A collection of thriller/mystery books by Freida McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker, and Wanda M. Morris. Short, twisty and engaging. I enjoyed the stories.
I got a complimentary copy of this collection from Amazon Original Stories via Netgalley. This is my honest review

I loved this short series! Even though the stories were very short, I thought they were all very creative and fun to read. They all kept me engaged in the stories and wanting to continue to finish, so I could start the next story. The thrills were everything!

Loved this collection of short stories. They are a collection by different authors at the top of their game and their own styles coming together on the premise of alibis.

They all have their own twists and kept me on the edge of my seat. Loved the short story format and would recommend for sure.

Thank you Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

Fun, evil short stories by various authors. Each one had to do with an alibi, some reliable, some not so much. These short stories had a twist and all of them were enjoyable. My favorites were Death Row, Good Neighbors and The Skydivers. I would lobe to read more collections like this!

The Alibis Collection is a series of short stories and novelettes published by Amazon. Written by an assembly of thriller writers at the top of their game, each story uses the theme of alibi in a slightly different way. All the stories are enjoyable and propulsive, keeping up at a steady pace to their conclusion.

Without spoiling the particular mechanics or plot of each story; three were standouts for me:

The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth—Uses a classic mystery setup in which all the suspects have alibis, the detectives in this story have to figure out which alibis make the most sense in light of the victim's murder. The way this one unspools is quite fun, and Hepworth weaves through multiple POVs with efficiency.

The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian—An interesting setup and regular plot turns makes the story somewhat unpredictable and still entertaining. Feels like Bohjalian set up the story as a prelude to a series, which I'd definitely be interested in reading.

Small Things by Wanda Morris—Probably my favorite of the collection. Morris easily makes the protagonist sympathetic, and her progression through the story makes the conclusion feel absolutely earned.

This collection of six short stories was easy to read and worked well as a quick palate cleanser between heavier books. While the premise was intriguing, overall the stories lacked substance and didn’t leave a lasting impression. None of them stood out as particularly memorable and my ratings ranged from 2 to 3.5 stars across the collection. Still, they offered something a bit different and were enjoyable enough for light, low-commitment reading.

The Alibis collection was a wild ride through a variety of thrillers and mysteries, each with its own tone, pacing, and strengths. While the quality and impact varied between titles, I appreciated the overall experience of diving into six very different stories under one theme secrets, lies, and the search for truth. Standouts like Freida McFadden’s installment gave me the page turning suspense I craved, while others leaned more into quirky premises or slow burns. This was definitely a mixed bag, but one that kept me entertained and curious throughout.
My 2 favorite from the collection was Freida McFadden Death Row and Small Things by Wanda Morris.

A fun collection of stories around the theme of alibis. My favorites were the Sally Hepworth story and unexpectedly, the Chad Zunker story. Will be checking out more books by Chad Zunker in the future. These little spooky tales are a good way to pass a couple of hours with several discrete and well-crafted classic mystery stories with suspenseful twists and good characters.

Alibis Collection
Well, this is one of those reviews I'm going to start with 'Wow!', because this collection of stories is just that good. I'm going to write about my favorites.

Death Row by Frieda McFadden is in the running for one of the best and most unique stories I've ever read. I read it twice.

The Ex Wives Club by Sally and Hepworth is about a famous chef who was found dead in suspicious circumstances. There are numerous suspects since he was a very difficult person - his staff, his ex-wives, his current girlfriend, and his children. It also is an excellent story and the ending surprised me.

False Note by David Lagercrantz. The two main characters are a father and son - the father is a renowned opera singer. The father had two sides to his character - he was charming and charismatic in a room full of people, but with his girlfriends and his son, he was abusive. This was a good story but not my favorite.

The Skydivers is, in my opinion, one of the best and most surprising stories in this anthology. Two sons disagree on what to do with their father's estate. One son wants to keep the land and farm it; the other son wants to sell and split the proceeds. They are going skydiving to drop their father's ashes over his beloved acres. I read this one twice also.

The last story - Small Things - was somewhat chilling. A woman married to an abusive controlling husband finds a way to freedom.

Death Row
That was one wild ride! I always enjoy the journey McFadden takes readers on, and this novella was amazingly twisted. And as always, the twist at the end absolutely delivered.

The Ex-Wives Club:
How can a father/husband be so hateful? But karma has a way of turning the tables and Ian is about to face the consequences of his own actions.

False Note:
Karma is a b*tch, and this book proves it!
I absolutely loved how this story deals with the struggle we all face of trying so hard not to become our parents… only to catch ourselves acting just like them.

The Skydivers:
This one was just okay for me. It leaned more toward a military thriller than I expected, and nothing really stood out or hooked me. Not a bad read, just not quite my style.

Good Neighbors:
What a chaotic night this couple went through and all sparked by a friend’s decision to look into a potentially unfaithful husband. As the saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Small Things:
Ugh… I cannot stand men like the MMC in this novella! But I do love it when they finally get their comeuppance.

*Thank you to Freida McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker, and Wanda M. Morris, Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

Death Row: Engaging, super twisty short story but it just made me really uncomfortable and sad… Turned me off from reading the rest in the collection unfortunately.

I really enjoyed this collection from Amazon Original Stories. Each story was short and easy to get into, which made it perfect for reading in between other books or during a busy week. I also liked being able to switch between the Kindle version and the audiobook. Both formats were well done and made it easy to stay engaged.

Like with most collections, I connected with some stories more than others, but overall they were consistently solid. Most landed in the four star range for me, which is a win. There was a nice variety in tone and style, so nothing felt repetitive.

I’m already very familiar with Freida McFadden, but the rest of the authors were new to me. It was a great way to discover some new voices, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of their work in the future!

Thank you authors, publishers, and NetGalley!

I love having short stories to read as cleansers in between longer novels. This collection was the perfect way to have several good stories on hand!

Death row - This one took me by surprise and I enjoyed the ending. Very different than I thought it would be.

The ex wives club - Whodunnit that goes back and forth between telling the story and police interviews.

False note - Quick one sitting read that’ll have you looking at alibis in a different way.

The Skydivers - Sad to say this was my least favorite of the alibis stories. I feel like I didn’t understand the ending or there wasn’t really an ending given.

Good Neighbors - Fast paced short story that had me hooked from page 1. This one was my favorite of the collection.


Small Things - This one was a quick one sitting read that kept me intrigued all the way through. It does have several trigger warnings to be sure to check out prior to reading.

I liked some of these but did not love any of them. I am always stuck either wanting more from the story or wishing it would end faster.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun collection of thrillers. Some I enjoyed more than others, but overall it was a fun time. I loved how quick of reads these were and almost all of them captured my attention from the beginning. This collection was a fun time and I enjoyed my reading experience.

This collection had its ups and downs, but overall, it was an engaging ride through different shades of psychological suspense.

“Death Row” by Freida McFadden opens with a compelling setup—was she really guilty, or just caught in a web of bad circumstances? I was intrigued at first, but the narrative lost its grip as the story went on. It became a little too chaotic and the ending didn’t quite land for me. Still, the pacing kept things moving, and for a short read, it held my attention better than if it were a full-length novel.

“The Ex-Wives Club” by Sally Hepworth was the highlight for me. I loved the layered storytelling and the dynamic between the women. Each ex had motive, secrets, and a unique voice. It felt sharp, smart, and perfectly balanced between character-driven drama and mystery. I would absolutely read a longer version of this.

“False Note” by David Lagercrantz was a bit of a miss. The characters were hard to connect with and the emotional weight didn’t hit. It had potential, but the dark themes felt overwhelming and didn’t build toward anything that truly paid off.

“The Skydivers” by Chris Bohjalian had an eerie, slow-burning tension that worked really well. The relationship between the brothers and the backdrop of grief was powerful. It packed a lot into a short format, and the final twist made it all the more haunting.

“Good Neighbors” by Chad Zunker was a fast-paced, fun surprise. It nailed the balance between suspense and readability, and I appreciated how complete it felt despite its length. The message? Sometimes it’s better not to get involved in things that don’t concern you.

“Small Things” by Wanda M. Morris was a quiet but powerful closer. It didn’t rely on dramatic turns, but rather the strength of one woman’s quiet determination. The emotional resonance lingered long after it ended.

Each story brings something different, and while not all hit the mark for me, the concept was strong and there are definitely a few standouts worth reading.

I love these Amazon collections because not only are they from the very best of the genre, they are also easy to binge. Unfortunately, this wasn't my favourite and was quite weak overall.

My individual reviews:

1. Death Row: ⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7669531523

2. The Ex-Wives Club: ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7671661554

3. False Note: ⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7673746036

4. The Skydivers: ⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7673746945

5. Good Neighbors: ⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7673747735

6. Small Things: ⭐⭐⭐
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7673748505

Overall a 4*
Death row was an absolute masterpiece. Chefs kiss

The other stories were good. Enjoyable and quick for short stories. Easy reads, well laid out with enough information on the short time.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and I'm willingly leaving a review. Average 4.0 stars.
In general, all of them have twists, but none of them are scary will-have-nightmares kind of story. I was looking for very short thrillers and these are just suspense mini stories. I'm reviewing on this one since GR didn't add the collection unless it's the audio (this one).
1. Death Row 5stars. What a roller-coaster of twists. I'm still trying to digest what happened. Repugnant and disgusting details in the restaurant.
2. The Ex-Wives Club 4stars. Mixed feelings about this one. Not all cops swear you know. It was much about looks than fairness. It takes a village...
3. False Note 3stars. Too much violence that had nothing to do with the murder. So predictable!
4. The Skydivers 4stars. Pretty good. I thought everyone wanted to kill everyone.
5. Good Neighbors 4.5stars. An actual story that makes sense although a bit predictable. Kept me on my seat, though.
6. Small Things 3.5stars. Full of triggers, I had a hard time finishing the story. Easy to figure out.

Loved these. Great stories, and quick and easy to get through. Super cool to see a collection from several great authors!