Bobby D. Lux’s short-story collection, The Exciting Life and Death of the Amazing Henry and Other stories, offers an exciting combination of voice and setting. The book’s thirteen stories revolve around the Morelli brothers, Vincenzo and Ernesto, both of whom serve as mob enforcers. The non-cumulative stories walk them through the stranger realms of their service, spending time with the brothers as they intimidate their way through community theater, costumed-dinosaur races and the forced “retirement” of the greatest ape magician in the tri-county area.

Lux does an excellent job of characterizing the Morelli brothers, balancing talkative Ernesto against gruff Vincenzo as they squabble their way through a lifetime of jobs. Vincenzo is particularly well-crafted—blunt and uncompromising, but also resentful of the distancing he’s imposed upon himself.

The stories are imaginative, balancing fantastic elements—superheroes, reclusive movie stars with futuristic technology—with the understated sentiment of homeless men in gas stations, toughs in bars and paralyzed veterans in isolated diners. The variety of settings keep the stories fresh, even as Ernesto and Vincenzo provide a narrative anchor. Occasionally the tales can spin a little wild—“An Occurrence at Tommy’s” shifts Ernesto from hitman to Wrestlemania star to U.S. President in a matter of pages—but that only reflects the imagination behind them. There are also some hiccups in the copy, but they don’t detract from the strong voice and inventive settings. An exciting read.