Barb Goffman Presents

In "The Importance of Being Urnest," Lorrie George hauls her obnoxious peach-taffeta bridesmaid's dress all the way to the Bahamas for a destination wedding, only to find out her groomsman date for the weekend didn't exactly turn up as planned. With an overzealous wedding planner lurking in the background, chaos, romance, and humor ensue! The Barb Goffman Presents series showcases the best in modern mystery and crime stories, personally selected by one of the most acclaimed short story authors and editors in the mystery field.

“The Duelist" is a story about deception and truth, vengeance and justice, bravery and cowardice, love and loss. It's also about bullying. David Dean doesn't like bullies. You probably don't either. If that's the case, this story is for you.

“Two for One" is a return to Brad Parks's storytelling roots: New Jersey, his place of birth and also where he spent ten years as a young reporter for the state's largest newspaper, The Star-Ledger. Every character you'll meet in this story is more than likely someone he bumped into during that time. Hope you enjoy this healthy serving of Garden State goodness.

A lawyer, who once specialized in mediation, gave up his practice when his wife died of cancer. Now he occasionally does favors for friends and the people at McGinty's, the bar where he spends many of his waking hours. Stella Carter wants something from her estranged husband, a mobster named John Carter, and asks the narrator to get it. The price he pays for agreeing to help is a cancer he can only hope to drink into remission.