Dead Reckoning and Other Stories

This collection of eight short stories explores the elusive nature of truth and reality across diverse genres, from supernatural horror to military fiction. Each tale examines how appearances deceive and challenges readers' assumptions about morality, identity, and justice.

The collection opens with "Dead Reckoning," following a disgraced priest's journey to a mysterious isolated parish where he encounters supernatural forces that test his faith and self-understanding. "Tricks" presents urban con artists whose elaborate street scams become complicated when they meet an unexpected mark. In "The Locked Combo," a young woman receives a mysterious object that may hold the key to escaping her toxic relationship.

"Lost Vegas" offers brilliant satirical comedy by reimagining biblical figures encountering modern Las Vegas, while "Nine-Tenths" explores property rights and justice through a disturbing home invasion tale. "The Solipsist" delves into philosophical territory as a college student questions the boundary between reality and imagination. "Angela's Mission" breaks conventional narrative rules with an irreverent angel addressing readers directly about the cosmic bureaucracy of Heaven and Hell. The collection concludes with "Rescued," a military story examining interservice rivalry and professional survival.

Throughout, the stories share common themes: characters who are not what they seem, moral ambiguity that challenges conventional thinking, and situations where traditional authority proves unreliable. The writing style adapts to each story's needs, from atmospheric horror to sharp comedy to philosophical introspection.

This collection demonstrates how fiction can illuminate human complexity across religious, criminal, domestic, and institutional contexts, suggesting that survival often depends on seeing through surface appearances to uncomfortable underlying truths.