Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

A hungry homeless man is shot and killed when he steals a bag of cupcakes in the whimsical short story, The Cases of George Alpha #1- Cupcakes (A George Alpha Short Story) by Arne Vandamme. Duncan Freight hadn't eaten in over a day and was very hungry. Waiting outside a bakery door, he grabs a bag of cupcakes from a customer exiting the store and bolts. Running into an alley to escape the irate victim pursuing him, Duncan unexpectedly meets his demise. An unseen assailant shoots him in the back. Police Detective George Alpha is called to the scene of the murder. Using his implanted ability for enhancing his sense of smell, Detective Alpha visually follows the trace of the gun smoke left behind. Unfortunately, it becomes mixed with the strong bakery aromas and other various unpleasant smells in the vicinity, and he loses the trail. As his investigation progresses, Detective Alpha can't find a motive for Duncan's murder. Who could Duncan have provoked enough to kill him? Are the cupcakes themselves an important clue?

The Cases of George Alpha #1- Cupcakes (A George Alpha Short Story) by Arne Vandamme is a capricious and imaginative tale with unconventional dynamics. The story world contains cleverly created facets of superpowers and spiritual concepts. For example, reincarnation is depicted in an ingenious and inspired manner, even though it is a bit satirical. With unusual features and attributes, the characters are atypical and enigmatic. It will be interesting to watch them evolve as the series develops. This is a fascinating beginning for a budding series and promises to amuse those who relish stories with fantastical settings and characters with supernormal capabilities.