Marlena Frank

A satirical take on a noir detective story, filled with talking babies, bizarre magic, and troublesome trolls. Detective Harris is a private detective who is out of luck and out of cash. When a woman walks into his office in tears, he decides to take a gamble on what he assumes is an open and shut case. What he doesn’t realize is that nothing about this case is normal.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Charlene Kerringer

Sheila Goicea

Content Warning: Abduction

This review will be short and sweet, because this short story is only thirty-three pages! The Mysterious Disappearance of Charlene Kerringer is a mysterious tale about a little girl, Charlene Kerringer, who is stolen away from her home. Detective Harris, a noir detective who just wants to eat his sandwich in peace, is visited one day by Charlene's caregiver. She stresses that the girl is different than she used to be, and swears that it isn't her. Intrigued, and hoping that there will be a big payout when the case is cracked, Harris takes the case.

When he goes to their house to investigate, he finds that there certainly is something going on. The girl, or what is supposed to be Charlene, certainly isn't her. Detective Harris is taken on an investigation that unveils a realm completely foreign to him. Not only does it make him question what he knows, it changes his views on life in the end.

There is a definitive style about this story. The "noir detective" certainly comes through Harris' character, and he is quite comical with his sardonic behavior. While this story certainly didn't lack in entertainment, there just wasn't a lot of purpose to it, in my opinion. While Harris becomes more appreciative of others in the end, it just didn't end with much impact for me. 

My Rating: ★★★

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