Witnesses for the dead : stories
(Book)

"Inspired by recent true events, the all-original stories in Witnesses for the Dead are set in motion by the act of witnessing. The characters who populate these pages are not themselves the perpetrators of the crimes they see, but as they grapple with what to do—take action or retreat into the shadows—their lives are indelibly changed. In 'Envy' by Christopher Chambers, a sweet, shy wallflower looks on as something horrific happens in his neighborhood—revealing something horrific about himself...Richie Narvaez’s 'The Gardener of Roses' sees a Puertorrique a college student on the run from the FBI for her accidental involvement in a 'terrorist' plot...Gary Phillips confronts police corruption in 'Spiders and Fly.' And the protagonist of 'A Family Matter' by...Sarah M. Chen investigates the murder of a stranger, leading her to question the political structure of Taiwan entirely. Other stories feature a brothel, the film industry, immigrant detention centers at the Mexico-US border, World War II–torn France, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The stories are incisive, unflinching, wry, dark, and, in some cases, terrifying. You’ll ask yourself: If I saw what they saw, what would I do?" --publisher's website.