My favorite in here is "The Birthday Present." I saw this once somewhere else (not sure where...) but it certainly was worth a second read. A pathetic, middle-aged bloke has decided to treat himself on his birthday--he wants to lose his virginity to a gorgeous, elegant escort. Things don't quite go like how he imagined, and, in the end, his delusions get the better of him. A darkly funny and well-told tale.
"Be Anything You Want to Be," one of the flash pieces in the mix, is another stand out. Nothing brings out bitterness like family--especially when those arseholes make a bunch of money and don't share it.
Julia Madeleine has called Morrigan the "Queen of British noir," and I would agree. Every entry in Show No Mercy is pure story. Check it out at Amazon and Amazon UK.
Jools writes the dark poetry of life at the bottom. She takes unflinching looks at desperate people doing dirty deeds and still manages to make you care about and understand them. Makes you see without her saying what caused their actions. Takes a rare talent to do that. But then, Julie claims every bit of that description.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris, for such a smashing review - much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteAnd AJ, you're too kind, m'dear. Thank you so much!
You're both so generous with your support and I'm very grateful to you for that. Encouraging words from writers I admire are worth their weight in gold.
Yeah, her short, sharp shocks are a treat to read.
ReplyDeleteAh, another writer whose work I love to read! Cheers, m'dear! :D
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