Princess Fuzzypants here: The author is not kidding when we are told it is hard to distinguish truth from fiction in these stories. I kept asking myself if this really happened or if it was a creation of a quirky mystery writer.. Each story has elements that makes the reader scratch their heads. It has deceptions, murder, attempted murder, and all sorts of “fun” stuff. The stories could have been the inspiration for some of your favourite mystery writers.

The first ones are standalone and were the ones that made me question the truth more than the ones involving reporter Tom Reynolds. While some of the information certainly had my head shaking, there was just too many details that seemed to indicate this really happened.

The stories are all very short and the “chapters” were almost like bullet points…with real bullets. It proves there are some odd characters walking around this world. Four purrs and two paws up.

This was a collection of short stories.

Writing any story takes time and effort, so I tried to appreciate each story for what it was. Sadly, for the most part, I was indifferent to these stories. I think I was expecting stories with an eerie atmosphere, and I just didn't feel that. I didn't really feel any connection with any of the characters, and none of the stories seemed to have the atmosphere that drew me in. Of course, another person might read these stories and really enjoy them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

What a great book! I loved the stories! It has a feel good vibe to it. Karma paying bad people for the bad things they do. The stories were well written with just enough suspense to make me want to keep reading.

In a Nutshell: An interesting mix of short-length mysteries. Some good tales herein, but the writing was too basic and meandering for my taste.

This is a collection of thirteen short stories, all from varied mystery subgenres. There is no author’s note introducing the theme of the stories, but the Goodreads blurb and the title offer enough of a hint about the content. Every story is divided across multiple chapters and even includes an epilogue, though this is quite a short book at a little over 200 pages.

Every tale has a male character in the central role, with women playing mostly typical parts. The first six stories are standalone tales, delving into the psychology of human nature and how motivations affect behaviour. The remaining seven stories are linked investigative mysteries with one character in common: Tom Reynolds, a crime reporter for a Boston newspaper.

I liked the first set of six stories a lot more than the Tom Reynolds compilation. One reason for this is that I am not a cosy mystery fan, and the seven linked stories were more cosy in style. Moreover, the initial set offered better variety across characters and situations; the latter felt repetitive and was overloaded with characters.

The ‘truth’ in the title is used literally in the first set, where each of the six tales ends with a kind of truth. This isn’t necessarily a moral, more like an observation or sometimes, a piece of advice. Nothing really earth-shattering about these ‘truths’, so though it was a novel idea, it didn’t impress me much.

While the stories offered an interesting array of mysteries, the writing style let me down. The prose is overly simplistic, with no frills or flourishes. No vivid descriptions of places. No atmosphere. This was the minor problem. The major problem was the penning style, which felt quite amateurish. Characters are introduced by their backstory being written in a single para than by letting us learn details about them through the plot itself. Tenses go back and forth between past and present, sometimes within the same sentence. The narrative perspective goes hopping from character to character without any reason. One of the stories reveals a part of the mystery in the title itself! There’s a whole load of telling and meandering. Characters are referred to by first name as well as last name randomly, thereby needing you to remember the full name of all key characters. Thus, though the stories were fairly entertaining, reading them was a strenuous and confusing exercise.

If you are not the kind of reader to obsess over grammar and style, you won’t be bothered by the above. I don’t mind simple writing – some of the best stories in the world are written in the simplest of vocabulary. But there is a difference between simple and basic writing, and this book falls into the basic category. All the writing issues can be fixed by a round (or more) of stringent editing. Indie authors should realise that human editors exist for a reason.

As always, I rated the stories individually. But the writing deflected me from immersing myself into the stories, and as such, none of them blew me away. The best two tales for me were ‘Pickles Can Kill You’ and ‘The Candidate’, with 3.5 stars each.

All in all, if you aren't the kind of reader who gets easily distracted by editing blunders, then these stories might work fine. Recommended only to those mystery-lovers. As the other reviews show, no one else had no problem with this debut work. I am the lone outlier so far, so feel free to ignore crabby old me and give this book a go.

2.4 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each story.

My thanks to Amazon Smart Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Twisting Tales and Truth”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I enjoyed reading this collection of short stories. Some of the endings had me flawed I didn’t guess them coming.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a sensational halloween read! Full of mystery that had you questioning fact from fiction in this collection of six short stories. Each story pulled me in further and further that I was so disappointed when I turned the last page to see it was the end.

Twisting Truth and Tails is a collection of short stories focusing on fictional mysteries.

Amazon describes these stories as perfect for train rides, shuttle flights and moments before bed time. I do agree, the length of each story was great. One story lost my attention as it diverted from the mystery theme, to deliver a story closer to a parable than a murder mystery.

Generally I enjoyed the idea behind most of the individual stories - the ending of pickles Can Kill You made me chuckle. However, the writing is often clunky and does not flow smoothly, resulting in a difficult to follow narrative.

A captivating collection of 13 short stories that seamlessly blend fiction with reality. The first six stories are nothing short of exquisite, each a standalone masterpiece that transports you to different times and places, leaving you utterly engrossed. Boudreau's storytelling prowess is evident on every page, as he skillfully weaves intricate mysteries that keep you guessing until the very end. Just when you believe you've unraveled the secrets, unexpected twists emerge, leaving you in awe and exclaiming, "I didn't see that coming."

Twisting Tales and Truth is like a rollercoaster ride through a world where mysteries and reality collide. If you're into thrilling stories that keep you guessing, this book is a must-read. From the get-go, you'll find yourself immersed in a web of curiosity, and just when you think you've figured it all out, the author hits you with jaw-dropping twists that leave you breathless. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down once you start! So grab a copy and prepare for a wild, mind-bending adventure.

I love short stories and anthologies. Even the best author must flex their writing skills to deliver quality short stories. In less than a usual chapter length, they must introduce us to the characters and their communities/ back stories, commit to an "event" and then solve it, all while keeping the reader engrossed and flipping pages. I often find that an author will switch genres in an anthology, which gives me an even better appreciation for their talent. This volume finds one author taking on many faces of the truth to become the teller of tales at this reader's campfire.
Many have a similar theme with the writers giving their story an unusual “spin” to meet the theme’s intent without copying each other. It is not unusual to find a true gem mixed in with the overall excellent stories, making anthologies a triple threat/ treat.
In TWISTING TALES AND TRUTH readers are treated to 13 short stories that all mimic the truth, until the "twist" becomes a new version of what we thought we knew. Investigations will find clues that lead to nowhere until you look a little closer. Definitely a Halloween vibe as the visions take on a much more sinister feel. Be sure to get your spook on with Boudreau's debut.