From Booklist
Mystery veteran Wheat, author of the Cass Jameson series, presents a collection of 19 crime stories that run the gamut of themes from cats to Marilyn Monroe. In her introduction to the collection, Wheat refers to the mostly dark tales as "depressing," but uplifting moments do occur. For example, in the delightful "On the Take," a young rookie cop believes his partner is taking kickbacks--until he realizes that the older man is simply finding homes for stray cats. And in "Crime Scene," a veteran detective instructs a female rookie not to hide her feelings at the scene of a gruesome murder, showing her the value of letting emotions flow freely. However, the title tale is definitely not an example of a feel-good story as a young boy witnesses--and does not report--the mass murder of a family. Wheat's skill in concocting fascinating plots and memorable characters in such a short span of pages is truly remarkable. For fans of mystery short stories, this is a must-have collection. Jenny McLarin
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Book Description
TALES YOU WOULDN'T TELL IN SCHOOL Seventeen years ago, Carolyn Wheat burst on the mystery scene with her Edgar-nominated first novel about Cass Jameson, one of the first female lawyers in a crime series. Since then Wheat has written five more novels and some of the finest recent short stories in the genre. Throughout Wheat's work is sympathy for the underdog and the helpless. The title story in Tales Out of School, her first short story collection, explores how an abused child reacts to unexpected violence. In "Three Time Loser," Cass Jameson finds herself torn between her sympathy for an elderly woman and her job of giving the best defense for a young Jamaican immigrant. "Accidents Will Happen" is told from the viewpoint of an elderly paralyzed woman who is persecuted by a sadistic nurse, but finds her own revenge. In "Crime Scene" a young female cop is encouraged to cry in pity for a murder victim, and in doing so solved the crime. Some of the 19 stories are lighter in tone in theme, including a well-wrought pastiche of Sherlock Holmes and a case involving cats and smuggling.


About the Author
Carolyn Wheat was a defense attorney for 23 years working with various legal aid societies, and after she wrote her first novel, she became a part-time administrative law judge for New York City. More recently she has been Writer in residence for the University of Central Oklahoma.