Visitor to Blue Lake Leaving her home planet with the aim of making a new life for herself, Jazz Mackinnon soon makes friends in the small-town community of Blue Lake. Investigating the disappearance of a young girl, Detective Slade McGuinness ropes the newcomer into working with a local photographer and soon discovers she has some…
The Gift of the Quoxxel Ruling over a tropical paradise might suit some folk down to the ground, but King Norr isn’t happy and would like to leave – ideally, as soon as possible. A mixture of folk-tale, fairy story and a hint of Dr Seuss, this is an imaginative and gentle book peppered with…
The Hound of the D’Urbervilles (Audiobook) Professor Moriarty and his new sidekick Colonel Sebastian (Basher) Moran take on a whole series of dastardly deeds in this tale of Victorian ne’er-do-wells. They team up with a variety of villains, including the wicked Irene Adler (when she turns up with an interesting proposition), encounter the likes of…
Akea Born into a family of huskies, Akea soon realises that she is no ordinary dog. When the wolf Kazakh begins to visit her, Akea feels strangely drawn towards him and the wolfpack. Elizabeth Jade is a young author who has a talent for writing stories. She has created a sensitive and heartening story that…
Four American Tales Jack Messenger’s first collection of stories throws up an eclectic mix of characters and situations, binding the tales together with themes of love and loss, struggle and ambition. The possibilities of starting again feature in the first two stories: ‘Wichega’ finds a classic automobile prodding a child into imagining what might be…
Around the World in 80 Tales Traveller Dave Tomlinson recreates his adventures exploring popular tourist trails as well as remote destinations. His travels take in a variety of cities and countries, from Indonesia and Australia, to Portugal and Ecuador, charting the highs and lows of his adventures in culture, food and fun. Peppered with photographs…
Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity This is the first in a series of stories concerning the title character – Henry Ian Darling – and his adventures. The words ‘quirky’ and imaginative’ sprang to mind as I devoured this witty and distinctive tale. Having said that, when I reached the end, I wasn’t entirely sure…
Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories Festive-themed collection of fifteen short stories penned by writers from around the world. There’s a nice variety of tales here, including not-quite traditional family get-togethers, some interesting takes on Christmas and its meaning and a few stand-out tales from some very talented authors. I particularly enjoyed the strange…
Storyworks Monthly #1 In this varied collection of new work, Stephen J Carter has fashioned an interesting series. In the tradition of Dean Wesley Smith (Smith’s Monthly), he presents a handful of stories, a novella, a serial novel and a piece for writers on inciting incidents in movies. Being a fan of Dickens, I liked…
Single Chicas A sister who can’t accept her sibling’s choice of wife, a woman whose plan to avoid being hit on by guys leads to unforeseen complications, and how a series of strange phone calls prompts a singleton to doubt her own sanity. Short stories are like buses – if the first one doesn’t happen…
Colin Garrow 