and fear take root. Ellin crafts tales where suburban neighbors harbor deadly secrets, where seemingly innocent encounters turn sinister, and where the line between victim and perpetrator blurs. His protagonists face moral choices that reveal the capacity for both evil and redemption within human nature. The stories explore how terror can emerge from the most familiar settings and how mystery lurks beneath the surface of everyday life. Ellin writes with precision and restraint, building tension through careful observation of character and circumstance rather than sensational plot devices. Each story stands as a complete work while contributing to a larger portrait of humanity caught between civilization and its discontents.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, horror, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-ambiguity, unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
639 pages · Hardcover · Random House Inc.