Bracken MacLeod’s latest short-story collection is White Knight and Other Pawns. The title novella, a noirish tale that begins as a story about domestic violence, but proceeds to suggest that no good deed goes unpunished, justifies the purchase price. Evoking the likes of Cornell Woolrich, Jim Thompson, and Jack Ketchum, it provides a bleak picture of humanity that will figure in your thoughts for many days. It’s accompanied by nine other stories, most averaging about ten pages in length, each of which goes out of its way to be bleaker than its predecessors. MacLeod’s stories aren’t for the faint of heart, or for the squeamish, as they all pack memorable, often devastating punches.
Short Stories
Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Naomi Hirahara’s powerful new book, Clark and Division, follows the Ito family in 1944.
Thursday, 18 October 2018
"For me, the books I read were the call—the call to adventure, to thinking, to acknowledging other points of view. But to complete the ritual, I needed to respond."
Saturday, 16 June 2018
I am surrounded by books. Every room, every space in my large, sprawling 1750s house is full of books...
Monday, 30 April 2018
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions, and as writers impact our words and stories. Mine most definitely has: my father was a small-time gangster. Really.
Thursday, 12 April 2018
"My ah-ha moment came when I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.... That was it for me – I was off to the races."
Sunday, 01 April 2018
Nietzsche once wrote, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
Thursday, 15 February 2018
"Mystery books were daring and exciting, firing up my imagination and making me yearn to become a girl detective or even a secret agent. They also empowered me to make up impromptu ghost stories around the campfire for my Girl Scout troop and sneak into the cemetery at night on a dare."
Thursday, 27 July 2017
Fire and Ashes, the latest Angela Richman Death Investigator mystery, is an exploration of a fatal fire. To research this novel, Viets delved into the devastating consequences of junk science and arson investigations.