Jeffery Massey

Inspired by Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio", the protagonist is perceived through the lens of the literary grotesque motif & that of Shakespeare's classic 'Fool' in a modern, speculative urban setting. "Rings on Her Fingers" is written in the heralded “Hard-Boiled” of detective fiction [inspired by the ‘Black Mask Writers” like Spillane & Hammett]. It is a follow-up component to the larger. on-going "Jake Wants" series. The series about the exploits of an urban ner-do-well, drawn into the investigation of his lover's tragic death in the wasteland of his hometown called Briansburg. The tale, set within the framework of the traditional community card game picnic known as "The Strange family Bid Whist Tournament" is ripe with the potent satirical perspective of its omniscient narrator. Jake, as that narrator, references his strained familial relationships, failed ambitions & equally forlorn romances and friendships in his blue-collar community. Jake and the denizen's of Briansburg, like the proverbial crabs in a barrel, enjoy the most toxic of competitive bonds; always at one another's throats for no particular reason then it has always been done that way. Grimly, Jake discovers that the way of the Strange family may have lead to his beloved's death, his persistent failures in life and finally, may cost him his own life.