Mirror, Mirror

Modern day twists on classic fairy tales like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, Cinderella and the Little Matchbox Girl. Well written by well established authors. A fun read. ( )

Overall, I enjoyed this anthology. I read it for the J.D. Robb story, which was superb as always, but I absolutely loved 'Beauty, Sleeping' by Elaine Fox. It was by far my favorite of the other stories in the book. I would definitely read that one over again. 'Stroke of Midnight' and 'The Christmas Comet' were good, but I didn't like 'If Wishes Were Horses' very much. Mainly because I didn't really care for the heroine.

Taken in Death: 5 stars*
If Wishes Were Horses: 3 stars
Beauty, Sleeping: 5 stars*
The Christmas Comet: 4 stars
Stroke of Midnight: 4 stars ( )

Mirror, Mirror features five very talented author's takes on the classic stories Hansel & Gretel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and The Little Match Girl.

With each author giving their dramatically unique spin on their chosen fairy tale Mirror, Mirror becomes more than your average anthology. It almost becomes an event.J.D. Robb, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas and R.C. Ryan bring in the contemporary while Mary Blayney adds a dash of historical.

I enjoyed each and every author's story and the fact thatMirror, Mirror wasn't just contemporary takes on fairy tales made it all the more enjoyable. My favorite though of course was J.D. Robb's dark, suspense filled take on Hansel & Gretel. With the much loved Eve Dallas & Roarke and the "In Death" crew. Told in a very convincing manner, it will give you chills just thinking that there are actually people in the world like the antagonist. Whoa, what does that say about me that I liked that story the best? ( )

I only read Taken in Death. I enjoyed it, as usual. Haven't disliked a book in this series after almost 40 books! ( )

Whenever a new “In Death” book is released can a short story compilation be very far behind? In this newest entry the various authors put their talents to the test reinventing fairy tales for a modern audience while maintaining their own writing genre. Eve Dallas and Rourke are on the trail of a “wicked witch” in a Hansel and Gretel like kidnapping case. (J.D. Robb) A servant girl with an unusual coin and a retired army sergeant with a few hidden talents of his own become unlikely lovers in a story with strong nods to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. (Mary Blaney) In the story reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty, the tables are turned and it’s the prince who is charmed by the jealous fairy. (Elaine Fox) In this updated version of The Little Match Girl an activist for the homeless spreads her generosity a little too far and is about to find herself among the ranks of the people she helps. Her handsome friend steps in to try and save her -- from herself. (Mary Kay McComas) A very Cinderella like schoolteacher receives an unexpected windfall and uses it to travel to Ireland to visit her father’s hometown. When she meets a mysterious and handsome stranger she wonders if she could fall in love so quickly or if it’s the town’s enchantment working its wonders. (R.C. Ryan)

As with any book of short stories, whether one author or several write them, different stories will appeal to different readers. Keeping in line with the theme of the book, like fairy tales, these were all easy to read “happily-ever-after” stories. My favorites? The stories by Robb and Ryan.
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