Rating: 
Summary: Not worth reading
Review: Let me state up front that I only read the first two stories in the collection so this review in based only on those stories. If you plan to read this book, this review gives away the plot of the two stories so read no further. In the first story the thief steals 2 goblets from the estate but kills a man in the process for absolutely no reason (unless, of course, you find it believable that someone would commit cold-blooded murder as a diversion for the theft of a few thousand dollars). The second story, a psychological thriller, has similar problems. A man, at his volunteer job, sneaks home to kill his wife and is faced, after the murder, with a surprise birthday party!! How would the wife ever know he was coming home? How could she possibly create this surprise? These plot structures are so fatal as to make the stories, no matter how well written, unbelievable. Readers should stick with her novels.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing effort
Review: Ms. George does short stories poorly: unexplained motives, unlikable main characters, predictable or weak endings, overly long (just for purposes of including historical research), poor plotting, incomplete character development. These flaws show up within scenes of her books -- I should note I like her novels -- but are easy to overlook in the quantity of pages. Also, the fact that most of the stories were previously published was not readliy disclosed.
I hesitate to donate my copy to the library, but perhaps it will save someone else from buying it. I'm sure it was worthwhile from a commercial point of view, but Ms. George should hone her craft before attempting another collection -- something I hope she does, as it can only improve her novels, too.
Rating:
Summary: I am So glad that I didn't purchase this book!
Review: Thank goodness I got it from the library! I have read all of Elizabeth George's novels and this is about as different from any of the others as it can get. I didn't even finish a couple of the stories, as they were so boring. Please don't do this to us Elizabeth. According to all these reviews, your readers do not want more of this.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as bad as everyone thinks.
Review: These are SHORT STORIES people. This wasn't a novel. I think some of the reviewers looked at this book like it was one story. Short stories are so different.
The first story was a bit confusing. Not sure why the author chose to kill the character she did. I'm still not sure of the motive, it wasn't clear.
The second story was eerie. It was almost like watching Alfred Hitchcock.
The 3rd story was creepy. I still get chills thinking about all those rats. This was Steven King, Tales of the Crypt like. Good story though.
The 4th one was far fetched. Too many turns. Still not sure exactly how the guy died. The wife is pretty stupid to have been fooled all that time. I find it hard to believe her husband had all those secrets and she had no clue.
The last one, I, Richard, was actually funny to me. The dumb woman is the victor in the end. The Richard part I am not familiar with, however, the story lines seemed to be similar.
For short stories, these weren't too bad. Not high on my list but I am glad I read them.
Rating:
Summary: I, Richard
Review: This book stinks. I'm donating mine to the public library so that other readers, who feel compeled to read all of George's book, do not waste their hard earned money on this one. What was she thinking and what were her publisher thinking when this one went to press?
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining collection
Review: Three of the stories in this collection have actually appeared before, in a book entitled "The Evidence Exposed". (These titles are, "Exposure" (although the story featured here is a slightly rewritten, altered version) "I, Richard", and "The Surprise of His Life". If you're looking for stories of substance or great depth, this probably isn't the collection to go for. "Exposure" has a good premise...this second version is much better than the first, but it is still disappointing. the ending is anticlimatic, and the motive for the killing is not actually explained. The plot lacks great depth, as does the character developement. (Which is a surprise from George...who is usually the mistress of character and plot development.) "The Surprise of His Life" has a nice twist to the end, and the main character is interesting if a bit dislikeable. However, the story once again lacks development. The same can be said of "I, Richard". This one is a very interesting piece (contains good information on English history) but both its central characters arent at all likeable, and overall the story is too long and drawn out. However, the ending is a nice display of irony. The two new stories in the collection are far more sucessful. "Good Fences Aren't Always Enough" is a very good story. It's interesting, original, and more than a little creepy. It's well written with a good atmosphere, and good characters. Theres also a nice subtle sting in the tail, which works very well. It's certainly my favourite of the collection. "Remember, I'll Always Love You" is another strong story. It's got a very good plot, and the central character is well drawn even if the others are not. It has nice twists, and is unpredictable and interesting to read. However, at times George shifts the story a little too much, perhaps leaving the reader slightly dizzy. All that said, all of these stories entertained me. I enjoyed them, and i am glad i read the collection. Some of them may not fulfill their potential or match with the quality of other short stories by other writers in this genre, but that they are enjoyable, quick reads is undeniable. To any fan of Elizabeth George, i do reccomend this collection.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Disappointment
Review: Unlike her other books, this one seems to be an experiment that didn't work. I'm a diehard Elizabeth George fan. This particular book disappointed me in many ways. I could only complete one of the five stories, and can't recommend it to anyone. Will this stop me from buying her next novel? Not at all. She's a master in her field.
Rating:
Summary: About the audiobook...
Review: Unlike many of the readers, I found this book fun, ... These stories were mercifully short, and though the surprise endings might strike some readers as tacky, I thought they were fun. I confess I had to reread one story in part to understand the killer's motive, but despite that, there were more thrills here than I expected to find. George's introductions could have been shorter and more artful, but let's face it, she's not the mystery short story artist Ruth Rendell is, so that's not surprising. Lev Raphael ...
Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected!
Review: Unlike many of the readers, I found this book fun, ... These stories were mercifully short, and though the surprise endings might strike some readers as tacky, I thought they were fun. I confess I had to reread one story in part to understand the killer's motive, but despite that, there were more thrills here than I expected to find. George's introductions could have been shorter and more artful, but let's face it, she's not the mystery short story artist Ruth Rendell is, so that's not surprising. Lev Raphael ...
Rating:
Summary: Extremely disappointing
Review: What a pity! An author like Elizabeth George - specially after having written A TRAITOR TO MEMORY should not bow to editors and write just a plain, uninteresting book exclusively for commercial purposes.
Other authors have done this and it has been very damaging for their reputation.
This book is pure rubbish! By the way something some authors don't seem to grasp: a novel writer is DIFFERENT from a short stories writer and few brilliant ones can do both; the styles are definitely diverse, so each one should keep to their style.
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