Until I read this anthology, I didn’t know hobo nickels existed.  For others ignorant of this term, it is the name given to buffalo nickels modified by hobos who carved caricatures into the soft metal of the coins. 

The Carver of these seventeen buffalo nickels (one short story for each) instills a magic that brings chaos, hate, and even death to the bearer.  A sketch of each nickel and a short afterward by The Carver accompanies each story.  The gruesome portraits alone are enough to give you nightmares.

This anthology is written by seventeen different authors about one subject.  Some stories take place long ago, when a found nickel could buy a lot, some are set in more current times.  The means of delivery into the hands of the unfortunate bearers is often as bizarre as the bad fortune that befalls them. 

Each of these tales is notably well-written.  All are horrifying.  Given the subject – an innocuous coin – it’s hard to put this book down. ~~ Marie Davis