Review: Short story: "The Fall Risk" by Abby Jiminez

The Fall Risk by Abby Jiminez
Published March 2025 via Amazon Original Stories

It should be the start to just another weekend—but then Charlotte and Seth step out of their respective apartments to find that the stairs are gone, and they're trapped (after a fashion) with only each other for extended company.

I've only read one of Jiminez's novels, but it was enough to know I'd be in for something lively here, even with the locked-room aspect. And that held true—in a few dozen pages, we get not one but two romances, a bevy of nosy senior citizens, a lot of context for Charlotte and Seth's respective perspectives, and some action to boot. I probably could have used a hair less evil ex plotline, though to be fair it was written to be quite over the top, so it bothered me less than it might have. (What did bother me: the neighbors repeating their transgression—vague to avoid spoilers—and Charlotte not minding the second time because circumstances had changed; if anything, their second overstep could trigger legal trouble for Charlotte, so...terrible neighbors all round, there.)

It's so short a story that I don't want to say much, but the characterization is nice—especially Seth's—and this made for a very speedy read on a day when I was very tired!

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.