Switchblade No. 2, edited by Scotch Rutherford:
A solid second issue of a welcome new crime digest. The upgrade in design looks great on paper, or in pixels—but the stories are the main event. Collectively, a five-star rating, with Charles Roland’s “Profski Gets It” the standout, S.E. Bailey’s “A Talent for Killing” worth extra points, and Scotch Rutherford and Stephen D. Rogers in a dead sweat for best flash.
Stories from Switchblade No. 2, edited by Scotch Rutherford:
Rival mobs vie for territory in S.E. Bailey’s “A Talent for Killing.” Like the previous yarn (“My Brother’s Keeper by Rob T. White), the protagonist is captured and tortured, recalling the events that brought him to his deadly predicament. The horrors to come are both imminent and twisted. Bailey builds the tension in “Talent” nicely, and the opening inner monologue about killing in battle is excellent.
