Cruel and Unusual: Four short stories of judicial horror

In this set of four short stories, the perennial struggle to catch the bad guys gets the supernatural treatment. Like holding a murder trial in a twilight zone, anything can happen—but in the end, justice will be served.In “Judge and Jury,” a violent gang tries to make its own rules. But out West, a kangaroo court is the only law, and this time, there’s a ghost in attendance. He knows the truth about their terrible crimes, and he won’t stop until someone pays for it.Capital punishment gets a vengeful twist in “The Wheel,” as the victim’s family gets involved in choosing the style of execution. It may be cruel to leave things to fate, but the mourners don’t care. They are thirsty for retribution.Each tale is a part moral quandary, part horror story, and together they explore the death penalty in all its forms. Such justice is older than the Salem trials, but the implications extend far beyond the demise of one person. What is right may not always be clear, but eventually, whether it is the accused, the wronged, or the devil himself who makes the final call, the ax must fall.

From the Back Cover

In the end, even crooked justice must prevail. From the ghostly old west to familial retribution, this collection of short stories explores how even deserved punishments can be taken too far. Part horror and part philosophy, each story postulates a consequence that will invite readers to question the meaning of the law. For the criminal in "The Devil Made Me Do It," it's time to pay up. Coworkers and friends can't pretend that they are surprised, and even Lucifer himself isn't willing to take the blame. In"Witch Tryals (1692)," women found guilty of witchcraft are marched to their deaths,but with powerful and unanticipated forces at work, perhaps the executions won't go exactly as planned. If the punishment is capital, does that always make it cruel? Perhaps even the most malicious criminals don't quite deserve what they get, but justice must be served.

About the Author

Award-winning author Erik Dean works include, Garbage Man, Cryptic, Cruel and Unusual, Crueler and More Unusual. The Arizona native, is a radiology technologist, who has over 25 years of experience in radiology. At times, Erik uses his medical knowledge, when writing his novels. In his spare time, Erik enjoys reading horror and action-adventure novels. Additionally, he watches many different kinds of cinema, the classics, horror, action adventure and sci-fi. His favorite animal is a border collie. Erik strives to put into his novels, memorable characters and situations, that never have been done before. He wants to keep his reader guessing and not make his stories predictable. In 2017, his novel "Cryptic'' won first place "11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards" and "The New Apple Awards" in the horror category. in 2018, his novel Garbageman won the finalist IAN award for action-adventure and Cryptic won the finalist IAN award for horror. Erik Dean is currently penning his 5th book (the third book in the Garbageman series) called "Wraith."

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