Stephen King did it to me again. In less than 5,000 words, he made me think I knew with certainty the innocence or guilt of Jim Trusdale and then 4,000 words later, I was surprised. Or was I? I don’t know. A Death is an easy read with just enough details to give it depth, and ends (no spoilers) leaving you wondering.

This new short story debuts in the March 9th issue of The New Yorker, but you can read it now online for free. A Death tells the story of Jim Trusdale, not the sharpest tool in the shed, who is accused of killing 10-year-old Rebecca Cline on her birthday and stealing her silver dollar. The story is set in 1889 in the Dakotas, before it became part of the United States, as referenced in the story. It’s not a scary story, but one can be filled with horror at the thought of how justice worked in the Old West.

The cover of the current issue of The New Yorker magazine has an illustration by Barry Blitt poking some fun at the situation with the Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark musical, which hasn’t been too kind physically to the actors portraying the famous webslinger.

Julie Taymor‘s Broadway musical has been plagued with problems from the start, namely the numerous injuries to cast members, thanks to the show’s daring stunts and aerial work [Read: Problems Continue In Preview Showing Of “˜Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’ Musical].