by Linda Kay Hardie

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Ask any mother what she wants for Mother’s Day, and she’ll probably say, “Nothing. Your presence is all the gift I need.” She’s lying. Everyone knows what moms really want: someone to take charge of the darned household chores. We have to give Mama what she needs, right? After all, she’s the one preparing our meals, alone in the kitchen where she has access to all sorts of poisons. (Have you ever taken a look at what Mom’s got under the sink?)

If your mom is a fan of mystery and crime stories, give her Debra H. Goldstein’s short story collection, With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying: Tales of Redemption and Sinning. These stories run the gamut from cozy and humorous whodunnits to darker hardboiled stories and all the shades of style in between.

I can hear you protest, “Yeah, but why would this book be appropriate for Momma on her special day?” Mothers figure prominently in many of these stories, doing the things that moms do best: protecting their families and close friends, even when murder crashes the party. Better yet – and here’s where the gift comes in – Goldstein gives Mommy a break. In these stories, Mama doesn’t have to do all the routine postmeal (or post- uh, less savory activities) cleanup by herself. Others help her as the police race code three with sirens blaring to investigate sudden deaths.

Goldstein’s short stories, collected by White City Press, include award winners and finalists in contests well-known in the crime fiction world, like the Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer awards. The stories were originally published in a variety of places, ranging from the prestigious and long-running Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine to Black Cat Mystery Magazine to various popular-song-inspired anthologies. One story even appeared here on Kings River Life.

The lead-off story, Thanksgiving in Moderation, is so cozy you might wonder if it’s even about murder or a crime at all. Ha! You got distracted by the humor, the snark, and the family bickering. Go read it again; I’ll wait. … See? It’s still funny the second time through. Did you catch it this time? Moms know these things, and they also know how to protect their kids while telling the absolute truth in a police investigation.

Some fainthearted readers and their moms might be feeling a touch of the vapors at the thought of murderers getting away with their crimes. But on the other hand, perhaps society is better off without certain folks. Look closely. The collection does promise this in its subtitle: Tales of Redemption and Sinning. Conscientious readers can find examples of these religious constructs in the stories herein, and realize that the redemption tales balance out the ones where someone feels justice is done when they beat the system.

I’m not one of the meek ones, and I’m certainly not that nice. Anyone who knows me or has read my crime and murder stories is not at all surprised at my confession. However, this is not a legal admission of guilt to anything. I’m totally innocent, as far as anyone can prove.

So are Debra H. Goldstein’s characters. Mama says so!

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win an ebook copy of With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “bellies” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 17, 2025. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Linda Kay Hardie writes short stories in many genres, but not romance. She tried once, and everyone ended up dead. Tragic. She’s not sure where ideas for her crime and horror stories come from, and reading them later, she finds many to be disturbing. Often her friends look askance after reading them and ply her with therapists’ business cards. Linda throws those away, because murdering people is the best medicine. Fictionally, of course. No one can prove otherwise. She barely remembers whatsisname that she used to be married to. He moved away years ago. One of Linda’s most twisted tales appears in A Killing at the Copa, available at whitecitypress.com/product/copa/MM/12

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.