FICTION

High Crime Area:Tales of Darkness and Dread

by Joyce Carol Oates
Mysterious: Grove/Atlantic. Apr. 2014. 256p. ISBN 9780802122650. $25.50; ebk. ISBN 9780802192134. F
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Among the most compelling of Oates's many literary personae is the one with a deep-rooted interest in the pathology of criminals and their crimes. Her latest story collection opens with a Roger Ackroyd-like confession that elicits the reader's sympathy before the crime itself is described ("The Home at Craigmillnar"). The other stories range from horror to dark comedy, including a revenge fantasy perpetrated on a misogynistic world-renowned writer ("The Last Man of Letters"). Oates is particularly adept at revealing the lure of the criminal element among failed or failing academics who drift well beyond the statute of limitations of their doctoral degrees.
VERDICT These stories take the reader to desolate intersections and grimy tenements that mirror the dark reaches of the human soul; the combined elements of literary fiction with genre fiction and true crime offer added audience appeal. [See Prepub Alert, 10/20/13.]
Reviewed by Sue Russell, Bryn Mawr, PA , Feb 15, 2014
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