"Never Love a Gambler" by Keith Ridgway (New Directions)

ISBN: 978-0-8112-2294-5 New Directions

"Never Love a Gambler" by Keith Ridgway (New Directions)

 I'm a fan of the English and French speaking gangster world - and the short story by Keith Ridgeway "Never Love a Gambler" fits the mood as one wears a tight leather glove.   The son, mom, and most of all, Mossie Russell, the cruel and almost refined gangster.   The plotting of the story is not that important to me, but the setting and how the characters interact in that landscape is the real joy of reading this short story.  There is a surrealist touch with the dog carrying something that was once alive in his or hers mouth, that adds a certain angst in the picture.   "Never Love a Gambler" is three stories long, and all has a wisp of crime or murder involved.  The king kink tale is "Ross and Kinnder."   A little narration of obsession and violence.   I have never read or even heard of Ridgeway till now.  Due to this "sample" of short stories, I m very curious to read on to his other works.  

- Tosh Berman