OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cruel and Unusual" by Erik Dean.]

Cruel and Unusual is comprised of four short stories. Witch Tryals (the author spells it that way on purpose) deals with the trials in Salem. Dean takes the liberty of meting out an unusual punishment to those responsible for taking the lives of the alleged witches. While his method of serving up retribution does seem harsh, it is definitely in line with how the witches suffered. This story required some effort to get my arms around the final scene; but, it was worth the struggle. Although I would love to elaborate more, I certainly do not wish to spoil the ending.

Judge And Jury (capitalized as the author did) is the only one of the four stories that contains strong language. In this installment, a new sheriff is pitted against a lawless group of criminals and must hold his own. To do so, he requires the ingenuity and assistance of a traveling doctor and his potions.

The Devil Made Me Do It introduces Dean’s sharp wit. When the perpetrator admits to the crime, the defense attorney faces an uphill battle. I loved the courtroom scene and think that most readers will as well.

The Wheel encourages families of the victim to participate in determining the punishment for the perpetrator. If they cannot decide, a wheel (similar to the one on some game shows) is used to assist them.

All four short stories are set against a dark backdrop of adventure, crime and death. The consistent thread that binds these stories is the author’s insatiable quest for justice. While reading these stories, I was often reminded of The Twilight Zone and could almost hear the voice of Rod Sterling. Each story stands alone and addresses at least one evildoer, his vicious acts, and the manner in which he receives his justice. Rest assured that the unlawful will meet the unique consequences of their actions.

I was intrigued most by the author’s vivid imagination and his unique sense of justice. He obviously subscribes to the “an eye for an eye” theory. Dean does not hesitate to pull out all the stops to see that perpetrators are held accountable for their deadly deeds (all of them!). I was fascinated by his exquisite sense of humor and wit.

Additionally the book is well edited. I am unable to identify anything I dislike about these stories. Taking this into consideration, along with Dean’s outstanding wit and creativity, I must award Cruel and Unusual by Erik Dean 4 out of 4 stars. This book will appeal to readers that enjoy adventure and have a propensity toward balancing the scales of justice (if not tipping them in the victim’s favor). Because all of the stories deal with death, it may not be appropriate for younger teens. Also, the scattering of curse words in Judge And Jury make it unsuitable for a less mature audience. It is my pleasure to recommend this book and to advise the readers that Dean already has a similar anthology titled Crueler and More Unusual.

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Cruel and Unusual
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This book seems like a thrilling adventure. I'd love to read more about these short stories. This review sold the book to me. Great review.

I like that this book is composed of a collection of short stories with a common theme. I think I would enjoy this style. Thanks for an excellent review.

This seems like an intriguing set of stories. I'm curious as to how the author views justice and how that comes into play in his stories. Since this got such a high rating, I might have to try it. Thanks so much!

I like how the book is comprised of four short stories. Thanks for a great review!

I like the aspect of that justice has been incorporated in the crime stories. This makes this book special since most of the books I've been reading just consider murder without accountability. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for this wonderful review!

I've always thought that writing a book comprised of individual short stories, all with a common theme, was an interesting way of putting a story together and is quite an effective way of driving home the author's point. It sounds like Erik Dean very effectively communicates his point in Cruel and Unusual! Thank you for your review!

T_stone wrote: ↑08 May 2019, 06:12 This book seems like a thrilling adventure. I'd love to read more about these short stories. This review sold the book to me. Great review.

Thank you so much for your kind words, T stone! I think you would enjoy the stories, and I look forward to reading his other book that is similar. Thank you again for commenting!

ElizaBeth Adams wrote: ↑08 May 2019, 07:23 I like that this book is composed of a collection of short stories with a common theme. I think I would enjoy this style. Thanks for an excellent review.

Thank you so much, ElizaBeth, for your kind comments! I think you would enjoy these as well. They are all fairly quick reads and do not disappoint on delivering adventure and surprises. Thank you, again,

kandscreeley wrote: ↑08 May 2019, 08:22 This seems like an intriguing set of stories. I'm curious as to how the author views justice and how that comes into play in his stories. Since this got such a high rating, I might have to try it. Thanks so much!

Very intriguing indeed. I hope you do get the chance to read them and see if his sense of justice lines up with yours. Thank you so much, kandscreeley, for stopping in and commenting!

Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: ↑08 May 2019, 11:04 I like how the book is comprised of four short stories. Thanks for a great review!

All four stories are very quick reads. Thank you so much, Stephanie, for stopping by and commenting!

Fazzier wrote: ↑08 May 2019, 11:32 I like the aspect of that justice has been incorporated in the crime stories. This makes this book special since most of the books I've been reading just consider murder without accountability. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for this wonderful review!

Yes, I was pleased with the justice meted out in all four stories. Thank you so much, Fazzier, for stopping by and for your very insightful comments!

Rachel Lea wrote: ↑08 May 2019, 12:47 I've always thought that writing a book comprised of individual short stories, all with a common theme, was an interesting way of putting a story together and is quite an effective way of driving home the author's point. It sounds like Erik Dean very effectively communicates his point in Cruel and Unusual! Thank you for your review!

And he absolutely drove home his message- one that I agree with. Thank you so much, Rachel Lea, for stopping by and commenting!

Now I'll be wondering what kind of punishment Dean thought up to give those who killed women thought to be witches. I may have to read the book to find that answer.

Enjoyed your review. Thanks.

It's interesting to note how authors seem to exercise their "artistic license" in defying what would normally be acceptable. I won't say this book should flop either because even Rowling's "sentence" fragments didn't seem to deter her work's proverbial rise to literary glory. Thank you for your thorough review.