The stories in Klim's new collection include tales of controlling women and ne'er-do-well men trying, well, to do well if they could; an upscale chef helping to prepare a condemned man's last meal; best friends who find themselves in a middle eastern battlefield; a rocket scientist on the drink who gets lucky; a heartbreaking and haunting tale of a neglected boy and what he learns from his runaway dog; and an abused girl who views a kaleidoscope of past lives. Told with the light, deft touch and well tuned dialogue that Klim's readers will be familiar with from his novels-a variety of characters and situations for every taste. -Thomas E. Kennedy, author of In the Company of Angels