Short Story Review: Where's Your Daddy? by Sue Ann Jaffarian (Holidays from Hell #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Progresses the family story while focusing on a smaller cast of characters

Cons: Not quite as funny as the previous stories

The Bottom Line:
A strange Father's Day

Lacks some of the humor but

Well worth reading




Interesting Father's Day Mission - Find Your Father

When a favorite author decided to start an electronic published short story series, I knew I'd be reading them.  But Sue Ann Jaffarian is doing something I wasn't expecting because each story builds on the previous ones as we watch the already dysfunctional Bowen family deal with emotional turmoil.  "Where's Your Daddy?" is the third story in the series and another fast, entertaining read.

This is the first Father's Day Zelda has spent without her father.  No, he hasn't died.  But in February, he upped and left his family behind and no one has heard from him since.

But Zelda figures if anyone has heard from him, it would be Pops, her dad's dad.  And so she sets about getting his favorite treat, an In-n-Out Double Double, and shows up at the assisted living facility he now calls now.  Pops has not made getting along with him easy over the years, and Zelda has some stories about the man that are shocking.  But does he have a clue where her father is now?

Each story in the series has mixed a healthy dose of humor with some more tender moments.  This one is no exception, although I found the humor here not quite as funny as the previous two stories.  Still, there were some grins and a laugh or two early on.

While the saga of the Bowen family is progressed in each story, the stories do stand on their own.  In fact, enough background is given you could jump in here if you wanted to.  However, I seriously don't recommend that because some plot points of previous stories are spoiled.  Beside, you'll want to read all of them anyway.

This go around, the story really focuses on Zelda, our narrator for all the tales, and Pops.  We get some updates on the rest of the cast, but no other family members appear.  That's not an issue because Zelda and Pops are more than entertaining enough to keep us interested, and it helps us get to know this new family member pretty well.  One more previously seen character does appear, and the character development on that person really makes me like them more.

As far as the story goes, things move along as a good clip.  It's amazing how much can happen in a few pages when a story is in the right hands, and Sue Ann proves what a master storyteller she is.

Since it's a short story, it can be read in 20-30 minutes.  It's only available in Kindle or Nook for 99 cents.

And it is time and money well spent.  The Bowen family quickly grows on you despite, or maybe because of, their flaws, and "Where's Your Daddy?" is another enjoy visit with them.

NOTE: I was sent this story in exchange for my honest review.