{"product_id":"accidents-happen-and-other-stories-isbn-9781641295116","title":"Accidents Happen and Other Stories","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the master of Filipino crime fiction, a genre-bending collection that documents murders, disappearances, and acts of violence in stories that range from procedural crime to horror to near-future noir\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eF.H. Batacan’s first novel, \u003ci\u003eSmaller and Smaller Circles\u003c\/i\u003e, was an instant classic when it was published in 1999, a masterpiece of Filipino crime fiction that won the Philippine National Book Award. In this extraordinary and far-ranging story collection, she explores the darkest corners of human experience, depicting with pitch-black humor the systems of class and politics that her characters are trapped in and the moments of violence—accidental or otherwise—that can, at any moment, shatter their lives. In particular, Batacan shines an unsparing light on the epidemic of violence against women in the Philippines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a wealthy politician’s twelve-year-old son disappears, the family’s driver witnesses the aftermath. A field investigator for the World Health Organization travels the globe giving presentations about a biomedical enzyme that will lead to the extinction of the human race. And Father Augusto Saenz, the Jesuit priest and forensic anthropologist from \u003ci\u003eSmaller and Smaller Circles\u003c\/i\u003e, returns to investigate the murder of a woman whose secretive life holds the key to her death.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSure to confirm Batacan’s status as a crime writer of global status, \u003ci\u003eAccidents Happen\u003c\/i\u003e is a relentless exploration of worlds where the smallest moments are infused with life and vibrating with menace, and death is always close at hand.\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eAccidents Happen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eUnusual Suspects’ 2025 Mysteries to Get Excited About\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It’s a treat to encounter Batacan’s stories — stark reminders of her narrative propulsion and incisive attention to detail . . . [and] capability to turn out a gripping story while touching on Philippine politics and the contradictions of gender equality in the country.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eRolling Stone Philippines\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Provocative, uncommon, thought-provoking . . . Take note of author F. H. Batacan who may be on her way to becoming a giant in global crime fiction.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—BookTrib\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Themes of death, violence, and injustice are woven through these 11 subtle yet thrilling tales from Batacan . . . Impressively, these tales feel both firmly tethered to their Philippines setting and universal in their portrayal of how violence haunts people’s lives. This excellent and elliptical collection will stay with readers long after they turn the final page.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, Starred Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“All manner of crimes determine the superbly satisfying stories in Filipino journalist F.H. Batacan’s magnificent story collection.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Shelf Awareness\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for F.H. Batacan\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWinner of the Philippine National Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner of the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A perfect opportunity for whodunit fans around the world to discover Manila as a setting, but also one for Filipino readers to see the city in a different half-light . . .\u003ci\u003e Smaller and Smaller Circles \u003c\/i\u003eis now not only the first Filipino crime novel, but also the terrific, treacherous touchstone for all such novels to follow.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Inquirer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Reminds us that truth not only exists at the end of a story, but continuously through the present moment, woven as traces, hints and clues to be grasped at even as they pass.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/i\u003e (UK)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A fascinating snapshot of a country still struggling to come to terms with the poverty, corruption and brutality of the Ferdinand Marcos era.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Irish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eF.H. Batacan \u003c\/b\u003eis a Filipino journalist, musician, and crime fiction writer currently based in Singapore. After ten years of working in the Philippine intelligence community, she turned to broadcast journalism. \u003ci\u003eSmaller and Smaller Circles\u003c\/i\u003e, her first novel, won the Philippine National Book Award.","brand":"Soho Crime","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300580643045,"sku":"NP9781641295116","price":25.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781641295116.jpg?v=1767721020","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/accidents-happen-and-other-stories-isbn-9781641295116","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}