The Boat House by Mark Sennen

"No one’s seen him in years…

An isolated boat house. A reclusive old man. A body.

DI Charlotte Savage’s first ever case as a detective.

AN 11-PAGE SHORT STORY, INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT OF TELL TALE."

***************************************

This is a very short story which introduces Charlotte Savage. Well it does that but not much more. It starts off really well with excellent descriptions of characters and places and I certainly got the author’s attempts at building the tension but then as soon as it starts to get interesting, it ends. One minute, Savage is in a bit of strife and the next, she’s back at the Police Station. I found it very disappointing and a bit of a damp squib!

However, what this also does is provide a glimpse at Mark Sennen’s next, full length, novel “Tell Tale” and this looks like it could be something good if the first couple of chapters are anything to go by.

Overall, The Boathouse was a story without the meat on the bones but a good way to pique the interest of the reader.  I would add though that if the peek at the new book wasn't included, this short story would make me think twice about reading anything further from this author so maybe that's a warning ;)

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK Avon via www.netgalley.com for inviting me to provide an impartial review.

At Death's Door: Flash Fiction by Larry Dean Jackson

"Thomas is visiting his grandmother's grave when he makes a discovery that could change his life -- for the worse."

****************************************

A very short story that was an interesting premise but not long enough to really form too much of an opinion on. To be honest, I could take it or leave it - I think the problem is that it is too short (about 3 pages on the Kindle) and there is therefore no time to develop any thoughts on the characters or care about them.

I have read other short stories by this author - this is not one of the best but I did get it for free from Amazon during a promotion so can't complain.

My Little Rabbit by James DeSantis

My Little Rabbit
by James DeSantis

"That sound. It wants me. It needs me. I can hear it getting closer now. Why is it chasing me? If it catches me it'll murder me. I can't stop running. I have to escape. I have to survive."

************************************************************

I was sent a copy of this short story by the author in return for an honest review and I want to thank him for this.

Short stories, I think, are usually difficult to get into as no sooner have you started them, you are finishing but this one was different. I can't say an awful lot without giving too much away but I think James really excelled here in capturing the fear being experienced by the main character, Jenna, and how successful he was in providing one explanation of how the mind tries to deal with and cope with difficult situations.

At the end of the story, James provides an explanation for all the moments in the story that connect. This is optional reading but I found it quite useful as I felt it enhanced the story and the meaning behind it.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good, short, scary story that has more to it than first appears.

Another Day At The Office by James DeSantis - short story

Another Day At The Office

by James DeSantis

"Stuart has a beautiful home, a wonderful wife, and a decent paying job. So why, on his day off, is he at the office seeking out his co-workers for questioning? You can't be the best customer service representative without being able to "fix" the problems, right?

James DeSantis brings another horror-thriller to the table with his brand new short story "Another Day At The Office". He continues to spread throughout different genres to give all readers something interesting to read through next."

****************************************

A very short story (16 pages) that started off fairly normally but quickly turned into something quite different. Unfortunately, because it is so short, I can’t go into much detail because I don’t want to give away any spoilers but it was well written at good pace. There wasn’t much time to feel much for the characters but I definitely got a sense of where the main character, Stuart, was coming from even though I don’t agree with his methods.

I was a little confused about the nightmare part but I liked the way it linked with another of the author’s books - Killing Your Boss - which I enjoyed and reviewed on my blog - http://haziegaze.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/short-story-review-killing-your-boss-by.html. For me, I don’t think this is in the same league as Killing Your Boss but that was a longer story.

Overall, not a bad short read but maybe it’s a bit too short to really grab you.

Thank you to the author, James, for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.