Twisted: The Collected Stories (2004) - Plot & Excerpts
I will read and rate each story on its own merit and then come back at the end and rate and review the book as a whole.I love short stories, and particularly dark ones with demented twists. If you are a fan of what I call Hitchcock endings where the ending is many times not given and you need to add your own you will like these. If you hate an incomplete story you may not quite enjoy the endings here. This is a great diversion for short story lovers and those looking for diversions between novels. I like Deaver's novels and now have quite enjoyed his short stories as well. Some people don't like short stories and they seem to be a dying or at least dwindeling art form among writers...and I for one am thankful for those who keep refining their skills with their forays into this realm.1.Without Jonathan- 3 stars- A nice little read, a red herring (for me anyway)...I thought I was reading a sad story, combined with a romance...but got something much more.2. the weekender- 4 stars- haven't we all wanted to take revenge on those who have hurt us or loved ones...Here is a diabolical twist on that theme.3. For services rendered- 4 stars- a wicked little read. I thought I knew what was going on and who was who...then Mr. Deaver turned it all around on me.4. Beautiful- 4 stars- A classic case of obsession, a deranged and demented stalker, a murder plot? and an unexcpected end..what more can you ask for?5. The Fall guy- 5 stars- What a brilliant story filled with deception! Jilted lovers, muggers, convits and a surprise! Great story6. Eye to eye- 3-4 stars- A nice story of bullies, crooked cops, frame jobs and, oh yeah...revenge. 7. Triangle- 3 stars- I hate getting fooled, but all the way up till the last page, I did not realize what was really going on. So-so story, but brilliant deception by the author at the end!8. All the world's a stage- 3 star- An interesting tale of revenge.9. Gone Fishing- 3 stars- What an interesting take on an old idea. The best thing about these short stories, are the way we jump to wrong conclusions.10. Nocturne- 3 stars- What a cool story that almost reinforces the idea that there is still good in humanity, and much about mankind is redeemable. 11. lesser included offense- 3 stars- All to often we think that the rich can get away with anything...here is a story that tackles that head on.12. The Blank card- 3 stars- Jelousy can make a man do the craziest things....how about betrayal???13. the Cristmas present- 4 stars- I love this series...Just when you think there is a case there isn't than there is...just when you think it's over it isn't then it is.14. Together- 5 stars- What a great and twisted story where I never even at the end knew what had truely transpired...A beautiful love story or a twisted stalker...A loving father or a deranged overprotective parent...a brutal murder or a beautifu sacrifice...a dead body or an unexcpected twist (This is how it plays out in my mind).15. The Widow of Pine creek- 4 stars- Another story where nothing is quite what it seems! A widow, an affair, a brillant scheme, layers upon layers of duplicity, a murder...and has justice truely been served????16. The Kneeling Soldier- 4 stars- A demented stalker or is he??? Another story where there are so many layers given in a short period of time.
Each story in this collection has a surprise twist, as though Jeffrey Deaver is trying to position himself as the O. Henry of the macabre. But knowing a surprise twist is coming tends to put you on the lookout for it, and I was able to predict the conclusions to several of these stories by simply asking myself, "What's the most unexpected thing that could happen?" And, because most of these stories rely on the surprise twist in order to work, predicting the ending pretty much ruins the entire effect.Only a few of these stories really deliver. A couple of them have so many twists that they become preposterous. Others feel like a cheat, with Deaver creating the twist simply by withholding a description of the main character (leading us to make inaccurate assumptions about them) or by selectively revealing their thoughts in order to mask their true intentions. I enjoy being misled when reading a good mystery, but I insist that the author play fair. I don't enjoy, for example (using a scenario that does not actually appear in this book), reading about a character I think is a woman only to be surprised to find out later that she is really a gay man--especially when a one-sentence description would have cleared the matter right up. It's the easiest thing in the world to come up with a surprise plot twist when all you're doing is withholding rudimentary information.Still, there were definitely a couple of gems in this collection, and Deaver is a talented enough writer to make even bad stories moderately entertaining.
What do You think about Twisted: The Collected Stories (2004)?
I had actually read the second of Jeffrey Deaver's "Twisted" collections (More Twisted: Collected Stories Vol. II) a few years ago so pretty much knew what I would be getting here. All the tales collected in both volumes have a twist of some kind involved, like a sympathetic protagonist victim who turns out to be the bad guy or something along those lines. Both volumes also include a Lincoln Rhymes short story as well.I enjoyed every one of these short stories but must say that I think it is better to read other material in between each of these stories. Knowing that each tale involves a twist makes the reader prepared for such a twist and it becomes more of a game to figure out what the twist will be rather than just enjoy the story on its own merits. I found myself doing that with these stories and often saw what was coming before I should have.
—Benjamin Thomas
I'd never thought favourably toward short stories before (they're typically too long for a cookie-bite fiction fix but too short for novel-esque development), but I thoroughly enjoyed these stories by Jeffery Deaver. I like how his style plays on the reader's almost inevitable assumptions and prejudices, so when the twist comes, it's not because he'd been throwing red herrings around until our eyes crossed, but because we would make assumptions about the characters and their motives based on some innocuous detail, and so would simply expect the story to be heading in a different direction. Even when I'd realised this was his style, I would often get caught out.
—Evelyn Doyle
Twisted is a short story collection putting together various short stories Deaver has written. It even has a short Lincoln Rhyme story. Most of the stories have a twisted end that is difficult to guess, thus the name. If you have read most of his novels like I did, the stories are a bit predictable, or at least they look similar, although you may not be able to predict the exact ending, you can predict the type of ending that he will come up with. However, it is still an enjoyable book for crime fiction fans, better than the average.
—Levent Mollamustafaoglu
