No Comebacks was the first short story collection that introduced me to the dark side of society in a way that felt incredibly real. I was a teenager when I came across an audiobook (read by Frank Muller) from Recorded Books.

I was riveted to these stories of people who--more often than not--get themselves into strange predicaments and have to resort to violence or the like to get out. Often the stories end with a twist on the level of O. Henry (except more dire, of course) where we learn something new about the character(s) that Forsyth had previously held back from us.

I have yet to read any of Forsyth's novels but I keep going back to this collection time and time again, enjoying them as much as the first time (perhaps more now that I am older and can identify with them more).

The Veteran is just as fine, and in many ways better, even though I know that it can never equal the original feeling I had when I first discovered No Comebacks. The title story concerns the investigation of a mugging. We are introduced to police constables, lawyers, and the whole judicial process unfolds before our eyes as we witness the necessary evils that are used in bringing someone to justice. Forsyth pulls a twist on us, as usual, and though it's not as effective as some of his other work, it's still quite worth the ride.

Also in this collection is "The Miracle," a shorter twisting tale of a couple who are stopped on their way by a man with some very interesting information. Both of these stories alone were worth the relatively minimal price of the book, given that I will no doubt be rereading The Veteran many times to come.

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