Lee Allen's Blog, page 16

Lucy Foley's The Paris Apartment - Review

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A psychological mystery with a gritty edge.

Arriving at her brother Ben's Montmartre apartment for a last-minute visit, Jess is surprised to find he is not at home awaiting her arrival.

His unexplained disappearance soon takes a darker turn as it becomes apparent that one of his fellow residents in the apartment building must be responsible.

Ben had uncovered a story that someone did not want told. Now Jess must undertake her own investigation and uncover the truth before she too falls victim to the rot that has set in to the building and its occupants.

'The Paris Apartment' is Lucy Foley's third mystery novel, packed with twists and revelations, clues and red herrings, the narrative pieced together from the perspectives of multiple characters. Drawings on elements of a classic whodunnit, the novel also develops a noir-like atmosphere, while there is something that is borderline gothic in the vivid setting of the apartment building and the aura of the past haunting the present.

Jess is a brilliant central character - a flawed and scarred survivor of a troubled past, thrust unwittingly into someone else's world, becoming desperate and determined in her quest to find out what fate has befallen her brother. Meanwhile, everyone appears to have something to hide, each of the residents both witness and suspect. Foley's stories get under the skin of human relationships, the secrets and traumas of the characters intertwining as the plot develops.

A key strength of Foley's writing is that all the clues are there to be interpreted as you become immersed in the story, yet it is told in such a way that you can never be quite sure who or what can be trusted - the beauty of multiple unreliable and fallible narrators. Even when you have unravelled elements of the mystery yourself, you continue to question until the very end, all the pieces falling neatly into place in the final chapters, maintaining the mystery for as long as possible.

Tightly plotted and fast-paced, in 'The Paris Apartment' Foley has woven another intricate puzzle that grips and entertains throughout.



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Alissa Nutting's Tampa - Review

Tampa by Alissa Nutting

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Inside the mind of a narcissistic hebephile.

Celeste is eager to begin her new teaching position as the new school year begins, excited and full of enthusiasm. But her true intentions are hidden beneath the surface - she is a predator with a predilection for pubescent boys.

She soon selects a target from amongst her pupils - Jack - and sets to work on seducing him, her grooming quickly escalating into a sexual relationship with the teenager.

But as Celeste's insatiable desires escalate, her veneer of normalcy threatens to crumble, exposing the true face lurking behind her mask for the world to see.

'Tampa' is a psychological drama, on one level playing out as a taboo erotic fantasy, on another exposing the impact of criminal, abusive and exploitative behaviour. Told from the perspective of central character Celeste, we are sucked into her world of paraphilic compulsion, as she grooms and exploits her young victims. She feels her behaviour is justified, while simultaneously being aware that it isn't in taking measures to avoid detection and apprehension. She finds it grossly unfair how so many people in the world can freely explore their sexual desires and she cannot.

The novel explores society's perception of grooming and sexual violence and the key issue of consent, as well as challenging the pre-conceptions as to how both victims and perpetrators look or behave. Sadly, in reality, we often encounter scenarios where there is an apparent struggle to perceive and empathise with victims of abuse, which is particularly evident in the criminal justice system - many often seeking ways to apportion some blame to the victim, expecting them to behave or present in certain ways or expecting the pattern of abuse to develop in a particular way in order to be 'believable', or else simply not believing a crime has even taken place. While we may have made some small progress in recent years in the perception of female victims as victims (with still such a terrifyingly long way to go), the struggle to perceive men as victims of abuse when that abuse is not committed by another man appears to have changed even less. The novel places this question as central to Celeste's defence - "how could a teenage boy who gets to have sex with his attractive teacher possibly be a 'true victim'?"

That being said, Celeste herself does not use this notion to justify her actions to herself. She is entirely aware of the potential damage she can cause to her young victims and nevertheless chooses to pursue her own desires. In fact, she relishes in it - her true sexual gratification comes from the power. The sex is never focused on the pleasure of her partners (victims); it is entirely focused on her own pleasure. In a twisted way, this is where the novel succeeds in its erotica - you could be forgiven for momentarily forgetting this is not a story about pleasuring the body of a beautiful woman, her victims relegated to nothing more than tools for that purpose - she certainly never claims any emotional attachment. Her narcissism dominates the entire novel.

Controversial material such as this only works when it is exceptionally written. Nutting has crafted the narrative cleverly - using Celeste's sociopathy to draw us in whilst simultaneously providing just enough detachment throughout. Our empathy with the victims comes through our own reflection, never from Celeste's perspective - as she isn't truly capable of it. This makes the story a compulsive read, preventing us turning away in disgust from the explicit sexual content. We're in Celeste's head, not in the reality of the situation, as she uses her beauty and capacity to lie and to charm so convincingly to manipulate everyone around her and to achieve her sole objective of satiating her desires.

Disturbing and thought-provoking, 'Tampa' is an intense and extraordinary novel that challenges perception and raises awareness whilst simultaneously delivering a gripping story.



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Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time - Review

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A sci-fi epic charting the destiny of a new Earth.

A failed experiment to terraform a new planet to sustain human life nonetheless results in unforeseen and accelerated invertebrate evolution.

The dying remnants of the human race have escaped a desecrated Earth, searching among the stars for a new home. But their promised land is now the planet of the spiders.

As two civilisations collide, these children of time are caught up in their own battle of the titans, fighting for the survival of their species and the inheritance of the earth.

Craving sci-fi to get lost in, I found 'Children of Time' in my search and couldn't wait to plummet into a novel of futuristic space travel and alien life. The world-building is sublime, especially in the evolution of the spiders, told across generations. Not only exploring the science of ecosystems and evolution, we witness many aspects that come with the development of an advanced species and the building of a civilisation, including sociological and psychological perspectives developed from the starting point of the nature of spiders as we would recognise them. There are also elements of spirituality and how these questioning beings develop a faith system - a story of reaching inside oneself at the same time as reaching for the stars and searching for God.

In the society of the spiders, we recognise parallels and a reflection of human society - the class structure, gender inequality, the acceptance of certain behaviours as normal when directed at certain groups. In just one striking scene, a dominant female in a lofty position of power and prestige argues that this is simply the way things are. A brave and rebellious male responds that things are the way we make them. This is also a story about conquest and revolution; about how history (perhaps herstory would best describe this arachnid equivalent) is formed and how it becomes legend, and how a culture should learn from that history to better itself.

Meanwhile, the final frontier of humanity strives on, surviving, determined in their mission, while forever in the shadow of the darker side of their nature, one that reached out from the relic of humanity's past to destroy them once again. Alas, our predilection for destruction maintains throughout millennia. Yet, there remains hope for survival. Though, in the end, it may actually be the spiders who teach humanity how to be human.

The core characters, both human and spider, are the driving force behind the evolving plot. For all the fascination that comes with travelling into the future amongst the stars, and witnessing the birth and growth of life, the development of these sentient and intelligent arachnids on this alien yet familiar planet, it is the character development that truly strikes the chord throughout this remarkable and imaginative novel. When science fiction has a heart, when it has a soul, it combines emotional depth with a gripping story on an epic scale to create something truly magical, a tale that speaks a deeper truth than can be achieved through a narrower lens. This was what I was searching for and I found it in this superlative space saga.

Deeply immersive, endlessly fascinating, and surprisingly moving, 'Children of Time' is a sci-fi masterpiece - one that continues into the second novel, 'Children of Ruin'.



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Grady Hendrix's My Best Friend's Exorcism - Review

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A tale of demonic horror and the everlasting power of friendship.

As children, Abby and Gretchen become firm friends, experiencing the beginning of their teenage lives joined at the hip, riding the waves of their adolescence together as the years go by, their shared bond one that only childhood best friends can have.

One night, with the freedom of a parent-free zone and a concoction of substances at a friend's lakeside home, carefree skinny-dipping takes a sinister turn when Gretchen is lost deep in the woods until daylight.

Following the incident, she no longer seems quite herself. Battling mysterious and degenerative ailments, she is becoming lost, a repulsive relic of her former self. But Abby refuses to give up on her friend, the stakes becoming ever higher in the ensuing battle for Gretchen's soul.

Packed with 80s nostalgia and lashings of supernatural horror, 'My Best Friend's Exorcism' is a rip-roaring horror novel that clutches hold of you from its opening line, holding you in its grasp throughout each of its tightly-plotted, rollercoaster chapters. At its core, this is a character-driven story, the teenagers and the adults in their orbit impeccably portrayed. The narrative focuses on the friendship between Abby and Gretchen - we are with them throughout the development of their years of friendship, an emotive foundation for the horrors that are to be unleashed, as much a coming-of-age story as it is of horror.

The frothy glitz and sense of fun we've come to associate with the 80s is marinated throughout the prose, each chapter marked by a classic song, the atmosphere dripping in suspense and sudden bursts of violent drama reminiscent of the era's height of slasher movies and supernatural thrillers. This is vivid storytelling, the visual imagery and music as prominent as the angst-ridden undercurrents and terror of the unknowable, combining to create a deep and dizzying spectacle that is as much felt as it is read.

Dark and light in equal measure, the novel blends scenes of revulsion with humour, trauma with heart-warming moments, delving into its themes of love and faith and how they are tested to the limits, bringing with it a fresh perspective to this niche of the genre and building a truly human tale of perseverance in the face of adversity and the battle of overcome relentless evil. Truly absorbing and entertaining, this was a non-stop thrill ride of a book, like a party you just don't want to end, which I devoured in one weekend. This was the first novel by Grady Hendrix that I've read and it certainly won't be the last.

Vivid and visceral, 'My Best Friend's Exorcism' is a gripping horror novel that will delight and disturb in equal measure.



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May Story Spotlight - The Wanderer

"Falling in love was a remedy with which no drug could compete."

In the spotlight this month is "The Wanderer", a gothic romantic mystery.

Behind the Story

'The Wanderer' was the third of the original three short stories I planned for 'Whispers from the Dead of Night'. A gothic romance and historical slow-burn mystery with overtones of horror, this was the fifth of the stories that I wrote.

Set in rural 17th century France, a traveller of British origin, who has journeyed all over Europe across a period of many years, is attacked and left for dead. A man takes pity on him and takes him to his humble family home to recover. The opening scene was inspired by the Biblical fable of the Good Samaritan, before we then descend into the vulnerability and discomfort experienced by the lead character during illness.

It was important to me to allow the emotional experience of a soul on a journey to drive the narrative. The man is undoubtedly either seeking something or trying to escape something, yet we join him on only a small part of his journey, as is the way we encounter many people in our lives.

The forbidden romance lies at the heart of this story - a simple tale with a creepy undercurrent that comes to the surface as it reaches its climax.

Together, let's wrap up warm against the night and travel back in time to bear witness to a forbidden love...
___

"Now I lay in chains, more trapped by my pining heart than by the walls that surrounded me."

A forbidden love...

Attacked and abandoned on the side of the road, a pilgrim with no destination is rescued only by the kindness of strangers.

During the long hours of the night, a young woman nurses him back to health, a woman who quickly steals his heart.

But, within the walls of this family's home, he finds, there hides a secret...

Opening Scene

The night was long and dark, as was the road before me. The night was my friend, my comrade, the best companion with whom to travel. The road was another of my friends; I walked it in long stretches by foot, always at night when it was cool. There were times when a stranger let me sit awhile as they journeyed in their cart and I was always grateful for their kindness. Ofttimes, I was alone.

Dusk fell and I crawled out from beneath the tree under which I had camped during the daylight, sheltering from the hot and heavy sunshine in the shade it cast. Stretching in the twilight, I found that the heat of the day had subsided to a warm night. I packed my meagre belongings into my sack, swinging it on to my back and setting off to the east.

No one else walked the road at night. I enjoyed the solitude. Never have I enjoyed the noise that people make, their desire to give voice to trivialities. Rarely did they make noise over important matters. I have watched men argue and fists fly over a game of darts and the question of fair play; watched those same men turn their backs as a woman was stoned in the street. I used to believe that was shame. Other times I attributed it to cowardice. But it was neither of those things. It was indifference.

Dust kicked up in front of me, shoes scuffed on the roughshod road. Along the way I saw a stray dog and several cats; at times a rat or a squirrel scurried across my path. After quite some time walking, I heard hooves approaching behind me from a distance. They rapidly gained on me.

“Hello, fellow traveller.” A man’s voice, merry, perhaps with liquor. “To where are you travelling on this fine night?”

I stopped and turned, smiling up at the cart. There were two men sat within it.

“I hope to reach the next village before dawn,” I replied, not slowing my pace. The man with the reigns, the one who had spoken, slowed his horse to a trot as he drew level with me, slowing him further to a walk.

“You’ve no hope of reaching it on foot,” the same man said. “You can ride with us the rest of the way.” We had all slowed to a stop. I looked from the spokesman to his less talkative companion.

“As long as it causes you no trouble.”
___

Available as part of the original "Whispers from the Dead of Night" short story collection in ebook and paperback and the deluxe collection in ebook, paperback and hardcover.

Order "Whispers from the Dead of Night"
Order "Whispers from the Dead of Night - The Deluxe Collection"

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Michael Russell's The City Under Siege - Review

The City Under Siege by Michael Russell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The hunt for a serial killer hiding in the shadows of war.

Journeying between home and London in the midst of the Blitz, Inspector Stefan Gillespie is requested to assist in investigating the murder of an Indian nationalist.

His brutal murder bears startling similarities to murder in Ireland which Stefan himself previously reviewed, as well as to several other murders of gay men in England.

The killer strikes again - this time on the island of Malta, currently suffering attacks from the German and Italian air forces. As the hunt for a killer moves to this island under siege, danger lurks around every corner as well as from the skies above.

'The City Under Siege' is the sixth book in Michael Russell's Stefan Gillespie series of historic crime thrillers set during the Second World War. An immersive, slow-burning police procedural, set in 1941, it captures you from the opening scenes, the narrative woven seamlessly, driven by the investigation into a series of brutal murders. The historical and political landscape of the War share centre-stage with the police investigations in each novel, part of the magic and brilliance of the series. Paranoia, distrust and the shady world of espionage forever lurk in the corners.

Stefan is deeply morally driven, something that may at times be at odds with the desires of his superiors in Ireland's Special Branch. Taking the path for justice is not always the easiest to tread, particularly in times of war, a war in which Ireland is insistent on displaying the face of neutrality. The subplot of Stefan's personal life also continues to develop from previous novels - his son growing up, much of which Stefan is missing. It is through the fleeting glimpses of this family life that we can feel Stefan's distance and dislocation, and his quiet struggle to come to terms with that.

Through the investigation into the murders, attitudes of the period towards homosexuality are explored - attitudes that allow a killer to operate almost unnoticed and avoid apprehension, to go on to kill again. Chillingly, we can recognise some of that culture still unchanged to this day. It was also particularly interesting to explore the perspective of India, which is relatively rarely seen in the context of the War, as well as aspects of the nation's position as a colony of the British Empire, including colonial policing and the nationalist movement for independence.

The depiction of Malta during this period is vivid, conjuring the beauty of the island as well as the terror presented from the skies and surrounding nations, and the dark underbelly of the cities. Well-written, detailed and impeccably researched, the novel does not shy away from the brutality of either the crimes or the ongoing war, all contributing to a tense and sometimes bleak atmosphere, maintaining finely-drawn suspense and a gripping psychological depth that leave you yearning for more. This may be my favourite of the six books so far, though the series is of such high quality it's difficult to make that distinction.

Engrossing and atmospheric, 'The City Under Siege' is historical crime fiction at its finest, a riveting portrait of a time departed, bathed in intrigue and mystery.

The seventh in the series, 'The City Underground', is due to be published this summer, with an eighth also promised!



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Ira Levin's Sliver - Review

Sliver by Ira Levin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A delicious sliver of menace from a master of suspense.

Someone is always watching. Literary editor Kay Norris moves into her new high-rise apartment, unknowingly becoming the subject of someone's obsession.

Befriending some of her neighbours and soon embarking on a relationship with one of them, Kay continues about her daily life, oblivious to the scrutiny, unaware of the increasing danger she is in.

The tenants are living a real-life soap opera - the footage live, raw and unedited. Behind the scenes is a puppet-master whose fantasies must be fulfilled, and self-preservation guaranteed, at all costs.

Novelist and playwright Ira Levin wrote seven novels; 'Sliver' being the sixth, published in 1991. A short, sharp, fast-paced erotic thriller, it deftly deals with its theme of observing the lives of others, developing into obsession, drawing parallels to ways in which viewers and readers devour fiction and the culture of celebrity. Along with her stalker, we observe Kay go about her daily life. We witness the addictive and compulsive relationship that develops, the revelations of a twisted hobby, and the growing mistrust and burgeoning paranoia as Kay unravels more of the past.

Levin's satirical take on stalking and voyeurism through the apartment block's advanced clandestine visual and audio surveillance system takes on a chilling plausibility in our days of reality TV, social media and mass use of surveillance and security cameras. Much like George Orwell's '1984', albeit in a more light-hearted and non-political way, 'Sliver' was ahead of its time in exploring the extent to which we would one day be monitored and watched, either knowingly or unknowingly, voluntarily or involuntarily.

There are echoes of some of Levin's earlier novels - notably his first, 'A Kiss Before Dying'; as well as 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'The Stepford Wives' in the dynamics of the relationships. The novel once again demonstrates Levin as a master of his craft, as he builds suspense and unease in the manner of an artist, the result always as irresistible and entertaining as it may be unsettling and thought-provoking.

The novel was also adapted for the screen for the 1993 film of the same name, starring Sharon Stone, hot on the heels of the success of 'Basic Instinct' (and adapted by its screenwriter). The plot translates well to the screen, though with changed character names and an alternate ending.

A thrilling volume in Ira Levin's compelling body of work, 'Sliver' is another portrait of the way in which evil can puncture its way into our lives, watching us, biding its time, without us being conscious of its existence.



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David Wilson's A Plot to Kill - Review

A Plot to Kill by David Wilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An engrossing study of a murder in a small English town.

October 2015. Peter Farquhar - writer, lecturer and former teacher - is murdered by his abusive partner and former student, Benjamin Field.

Farquhar's death would initially be ruled non-suspicious, allowing Field to continue his schemes and crimes, including an alleged attempted further murder, before he was apprehended and subsequently convicted of Peter's murder in August 2019.

Criminologist David Wilson undertakes an analysis of the crime and the relationship between the victim and his murderer. With emphasis on psychology, sociology and literature, Wilson examines the circumstances surrounding the murder and how Field was able to abuse and ultimately kill in plain sight and avoid apprehension for so long.

The book details investigations into many aspects of the case - including the domestic violence and abuser's modus operandi of gaslighting and manipulation, in the context of Field's probable psychopathy. Also explored are the attitudes and prejudices of wider society towards homosexual relationships and those perceived as elderly, as well as the beliefs of the Church with regard to homosexuality, contributing to a culture in which abuse and murder are able to be perpetrated and remain undetected.

For legal reasons, Wilson is unable to explore certain peripheral elements of the case in great detail, which may leave some unanswered questions. Of course, that is often the nature of reality, without the neatness of fiction. This, too, is an ongoing theme of Wilson's analysis - the murder having appeared like a plot from 'Midsomer Murders' or a traditional English mystery, complete with poisonings and malice aforethought. In the same way that fiction can be a reflection or imitation of reality, so too can reality reflect or imitate fiction.

At its core, the book explores the question as to our duty, as a society, to protect the most vulnerable; and, within our organisations and institutions, our obligation to safeguard and protect others from harm. While the primary responsibility for someone's murder absolutely belongs with their murderer, we must continue to confront the often uncomfortable reality that they may be enabled and that they will, until society accepts certain responsibilities, be able to continue causing harm.

Insightful and fascinating, 'A Plot to Kill' is another brilliant book from David Wilson, examining a true crime plot as absorbing as a mystery novel.



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Lynda La Plante's Vanished - Review

Vanished by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An intense, multifaceted case for Jack Warr in another engrossing entry in the series.

An eccentric widow continues to make increasingly bizarre reports to police that she is being terrorised. DS Jack Warr is assigned to investigate if there is any validity to her claims. Despite finding himself warming to Avril, Jack is unconvinced there is any crime to investigate.

But her shocking and brutal murder entirely changes the course of the investigation, which leads to potential links to a group of dangerous criminals and international drug smuggling operations.

As the investigation shifts focus and other issues pose increasing challenges for Jack, he remains committed to tracking down Avril's sadistic killers, determined that they will not escape justice.

'Vanished' is the third novel in Lynda La Plante's Jack Warr series, once again a relentlessly gripping police thriller, filled with procedural and forensic detail, twists and turns keeping you rivetted and hurtling through the pages. Beginning with Jack reviewing multiple reports of harrassment, break-ins and thefts from an isolated and eccentric elderly lady, she claims to be the victim of a campaign of obsession by her ex-lodger, who appears to have vanished without trace. The investigation spins off on an unexpected tangent when this escalates to murder, with more unforeseen lines of enquiry coming to light as the team investigate.

Jack is a great character - a dedicated and morally-driven police officer, but with a darker side that sometimes leads that morality into grey areas. He has a tendency to find procedure and bureaucracy tiresome when it obstructs the course he has fixed upon, but at heart he always strives to do the right thing, or at least to do it for the right reasons. Jack's personal life continues to drive the series as much as the criminal investigations - he is getting married to Maggie, while their daughter, Hannah, is already growing fast; his relationships with them both, as well as his other personal relationships, are heartwarming.

Featuring multiple characters that all have a vital role to play in the unfolding dramas, each is vividly well-developed, their individual stories cohesively driving the plot. With the surprise appearance of a face from the past also in the mix, the novel has everything you could want from an ongoing police procedural series and much more. I absolutely love these books; Lynda La Plante's novels (and TV dramas) are always pure escapism - each new release an event in itself and an indulgent, immersive delight. I cannot wait to be able to dive into the fourth in the series.

Gripping, fast-paced and rich in detail, 'Vanished' is an outstanding thriller; Lynda La Plante remains unrivalled and at the top of her game.



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April Story Spotlight - Prisoner

"I veered between a desperate longing to taste every inch of you and a creeping, cold fear as I saw your eyes glow out of the darkness."

This month's spotlight is on short story "Prisoner", an erotic occult prison thriller.

Behind the Story

Under the working title 'Ménage à Trois', 'Prisoner' was the second of three short stories I originally planned for 'Whispers from the Dead of Night' and the fourth of the seven that I wrote.

Exploring psychological elements alongside supernatural themes, it follows a prison officer who performs a ritual to summon a succubus, subsequently developing an obsessive desire for the new prison governor.

Much like when writing 'Bitten', I was inspired by erotic thrillers while working on this story. It was also important to include a strong female character in a position of power. Despite her being the 'object' of desire, her position served the dual purpose of, firstly, not following cliches of how victims may be portrayed, and, secondly, not demonstrating the manipulators and aggressors as always being powerful men.
With demonic influence lurking in the background, throughout remains the constant question as to which of them is truly the victim in this game of power and seduction.
Including scenes of stalking and explicit sex and violence, this is one of the most graphic stories in the collection. Beneath the surface bubbles the mystery at its heart, culminating in a brutal burst of violence at the point of revelation.

As I often try to do with my stories, there are elements of danger presented by both human and otherworldly agents, with psychological undercurrents that leave you to question what is real and what may be imagined, and what may truly be lurking out there in the dark.

Ensure all your windows and doors are locked, shut out the darkness of the night, and dive into this tale of a sexual obsession, spiralling out of control...
___

A mysterious book holds the key to a world of unexplored pleasure at the hands of a goddess of the night.

From the moment I saw you, I could not get you out of my head. I must experience you, all of you. Yet you terrify me.

I know you will pursue me until the end. Unless I am able to destroy you first.

"There were no questions in your deep blue eyes, in the shadows that played over your face. You knew why I had come."

*Note to Readers: Includes descriptions of an explicit and potentially triggering nature*

Opening Scene

Monday

The book quivered in my hands, light glistening off the snake-skin cover. I stroked the lining, down the spine and around the tight binding. The black page edges were smooth as silk. I splayed my fingers over the skin, pulling open the hardcover, parting the delicate pages, which came apart with a gentle elastic pop where adhesive held them together. I pulled back the first page. There she was, nude, kneeling, legs parted, black pubic hair glistening, alluring. Hands rested on muscular thighs, shoulders back, the curve of her back meeting the bulge of her buttocks. Her breasts were heavy between her upper arms, dark nipples erect. Dark hair flowed down her back, two horns protruding from the top of her head and curling around her skull. Her eyes glowed as red as her mouth; lips parted in knowing seduction. She looked at me, captivating me with that look, with her body.

My fingers traced her face, her breasts, her thighs. I was tense, my breathing shallow. She could hurt me, damage me, but I didn’t care. I lifted the book to my face and breathed in the scent. The adhesive was intoxicating. There was another scent beneath it. Carnal. Woman.

Eagerly, I flicked through the pages, my tired eyes battling with this hunger. The small, neat print floated across my vision, my fingers caressing the hardcover edges, enjoying the friction. I could fight desire no longer, knowing the wait was almost over. I turned back to the front page, tracing the edges and curves of her body with my forefinger.

I tucked the book away in the bottom drawer of the cabinet, turning the key and then pocketing it. I crept into the bedroom, undressing and preparing for bed in the en-suite. Kayleigh was still sleeping when I crawled into bed. She woke when I entered her, letting the tension of the day flow from me.

I dreamt of her that night, a bounty of flesh, dark hair, gleaming eyes. I was the serpent and I fed on her, sweet as fruit.
___

Available as part of the original "Whispers from the Dead of Night" short story collection in ebook and paperback and the deluxe collection in ebook, paperback and hardcover.

Order "Whispers from the Dead of Night"
Order "Whispers from the Dead of Night - The Deluxe Collection"

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