Rainbow's End and Other Stories

Short stories often get short shrift in the public mind. This is unfortunate - a well-done short story is as satisfying and artistic as a well-written novel. This collection of stories by Mississippi writer John Floyd is an excellent introduction to the art of the short story. The subject matter ranges from light to serious, and Floyd writes with with clarity, his characters are believable, interesting people, and his plots twist and turn right up to the surprising conclusion. The stories in here are all treats, whether savored one-per-day, or gobbled all at once. Give them a try.

If you enjoy meeting new characters without investing large chunks of time, you will really enjoy this book. John Floyd has a knack for fully developing interesting casts of characters in the space of a few short pages. This book belongs on your desk for coffee (and thinking) breaks, or any other suitable location where your time is limited and you want a quick and satisfying read.

John M. Floyd writes a great story. This book is full of short stories displaying John M Floyd's ability to take an ordinary idea and turn it into a simple story that packs a wallop at the end. His stories all end in a way the reader least expects them to. He has a flair for realistic dialog, smooth plots, good settings and satisfying endings. Great reading.

John Floyd is a master of the short story. Like any master, he is both specialized and versatile. "Rainbow's End" is a perfect example of his skill at storytelling. A handsomely bound hard-cover book, "Rainbow's End" is full of satisfying short tales. Some are deadly serious, others are comedy. All have the element of the unexpected in them. Despite being quite familiar with Floyd's breadth of work, several of the stories "got" me with the twist at the end, leaving me with a satisfied grin. Anyone who hasn't read dozens of his tales already will almost surely be "gotten" by every story. I've always been a fan of the darker tales and there are a few in this collection that I really enjoyed for that reason. But Floyd has sprinkled in whodunits and cozies in equal proportion, so there is something for every type of mystery reader. For instance, the stories include a series of recurring characters (a retired school teacher and a Sheriff) that are hilarious. The settings for the stories in this collection vary in both time and location, which makes every new story a radically different adventure. Short story collections generally come in two kinds -- themed collections by different authors and single author collections (like this one). However, "Rainbow's End" has a theme, and it is this: excellent storytelling. Highly recommended.