Some Winning Stories

Oceanview Publishing is an independent publisher of mystery, thriller and suspense novels. In 2008, they launched their first short story contest and assembled a star-studded cast of judges. Now the judges have made their decision and the three winning stories have been posted. Enjoyable stories all, I preferred the winner and first of the winning finalists - they both had my favourite thing about a good short story, which is a killer ending. (I did find it interesting, though, that none of the stories really fit into the genres that the company focuses on. But then their parameters were pretty broad.)

The first-prize story, "Mississippi Pearl" by Joel Arnold, is the story of a family drama - the things that tie people together and the things that ripple down the years. The characters jump off the page, so vivid in their details, and the imagery is carefully appropriate.

After reading it, I needed a bit of a laugh to cheer me up and that's exactly what I got from "Me and the Bank" by K.G. McAbee. A clever little story that looks at those friendships you can't ignore and the assumptions that can lead you into trouble. The voice of the story wore a little on me about half-way through, but the ending was worth pressing through for.

The second winning finalist, "Heavenly Chorus" by Karen Pullen, seemed the weakest to me. It didn't seem as well-written as the others. I also didn't particularly like the change in tone from serious to silly. It struck me as a bit disrespectful. Also, the change in direction in the story at one point didn't seem properly motivated. However, it is a clever idea and some will enjoy this irreverent story.

Considering the overall quality of the stories, I do hope Oceanview turn the competition into an annual fixture.