Fratricide is funny-in the hands of STEVE HOCKENSMITH-but, mostly, bad neighbours (related or not) are bad news and endlessly infuriating, as in HILARY DAVIDSON's "King of the Castle, " or endlessly preying on your goodwill, as in EVE MORTON's "Vengeance Takes a Holiday."


(Yet what relief!-be honest now-when that neighbour hits the dance floor for their final dance: the great Mortal Coil Shuffle!)


Sometimes, naturally, the hatred is mutual and one against one, as in EVE ELLIOT's "One Spye After Another, " or one against many, as in KEVIN QUIGLEY's "The Woman Who Cried Cat."


And a bad neighbour should never underestimate their victim, as WARREN MOORE's "One of Us Is Dying" venomously suggests or F. D. TRENTON's "I Found Me a Bigger Flea" tells us in a disagreeable escalation of, er, disagreeableness.


(And what's not to like-come, search your soul and tell me I'm wrong-with a little bit of biting back?)


In a traditional vein, a little investigation can go a long way, as we find in WENDY HARRISON's "A Little Power, " or the wrong way in DAVE ZELTSERMAN's "Woops!"


Happily, a bad neighbour might turn out to be the worst possible neighbour to themself, as in L. C. TYLER's "Fifty Something, " or ROBERT LOPRESTI's "Lambs and Wolves."


While KAY HANIFEN portrays a dedicated handmaiden to bitter non-regret, and MARILYN TODD bangs the rock into rock star, and NICK MANZOLILLO challenges us to take a trip next door. But only SHINY NYQUIST can tell us what "Sir Fergus Allison's Bench" is for.


Themed these stories may be, same-ish they are not. This crime and mystery anthology is edited by JACK CALVERLEY.