Jessica (HDB)

Part horror, part noir, this novella was one heck of a ride. Joe Connors is an Internal Affairs officer. He's called to a shooting, only to find that the victim was his former best friend. Killed by a single bullet. Sound shady? Joe thinks so. Thus begins his descent into a dark place, filled with more pain than I was ready for. I devoured this story.

Broken Sigil has a lot going for it. It borrows it's base from The Maltese Falcon, and adds some paranormal goodness to the mix. This is the type of story that sucks you in, and makes you forget that the characters aren't real people. I felt for Joe. I empathized with him, and the amount of emotional turmoil rolling off of him was palpable. This is a tragic story of loss. Of guilt, and how it eats away at your soul. A story of how sometimes you wish you could just let it all go.

I'm impressed! This is only the second short story I've read by William Meikle, but I now know that his writing packs a definite punch. I'll be on the lookout for more.