Comment from Joan E.

Excellent

I enjoyed your animation on your profile page--Happy Halloween!

I admired your account of the one-side of this contemporary conversation and was surprised plus relieved by the revelation at the end! Your wordplay in the title and the reinforcing picture were very clever too. More cheers- Joan

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

Thanks, Joan, I appreciate. Thanks for checking out my story. :}

reply by Joan E. on 31-Oct-2014

I see this post is for a contest--best wishes- Joan

Comment from Dawny53

Excellent

I'm not really sure how I knew it was a dog, but somehow I figured it out before I came to the end! Please don't get me wrong, I'm not taking anything away from your story or your writing, because I thought you did an excellent job with it.. and I must say I love dogs and I think it's almost just as awful to murder a dog as it is a person! Good luck to you in this contest..

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

Aw, that's alright, I often figure things out too, Dawny.

Thanks for checking out my story all the same. :}

Comment from trimple

Excellent

AH! You crafty bugger!

You had me convinced that the murdered victim was the wife!

Clever dialogue and engaging conversation that had me glued from the start.

Good luck in the contest, Dean. I think you will do very well with this entry.

Kind regards

trimple

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

Thanks, trimple, that's what I was shooting for (no pun intended), hopefully.

Thanks for the kind comments and for checking out my story. :}

reply by trimple on 31-Oct-2014

You're welcome :)

Comment from jpduck

Excellent

Very clever. I hadn't seen the twist in the tail coming at all, even though it did explain several things written earlier in the piece.
In the second-to-last paragraph you write, 'The money you saved having me shoot that poor mutt in vet bills' would read much better as 'The money you saved in vet bills having me shoot that poor mutt.'
I loved the final sentence.

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

Thanks for the review and the suggestions for editing, jpduck. I appreciate you taking the time to read and review the story for me and for confirmation that the ending was a surprise, as I'd hoped.

Much obliged. :}

Comment from mjac777

Excellent

This was very well written, mystery author. You had me right from the beginning until the very creative, surprising end.
This is one of the best contest entries of this genre I have read and should do well in the contest.
Best of luck.

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

Thanks, mjac777, I'm very happy to hear you say that. Thanks for the encouragement and comments. :}

Comment from dennis0530

Excellent

This story led me up to the near end like a dog on a leash. I was starting to smell "murder" until I saw the word "mutt."

But seriously, putting away a beloved pet is always heartbreaking. It is just a consolation that putting her away ended all suffering.

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

You're right, Dennis, and I could never do it myself. I utilized the coarse language of the individual who did the deed to show his cold callousness and disregard for the sanctity of all life, much less a cancer ridden dog.

Thanks so much for your review.

Comment from Ben Colder

Excellent

Is this a mystery writing about killing a human or an animal? I stayed the course but all the time thinking it was probably a pet needed to be put down in secret from the kids.

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

It was written to lead you to believe the guys brother had his wife killed, but in the last lines the killer says, "the money you save in vet bills alone by having me shoot that mangy mutt..." So yes, Ben, he shot a dog, not a human being. Doing either one to me would be unthinkable, but there are some people...

Thanks so much for the review, my friend. :)

reply by Ben Colder on 30-Oct-2014

Well done.

reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

:}

Thank you, sir.

Comment from adewpearl

Excellent

excellent use of the one-sided conversation required by the contest
good play on words in your title
drugs to take affect - effect
good pacing as it starts to become clear just who was killed and then why
and good change in mood the more the reader knows
Brooke

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

Thanks, Brooke. :}

Comment from LIJ Red

Excellent

Sounds crude but a tremendous whack to the head with a ball bat or chunk of rebar brings instant merciful curtains.
With a bat, there is little blood. Oh? Fiction? 'Scuse me.

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

Uh, have you ever clubbed anyone (or anything) to death with a ball bat, LIJ Red? I can tell you from experience, there is lots and lots of blood, heh-heh... See the untouchables, or the movie Casino, or just watch videos online of poachers clubbing baby seals to death. You'll see...

Thanks for the review.

reply by LIJ Red on 30-Oct-2014

Just a few dogs, cats, and several possums.
Humans are squishy things, and the seal swats are staged by greenpeace.

reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

Heh-heh, dogs are pretty squishy too with their heads bashed in and brains all over the place. :}

Comment from tfawcus

Excellent

Well told! It took me till about halfway through before I became suspicious! Not easy to get that much story intone side of the conversation! Calls for a bit of reflective listening!

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 30-Oct-2014

Thanks, Tony. Much obliged. :}