Choice Cuts by Joe Clifford is the real deal!

Today’s feature is Choice Cuts by Joe Clifford, the popular acquisitions editor for Gutter Books and managing editor of The Flash Fiction Offensive. Choice Cuts is one of the reasons why Clifford is one of the best crime fiction writers today. This collection of short stories is awesome! “Red Pistachios” was my favorite. I enjoyed this story as much as I liked Clifford’s “Mouthbreather” in Thuglit Issue 7. Each of Choice Cuts' sixteen short stories builds momentum, moving you faster and faster to the end.

Many of you who’ve read Clifford know exactly what I’m talking about. His imagination is intense and original. You’ll find yourself finishing a story, and speculating as to how he came up with such a twisted, fresh viewpoint… and having a sneaking suspicion you’ve just read a true story, not fiction. Only a writer as sharp as Clifford can cause a reader to seriously ponder this.

Why does this happen? It’s simple. Clifford writes with word economy in mind. He crafts each sentence with the fewest deft strokes. His prose hits you like a 20-pound sledgehammer from the world’s strongest man. Clifford also knows how to keep it real. Character dialogue is spot on.

So here’s my recommendation for anybody looking for an enjoyable read this summer. Take Choice Cuts with you to the beach, or poolside, or even while sunbathing. You will read it so fast, you’ll get just enough sun before you burn. What I wouldn’t do is read this book on the subway while you’re standing and holding on as the train whips in and out of stations. Clifford will draw you in so deeply, you’ll either get your pocket picked or fall flat on your ass. You might even miss your stop.

Get this book, read it, and you will be glad you did!

Other highly recommended books by Clifford include Wake the Undertaker (Snubnose Press), and Junkie Love (Battered Suitcase Press). His forthcoming book Lamentation (Oceanview Publishing) is slated for released in October 2014