I found that most of the stories were self-contained. No need to know more than what was presented, and each story quite satisfying from start to finish. Several authors, though, would do well to turn these short stories into complete novels. The varied characters in such stories told by Alafair Burke and T. Jefferson Parker beg for their characters to be developed into longer works. Bev Vincent’s "Rule Number One" is not to be missed, either. Creative from start to finish and a very satisfying read.