I love anthologies and flash fiction, but one risk with anthologies is that one or two bad stories can ruin the whole book. Fortunately, that was not the case with Shallow Waters. Mynhardt selected 22 wonderful tales that explore life and all the ups and downs of the journey with a creepy twist.
There wasn’t a “bad” story in the bunch, but there were a few that were just okay. They weren’t standouts or spectacular, but they told a nice story. Several of the stories involved children that were not to my taste, but two stories stood out from the crowd.
Tears of Buddy by Patrick R. McDonough, will rip your heart out, stomp on it, and replace it only to do it again and again as you go about your daily life knowing the heart of this tale occurs daily.
Sisters of Loss, by Mark Allan Gunnells, presented a tale that has played out in courts and made headline news but explored the lengths a friend will go to in a personal light–one that will make a few readers thankful they don’t have close friends.
Overall, this is a well-edited and well-organized anthology. It is a short anthology and quick to read that I highly recommend for flash fiction readers who are looking for the darker side of life.