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Little Dead Red
LITTLE DEAD RED is a realistic fairy tale that creeps in the dark with modern day wolves and those who hunt them.
Audiobook
First published January 11, 2015
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525 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes M. Yardley
102 books323 followersMercedes M. Yardley is a whimsical dark fantasist who wears red lipstick and poisonous flowers in her hair. She is the author of numerous works including Love is a Crematorium and Other Stories, Darling, the Stabby Award-winning Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love, Pretty Little Dead Girls, and Nameless. She won the Bram Stoker Award for Little Dead Red and “Fracture.” Mercedes lives and works in Las Vegas. You can find her at mercedesmyardley.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 29, 2017
4 1/2 Stars
This is a not happy tale. Terrible things happen to innocent people.
Little Red Dead is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood which was never a sweet tale anyway, but author Mercedes Yardley takes the bones of that fable and gives it a very gritty, very modern treatment and turns it into a horrifying read.
Some women have all the luck. Marie is not one of them. I don’t want to spoil too much of the story and am honestly unsure how to even tackle this review. I’ll just say that Marie suffers from two huge losses that leave her devastated, emotionally drained and at her wits end. After a kind man and his wife intervene, instead of succumbing to depression she decides to plot revenge.
This is a well plotted, well executed, bleak and painfully emotional short story – all the things I look for in a story such as this but it is not an feel good read. You have been warned.
Narration Notes: As this story is told from Marie’s POV, I’m not going to lie, I do wish it had been narrated by a woman but that’s my own personal preference. That said, narrator Joe Hempel does a fine job with the darkness of the story and doesn’t ruin the female voices with painful falsetto. I cannot tell you how many times a guy has ruined a female character for me with a cringy performance and vice-versa. I found it hard to tear myself away from the audio and do things like go to work and listen to people who needed to ask me oh so important questions that could not wait (yeah, that’s sarcasm you hear there) because the storytelling was so involving.
I received a copy of this audiobook courtesy of Audiobook Boom.
This is a not happy tale. Terrible things happen to innocent people.
Little Red Dead is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood which was never a sweet tale anyway, but author Mercedes Yardley takes the bones of that fable and gives it a very gritty, very modern treatment and turns it into a horrifying read.
Some women have all the luck. Marie is not one of them. I don’t want to spoil too much of the story and am honestly unsure how to even tackle this review. I’ll just say that Marie suffers from two huge losses that leave her devastated, emotionally drained and at her wits end. After a kind man and his wife intervene, instead of succumbing to depression she decides to plot revenge.
This is a well plotted, well executed, bleak and painfully emotional short story – all the things I look for in a story such as this but it is not an feel good read. You have been warned.
Narration Notes: As this story is told from Marie’s POV, I’m not going to lie, I do wish it had been narrated by a woman but that’s my own personal preference. That said, narrator Joe Hempel does a fine job with the darkness of the story and doesn’t ruin the female voices with painful falsetto. I cannot tell you how many times a guy has ruined a female character for me with a cringy performance and vice-versa. I found it hard to tear myself away from the audio and do things like go to work and listen to people who needed to ask me oh so important questions that could not wait (yeah, that’s sarcasm you hear there) because the storytelling was so involving.
I received a copy of this audiobook courtesy of Audiobook Boom.
March 14, 2016
For a novella, this little book packs a punch.
Happy Marie becomes Grim Marie when her daughter Aleta is forced to face things a child should never have to face. Then Grim Marie becomes something far worse than Grim. I don't blame her one bit. You won't either.
Twists and turns lead you down and you won't be turning back. Neither could Marie.
Highly Recommended for fans of dark fiction and revenge tales! (Though this story is WAY more than your average everyday revenge tale.) Bravo!
Happy Marie becomes Grim Marie when her daughter Aleta is forced to face things a child should never have to face. Then Grim Marie becomes something far worse than Grim. I don't blame her one bit. You won't either.
Twists and turns lead you down and you won't be turning back. Neither could Marie.
Highly Recommended for fans of dark fiction and revenge tales! (Though this story is WAY more than your average everyday revenge tale.) Bravo!
February 1, 2023
A strange and tragic plot, but a quite original take on Little Red Riding Hood in a modern setting. It can be hard to see what's going on at first, and the finale is surprising, but the atmosphere is spot on and fits the "grim" theme of the collection this story was originally included in.
September 25, 2024
This is Mercedes Yardley twist version of the fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood. Marie's daughter Aleta, volunteers to take her allying grandmother some soup, so Marie can stay home and pamper herself. Aleta, knows what bus she must take to reach her grandmother. The sad part is, that Aleta never make it to her grandmother's. Two months later, the police find Aleta's body in the woods. The body is mutilated beyond recognition. Part of her red hoodie was also found. Marie meets with the office who has been assigned to the case. The officer and his wife were very sympathetic towards Marie. Marie can't shake the guilt that she feels, for letting her daughter, go by herself. Marie swears to seek revenge against the monster that killed her daughter. It seems like there is a new monster in town, that seeks out little girls. The ending really caught me off guard. This is a short novella, packed with a powerful punch, along with a message. Mercedes Yardley, is a very good writer and a great storyteller. This is the first book that I have read by Yardley but will not be the last. I highly recommend this novella.
September 12, 2021
4.5 stars
Winner of the 2015 Bram Stoker Award for Best Long Fiction ... and possibly the grimmest retelling of a fairy tale I have ever read ...
Winner of the 2015 Bram Stoker Award for Best Long Fiction ... and possibly the grimmest retelling of a fairy tale I have ever read ...
August 28, 2016
LITTLE DEAD RED, by Mercedes Yardley was one of those "gems" of a find, for myself. I was expecting a fairy-book style story, twisted--of course--and found so much MORE, that I haven't been able to get this story out of my mind.
In the beginning, we have the mom, "Happy Marie", and her beautiful young daughter, Aleta. Often, she was even "Smiling Marie". Then came the day that she realized Aleta was being subjected to an abuse NO child should ever have to know--particularly one so young. From that moment on, she became "Grim Marie", concerned only with protecting her daughter from all the dangers in the world around her.
The writing style here is written in a way that is fun--particularly when we get to the fairy-tale parts (a young girl in a red hoodie going to deliver goodies to an ailing Grandmother). However, it is also emotional, evocative, and quite poetic at times: "Words were currency. Marie wanted to save each syllable, stuff them in her pocket like the precious things they were. They were tossed around here and there like spare change, but she felt the weight, the beauty of each one . . ."
We then go witness Grim Marie become Terrified Marie, and back to the Grimmest of Maries, as she faces something so heart wrenchingly brutal, that mere words could not convey the feelings of. After a series of minor transformations, due in part to the support of Officer Will and his wife, Winnie, Marie decides to become the monster that tore her world from her--Huntsman Marie, or "the wolf". The journey that Mercedes Yardley takes us on in Marie's shoes is one that I couldn't turn away from for a minute. I "felt" every emotion, every thought, that Marie went through. The story may be a "modern day fairytale" in some aspects, but it's one that is certainly all too real, in others.
Here is the tale of Marie.
You never know where a fairy tale will take you....
Highly recommended!
Merged review:
LITTLE DEAD RED, by Mercedes Yardley was one of those "gems" of a find, for myself. I was expecting a fairy-book style story, twisted--of course--and found so much MORE, that I haven't been able to get this story out of my mind.
In the beginning, we have the mom, "Happy Marie", and her beautiful young daughter, Aleta. Often, she was even "Smiling Marie". Then came the day that she realized Aleta was being subjected to an abuse NO child should ever have to know--particularly one so young. From that moment on, she became "Grim Marie", concerned only with protecting her daughter from all the dangers in the world around her.
The writing style here is written in a way that is fun--particularly when we get to the fairy-tale parts (a young girl in a red hoodie going to deliver goodies to an ailing Grandmother). However, it is also emotional, evocative, and quite poetic at times: "Words were currency. Marie wanted to save each syllable, stuff them in her pocket like the precious things they were. They were tossed around here and there like spare change, but she felt the weight, the beauty of each one . . ."
We then go witness Grim Marie become Terrified Marie, and back to the Grimmest of Maries, as she faces something so heart wrenchingly brutal, that mere words could not convey the feelings of. After a series of minor transformations, due in part to the support of Officer Will and his wife, Winnie, Marie decides to become the monster that tore her world from her--Huntsman Marie, or "the wolf". The journey that Mercedes Yardley takes us on in Marie's shoes is one that I couldn't turn away from for a minute. I "felt" every emotion, every thought, that Marie went through. The story may be a "modern day fairytale" in some aspects, but it's one that is certainly all too real, in others.
Here is the tale of Marie.
You never know where a fairy tale will take you....
Highly recommended!
In the beginning, we have the mom, "Happy Marie", and her beautiful young daughter, Aleta. Often, she was even "Smiling Marie". Then came the day that she realized Aleta was being subjected to an abuse NO child should ever have to know--particularly one so young. From that moment on, she became "Grim Marie", concerned only with protecting her daughter from all the dangers in the world around her.
The writing style here is written in a way that is fun--particularly when we get to the fairy-tale parts (a young girl in a red hoodie going to deliver goodies to an ailing Grandmother). However, it is also emotional, evocative, and quite poetic at times: "Words were currency. Marie wanted to save each syllable, stuff them in her pocket like the precious things they were. They were tossed around here and there like spare change, but she felt the weight, the beauty of each one . . ."
We then go witness Grim Marie become Terrified Marie, and back to the Grimmest of Maries, as she faces something so heart wrenchingly brutal, that mere words could not convey the feelings of. After a series of minor transformations, due in part to the support of Officer Will and his wife, Winnie, Marie decides to become the monster that tore her world from her--Huntsman Marie, or "the wolf". The journey that Mercedes Yardley takes us on in Marie's shoes is one that I couldn't turn away from for a minute. I "felt" every emotion, every thought, that Marie went through. The story may be a "modern day fairytale" in some aspects, but it's one that is certainly all too real, in others.
Here is the tale of Marie.
You never know where a fairy tale will take you....
Highly recommended!
Merged review:
LITTLE DEAD RED, by Mercedes Yardley was one of those "gems" of a find, for myself. I was expecting a fairy-book style story, twisted--of course--and found so much MORE, that I haven't been able to get this story out of my mind.
In the beginning, we have the mom, "Happy Marie", and her beautiful young daughter, Aleta. Often, she was even "Smiling Marie". Then came the day that she realized Aleta was being subjected to an abuse NO child should ever have to know--particularly one so young. From that moment on, she became "Grim Marie", concerned only with protecting her daughter from all the dangers in the world around her.
The writing style here is written in a way that is fun--particularly when we get to the fairy-tale parts (a young girl in a red hoodie going to deliver goodies to an ailing Grandmother). However, it is also emotional, evocative, and quite poetic at times: "Words were currency. Marie wanted to save each syllable, stuff them in her pocket like the precious things they were. They were tossed around here and there like spare change, but she felt the weight, the beauty of each one . . ."
We then go witness Grim Marie become Terrified Marie, and back to the Grimmest of Maries, as she faces something so heart wrenchingly brutal, that mere words could not convey the feelings of. After a series of minor transformations, due in part to the support of Officer Will and his wife, Winnie, Marie decides to become the monster that tore her world from her--Huntsman Marie, or "the wolf". The journey that Mercedes Yardley takes us on in Marie's shoes is one that I couldn't turn away from for a minute. I "felt" every emotion, every thought, that Marie went through. The story may be a "modern day fairytale" in some aspects, but it's one that is certainly all too real, in others.
Here is the tale of Marie.
You never know where a fairy tale will take you....
Highly recommended!
February 24, 2017
I purposefully avoided this one because I assumed it would too be YA-ey for me. What a dumbass I am. This was a perfectly paced and fast moving novella and I dug everything about it, including the narration on the audio version. It was not YA-ey at all. It was, in fact, quite excellent.
5 Stars and the Highest Recommendation.
This audiobook was provided by the narrator at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review and this was it.
5 Stars and the Highest Recommendation.
This audiobook was provided by the narrator at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review and this was it.
February 23, 2016
One of the benefits of this year's Women In Horror Month has been that I've gone outside of my comfort zone, reading-wise, and made some great discoveries. That's not to say that I don't read women's work during the other months of the year, because I do. But this year I've made it a point to read work by authors I haven't read before. One of those authors is Mercedes M. Yardley and the first thing I've read by her is LITTLE DEAD RED.
"Grim Marie’s mother was dying. She had been dying for several years now, off and on, but this time seemed like it might actually be THE TIME."
Thus begins chapter one of LITTLE DEAD RED. In this opening chapter Mercedes M. Yardley sets a dark stage for her characters and establishes a brooding mood that persists throughout the story. That opening paragraph tells me a couple things right out the gate. First, this is not a happy story, nor is it likely to get that way. We've all lost family members to one thing or another, be it accident, illness, violence, or age, and we can all relate. The passage immediately evokes the mood of the story and holds true to it all the way. The second thing it does is tell me that Mercedes M. Yardley is the real deal. Only a true professional can set a mood and grab a reader that quick. The tension immediately starts to build and the reader wants to know what happens to these characters. We are instantly presented with a question that makes us want to keep going: "Why is she called 'Grim Marie?'"
LITTLE DEAD RED is a dark retelling of the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood. But make no mistake; it isn't that story in modernized form. That would be dark enough, but Mercedes' version would horrify a Grimm brother. Yardley masterfully doles out little tidbits of Grim Marie and Aleta's backstories while simultaneously developing the story, taking us into the black recesses of her protagonist's mind, and developing her characters with exceptional aptitude.
I'm not going to synopsize this thing. Talking too much about the plot line of this rocket-fueled little shot in the heart would be to risk spoiling the hell out of it and I don't do that. What I am going to do is take my usual approach and talk a bit about the great strength of this book. The thing that really, really brings this story together and makes it work is Yardley's remarkable ability to control the mood, to maintain that heavy, brooding darkness throughout using a combination of well-developed characters and poetic language. Grim Marie, the flawed but sympathetic protagonist, is fascinating and her thoughts and observations drive the story and hold the reader captive:
"She liked the way his mouth became a thin line, like they always say in books, because she knew he hated the bitter taste of the words he was saying, too. That he wore a badge and took care to shine it, but sometimes he wanted to throw it against the farthest corner of the room and yell. Scream and scream until the walls fell down around him, like a house unboxing himself, and then he could run into the night and exact his own revenge."
LITTLE DEAD RED is my favorite short read of the year so far, and I'm not ashamed to confess to having a developing author crush on Mercedes M. Yardley. It's a rare thing when you discover an author and you know from the very first page that there's something special there, that this is a story you will finish and love by an author that you'll read any time she publishes something new. I rank my first reading experience with Mercedes M. Yardley right up there with my first reading of Clive Barker's BOOKS OF BLOOD or John Foster's DEAD MEN, and I'm anxious to get on to the next book, and the next, and...
If you haven't read Mercedes M. Yardley's work yet, LITTLE DEAD RED is a short little slice of pain and darkness that you won't soon forget, and it's a great jumping off point. Read this story and I'm certain that, like me, you'll be anxious to read all her other work too. Fortunately for us, Crystal Lake Publishing has that covered. They'll be reissuing her novels, PRETTY LITTLE DEAD GIRLS and APOCALYPTIC MONTESSA AND NUCLEAR LULU: A Tale of Atomic Love, at the beginning of march and they've already released her novel, NAMELESS: The Darkness Comes.
"Grim Marie’s mother was dying. She had been dying for several years now, off and on, but this time seemed like it might actually be THE TIME."
Thus begins chapter one of LITTLE DEAD RED. In this opening chapter Mercedes M. Yardley sets a dark stage for her characters and establishes a brooding mood that persists throughout the story. That opening paragraph tells me a couple things right out the gate. First, this is not a happy story, nor is it likely to get that way. We've all lost family members to one thing or another, be it accident, illness, violence, or age, and we can all relate. The passage immediately evokes the mood of the story and holds true to it all the way. The second thing it does is tell me that Mercedes M. Yardley is the real deal. Only a true professional can set a mood and grab a reader that quick. The tension immediately starts to build and the reader wants to know what happens to these characters. We are instantly presented with a question that makes us want to keep going: "Why is she called 'Grim Marie?'"
LITTLE DEAD RED is a dark retelling of the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood. But make no mistake; it isn't that story in modernized form. That would be dark enough, but Mercedes' version would horrify a Grimm brother. Yardley masterfully doles out little tidbits of Grim Marie and Aleta's backstories while simultaneously developing the story, taking us into the black recesses of her protagonist's mind, and developing her characters with exceptional aptitude.
I'm not going to synopsize this thing. Talking too much about the plot line of this rocket-fueled little shot in the heart would be to risk spoiling the hell out of it and I don't do that. What I am going to do is take my usual approach and talk a bit about the great strength of this book. The thing that really, really brings this story together and makes it work is Yardley's remarkable ability to control the mood, to maintain that heavy, brooding darkness throughout using a combination of well-developed characters and poetic language. Grim Marie, the flawed but sympathetic protagonist, is fascinating and her thoughts and observations drive the story and hold the reader captive:
"She liked the way his mouth became a thin line, like they always say in books, because she knew he hated the bitter taste of the words he was saying, too. That he wore a badge and took care to shine it, but sometimes he wanted to throw it against the farthest corner of the room and yell. Scream and scream until the walls fell down around him, like a house unboxing himself, and then he could run into the night and exact his own revenge."
LITTLE DEAD RED is my favorite short read of the year so far, and I'm not ashamed to confess to having a developing author crush on Mercedes M. Yardley. It's a rare thing when you discover an author and you know from the very first page that there's something special there, that this is a story you will finish and love by an author that you'll read any time she publishes something new. I rank my first reading experience with Mercedes M. Yardley right up there with my first reading of Clive Barker's BOOKS OF BLOOD or John Foster's DEAD MEN, and I'm anxious to get on to the next book, and the next, and...
If you haven't read Mercedes M. Yardley's work yet, LITTLE DEAD RED is a short little slice of pain and darkness that you won't soon forget, and it's a great jumping off point. Read this story and I'm certain that, like me, you'll be anxious to read all her other work too. Fortunately for us, Crystal Lake Publishing has that covered. They'll be reissuing her novels, PRETTY LITTLE DEAD GIRLS and APOCALYPTIC MONTESSA AND NUCLEAR LULU: A Tale of Atomic Love, at the beginning of march and they've already released her novel, NAMELESS: The Darkness Comes.
February 20, 2019
I have wanted to read this book for so long but have been unable to get my reading hands on it as I live in Australia.
I will say it was definitely worth the wait.
What started out as what I thought to be a new age spin on Little Red Riding Hood went so much deeper and darker.
Yes grandma was sick and her granddaughter headed out in her red jacket to take her some goodies but that's where the story takes a turn.
This family also has a back story, and as a mother it made my heart break. The lengths this mother was going to to find her little girl in red is dark and pain full.
The end actually came as a real shock to me. Maybe because my brain was too focused on other parts of the story.
A definite must read.
I will say it was definitely worth the wait.
What started out as what I thought to be a new age spin on Little Red Riding Hood went so much deeper and darker.
Yes grandma was sick and her granddaughter headed out in her red jacket to take her some goodies but that's where the story takes a turn.
This family also has a back story, and as a mother it made my heart break. The lengths this mother was going to to find her little girl in red is dark and pain full.
The end actually came as a real shock to me. Maybe because my brain was too focused on other parts of the story.
A definite must read.
May 3, 2017
5 star novella, 5 star narration on the audio book version.
December 17, 2019
This deliciously dark novella won the Bram Stoker Award in 2015. Well worth a read. I would rate it somewhere between 4.25 to 4.50 stars.
January 10, 2017
Little Dead Red wasn't always dead and her mother, Grim Marie, wasn't always grim. But life can be cruel at the best of times. Little Aleta is murdered bringing soup to her sick grandmother, and Marie is left with nothing but a small red piece of fabric and a large and endless hole in her heart. And a need for revenge. A modern twist on a timeless tale, Yardley weaves beauty and horror together into a story that will somehow break your heart and mend it at the same time.
Little Dead Red was the first book that I read written solely by Mercedes M. Yardley. The first I read was Detritus in Love by both Mercedes and John Boden and I knew that I needed more. Mercedes' characters imprint themselves on your heart. Her words, magic to your soul. Mercedes can make a nightmare enchanting and leave you wanting for more.
Little Dead Red was the first book that I read written solely by Mercedes M. Yardley. The first I read was Detritus in Love by both Mercedes and John Boden and I knew that I needed more. Mercedes' characters imprint themselves on your heart. Her words, magic to your soul. Mercedes can make a nightmare enchanting and leave you wanting for more.
March 7, 2017
I'm not usually into horror stories, but the combo of Mercedes Yardley and Joe Hempel was an irresistible draw. Glad I requested this, because it was so well written, so fantastically worded, plotted and paced that I could not stop listening. When a mother loses her child to a butchering murder, she hatches a plan to catch him. She finds who she believes is the murderer, and does the unthinkable to get evidence. Is this man the killer? Well, the evidence will tell. With a rather wild twist ending I didnt see coming, this was a was completely wicked tale. I cant recommend it enough, and Joe Hempel's always excellent narration just made it that much better. Prepare to be shock and awed by this one.
I was voluntarily given a reveiw copy of this audiobook by the narrator through Audiobookboom.
I was voluntarily given a reveiw copy of this audiobook by the narrator through Audiobookboom.
March 14, 2017
Mercedes has such a unique voice. Every one of her stories explores metaphor and poetic language with uncommon grace and creativity. Her stories also aren't afraid to go deep into tragedy and uncover emotions that will surprise, create strong empathy, and some times make it uncomfortable, but in a way that you still have to keep reading, because these are more than just names on a page who're suffering, they're people you need to know more about. This was extremely difficult subject matter to endure, but Mercedes skill at story can't be denied.
The narration was very solid. Joe's a good fit for Mercedes style, both in the poetry of language, and the haunting feel to the story.
I did not see that ending. Wow, what a hard story to experience.
The narration was very solid. Joe's a good fit for Mercedes style, both in the poetry of language, and the haunting feel to the story.
I did not see that ending. Wow, what a hard story to experience.
April 23, 2016
Review: LITTLE DEAD RED by Mercedes M. Yardley
Oh my. SO not for the faint of heart. For the rest of us, first of all, this novella's prose reads like poetry. I would have finished so much faster if I hadn't so frequently stopped to savor images and metaphors. Second, this story is going to rip your heart out--again and again and again--and then, just when you think you can handle it: the eviscerating denouement. I never saw it coming. Couldn't possibly have expected it. Wish it hadn't been as it was. But dear me, what a powerful, potent noir is LITTLE DEAD RED.
3 Goodreads reviewers I respect recommended this title.
Oh my. SO not for the faint of heart. For the rest of us, first of all, this novella's prose reads like poetry. I would have finished so much faster if I hadn't so frequently stopped to savor images and metaphors. Second, this story is going to rip your heart out--again and again and again--and then, just when you think you can handle it: the eviscerating denouement. I never saw it coming. Couldn't possibly have expected it. Wish it hadn't been as it was. But dear me, what a powerful, potent noir is LITTLE DEAD RED.
3 Goodreads reviewers I respect recommended this title.
October 28, 2024
That is NOT what I was expecting. 😳
January 19, 2017
My original Little Dead Red audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
What a hard hitter for an hour and a half audiobook!
I read somewhere that the big bad wolf was a metaphor for a sexual predator, a cautionary tale to teach little girls to stay away from strangers.
Mercedes M Yardley has clearly heard that too, her story is full of wolves that circle innocent little girls.
In this story, a little girl catches a bus to take some soup and goodies to her ailing grandmother in hospital. She never makes it to the hospital and she’s never seen alive again.
Her mother, Marie, is all alone in the world now and will do whatever it takes to find out what kind of human monster would murder a little girl in such a brutal fashion. She’s seen ‘wolves’ before, the kind who abuse children, and recognises the look of a person who’s prepared to do evil things to get their way. Now, she’s ready to become a ‘wolf’ herself and start dishing out the pain to make sure her daughter is avenged.
This story is dark and twisted, it’s brutal as it tells you of the pain a mother feels at knowing that her twelve-year-old daughter was torn apart. This is the kind of horror that you can’t really turn away from – it’s not zombies, demons or something that goes bump in the night – it’s the grief of a parent. Frankly, it’s the scariest thing I can think of.
Joe Hempel did an excellent job, keeping the pace going and packing in as much emotion as possible in an already dark and emotional story, I can’t imagine a better format for this story than in audio – Hempel is a talented storyteller and brought something extra to the table by narrating this.
I can’t give anything away but I beg that you listen to this story if you like dark fiction, it’ll blow your mind. The ending was like a sledgehammer between the eyes and will keep this book firmly stuck in my mind, possibly forever.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
What a hard hitter for an hour and a half audiobook!
I read somewhere that the big bad wolf was a metaphor for a sexual predator, a cautionary tale to teach little girls to stay away from strangers.
Mercedes M Yardley has clearly heard that too, her story is full of wolves that circle innocent little girls.
In this story, a little girl catches a bus to take some soup and goodies to her ailing grandmother in hospital. She never makes it to the hospital and she’s never seen alive again.
Her mother, Marie, is all alone in the world now and will do whatever it takes to find out what kind of human monster would murder a little girl in such a brutal fashion. She’s seen ‘wolves’ before, the kind who abuse children, and recognises the look of a person who’s prepared to do evil things to get their way. Now, she’s ready to become a ‘wolf’ herself and start dishing out the pain to make sure her daughter is avenged.
This story is dark and twisted, it’s brutal as it tells you of the pain a mother feels at knowing that her twelve-year-old daughter was torn apart. This is the kind of horror that you can’t really turn away from – it’s not zombies, demons or something that goes bump in the night – it’s the grief of a parent. Frankly, it’s the scariest thing I can think of.
Joe Hempel did an excellent job, keeping the pace going and packing in as much emotion as possible in an already dark and emotional story, I can’t imagine a better format for this story than in audio – Hempel is a talented storyteller and brought something extra to the table by narrating this.
I can’t give anything away but I beg that you listen to this story if you like dark fiction, it’ll blow your mind. The ending was like a sledgehammer between the eyes and will keep this book firmly stuck in my mind, possibly forever.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
June 11, 2021
Dark and disturbing
I feel like I’ve been beaten up by this book. It’s incredibly dark, yet beautifully written, as if something unbearably painful was crafted into a faberge egg.
A triumph from Yardley, but expect to be gut punched by this novella.
I feel like I’ve been beaten up by this book. It’s incredibly dark, yet beautifully written, as if something unbearably painful was crafted into a faberge egg.
A triumph from Yardley, but expect to be gut punched by this novella.
May 12, 2021
I thought this was a pretty interesting novella. I liked the play on the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. That ending too
May 13, 2016
I received Little Dead Red in a package deal with her book Nameless. Ms. Yardley always goes right for the heart! I love it.
With Ms. Yardley, you never know if you will get Whimsical or what level of darkness you will receive, but you always know you are alive after reading one of her books. She takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride no matter what the book is about.
Little Dead Red is a modern take on Little Red Riding hood. Instead of a red cape 12 yr old Aleta has a fave hoodie that is red.
We meet Marie Aleta's hard working mom. She use to be Happy Marie as it seemed her life was perfect. Till she found out her husband at the time was victimizing her young Aleta. Grim Marie did all that she could to see him behind bars. Marie still carries the guilt of not protecting her young daughter. She is haunted by past regrets. She saved her daughter from a man in wolves clothing which was her Ex, will she be able to do it again? Aleta does not hold any ill feeling for her mom.
There is a new wolf in town who is hunting girls in the streets of the city. The Hunter becomes the hunted when Marie starts to unravel the thread to get at the truth behind what happened to Aleta. Two months later the truth is revealed. Grim Marie is here to stay.
Marie's mother is living in a Nursing home and has been dying for such a long time now. Well she is sick and Marie decides to make her homemade soup and had been working on it for hours and the need to head out to work soon, she doesn't know how she will get the soup to her dying mother. Marie is so tired.
Aleta, volunteers saying she would be happy to take the soup to her grandmother and that she knows what buses to take to get to the Nursing home. There is just one problem...Aleta never makes it to her grandmother's house.
With Ms. Yardley, you never know if you will get Whimsical or what level of darkness you will receive, but you always know you are alive after reading one of her books. She takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride no matter what the book is about.
Little Dead Red is a modern take on Little Red Riding hood. Instead of a red cape 12 yr old Aleta has a fave hoodie that is red.
We meet Marie Aleta's hard working mom. She use to be Happy Marie as it seemed her life was perfect. Till she found out her husband at the time was victimizing her young Aleta. Grim Marie did all that she could to see him behind bars. Marie still carries the guilt of not protecting her young daughter. She is haunted by past regrets. She saved her daughter from a man in wolves clothing which was her Ex, will she be able to do it again? Aleta does not hold any ill feeling for her mom.
There is a new wolf in town who is hunting girls in the streets of the city. The Hunter becomes the hunted when Marie starts to unravel the thread to get at the truth behind what happened to Aleta. Two months later the truth is revealed. Grim Marie is here to stay.
Marie's mother is living in a Nursing home and has been dying for such a long time now. Well she is sick and Marie decides to make her homemade soup and had been working on it for hours and the need to head out to work soon, she doesn't know how she will get the soup to her dying mother. Marie is so tired.
Aleta, volunteers saying she would be happy to take the soup to her grandmother and that she knows what buses to take to get to the Nursing home. There is just one problem...Aleta never makes it to her grandmother's house.
March 29, 2017
This isn't my first Mercedes M. Yardley story, so I knew I was in for a treat before I even started. She's got a way with words. An amazing knack for telling real-world cautionary tales with a slant towards fantastical horror.
And this novella was no different.
Marie loves her daughter more than anything in this world. But even with all her love and attention to detail, she managed to miss the signs of a dangerous predator under their roof. Marie took care of him, but Aleta was never the same. Actually, neither was she. The guilt is something she can never wash away.
When Aleta volunteers to take a basket of goodies to her ill grandmother, their life changes yet again. Aleta doesn't make it to the hospital.
Marie is now all alone, but revenge keeps her mind occupied. And with the help of a kind police officer, she's detetmined to become the wolf in sheep's clothing...
Yikes. This story is dark. Sad. Disturbing. Haunting. Full of torment and loss. It's also beautiful. I'm not surprised it won an award. The way the Little Red Riding Hood tale is weaved into a modern story about little girls who are destined to be victims is truly amazing.
I might have felt uncomfortable and sad and wanted to rage against things that make the nightly news way too often, but I loved this novella.
And this novella was no different.
Marie loves her daughter more than anything in this world. But even with all her love and attention to detail, she managed to miss the signs of a dangerous predator under their roof. Marie took care of him, but Aleta was never the same. Actually, neither was she. The guilt is something she can never wash away.
When Aleta volunteers to take a basket of goodies to her ill grandmother, their life changes yet again. Aleta doesn't make it to the hospital.
Marie is now all alone, but revenge keeps her mind occupied. And with the help of a kind police officer, she's detetmined to become the wolf in sheep's clothing...
Yikes. This story is dark. Sad. Disturbing. Haunting. Full of torment and loss. It's also beautiful. I'm not surprised it won an award. The way the Little Red Riding Hood tale is weaved into a modern story about little girls who are destined to be victims is truly amazing.
I might have felt uncomfortable and sad and wanted to rage against things that make the nightly news way too often, but I loved this novella.
February 6, 2016
Even when she writes about the grotesqueries of life, Mercedes Yardley puts the words on paper as if they were a poem. Little Dead Red is a story that will wring you dry of emotion, break your heart and leave you in tears; it will also make you feel like you have never read anything so beautiful. This is a tale about the love that mothers have for their children and the lengths they will go to avenge them. It is a story about transformation and trust and the lies that masquerade as truth. Mercedes Yardley often seems to dip into my soul and write stories that resonate with me and my experiences. This is one of them. This is a story for every woman who tried to protect their child and failed because they were trying so hard not to let go of the ability to trust. It is for those of us who would have killed had we been given the chance but who failed to understand that smiling, gentle sheep are almost always wolves in disguise. And although it cut me to the bone, I will read it again because even though I have often put my trust in the wrong person, this story helps me to recognize that I am not alone in that folly and somehow that helps just a little.
April 11, 2019
Little Dead Red retells a well-known fairy-tale. But where Little Red Riding Hood ends with an upbeat note, Little Dead Red makes you crave for Prozac. Yardley has no mercy for her readers and characters, and she drags them through emotional hell.
A modern Wolf has torn Marie’s daughter into pieces. Only hate, despair and hunger for revenge keep her amongst the living. Yardley portraits Marie’s despair and emotional states through stylized, often poetical prose some readers may find melodramatic. Her descent into darkness in the wolf's pursuit left me terrified.
A good, moving, but incredibly dark novelette/novella.
A modern Wolf has torn Marie’s daughter into pieces. Only hate, despair and hunger for revenge keep her amongst the living. Yardley portraits Marie’s despair and emotional states through stylized, often poetical prose some readers may find melodramatic. Her descent into darkness in the wolf's pursuit left me terrified.
A good, moving, but incredibly dark novelette/novella.
December 22, 2016
I found Mercedes through the This is Horror podcast and am now working my way down her catalog. I really loved Little Dead Read, it's a completely different tone than the first work I read from her, Pretty Little Dead Girls, but still has the same beautiful use of language that Mercedes is known for. I like that in both books the Heroine's may be victims of circumstance, but they're not resigned to their fates, they are active participants and fight hard as hell to either mete out justice or literally stand up to death. I can't wait to finish her catalog.
April 17, 2019
This is my first Yardley book, and it certainly won't be my last. Her writing is excellent, and the character of Marie is deep and well-drawn. This was an interesting twist on the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. But it was realistic and believable, and the crime was atrocious. Recommended for lovers of crime.
December 16, 2017
Stunning writing. Visceral and laced with violent emotion, this riff on Little Red Riding hood is both a horror and a crime story. Vivid with concrete details and beautifully crafted sentences. Ultimately an all too real and heartbreaking story. One of the best novellas I've read this year.
September 11, 2024
A barbaric retelling of red riding hood… kinda. No Disney ending here. Could happen, probably has. That’s why it’s great horror.
November 9, 2018
Remember, if you enter the realm of fairy tale retellings you will always and forever be measured against the efforts of the one and only Angela Carter - especially if you are a woman. Carter's retellings are masterpeices of subtle prose, with strong feminist view points (we are talking the real deal here, not the hysterical third wave identity politics joke that feminism has become nowadays) woven into these classic stories and delivering a treasure trove of ideas that is unparalleled until this very day.
Now Mercedes M. Yardley tries her hand on a contemporary retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" and the result is a grim, dark and merciless novelette that unfortunately ends up being some kind of a mixed bag. Yardley's prose is good but way often she lays it on to thick and the drama portraited is losing all sublety and sometimes even borders on cringeworthy. She also overuses the wolf/hunter/red riding hood metaphor continously, leaving at least this reader here mumbling to himself more than once: "Okay, we get it...we get it!"
Character building is solid but surprisingly stumbles when it comes to the main character of which we learn next to nothing while the minor characters are fleshed out briefly but very nicely.
Overall the story is a solid read nonetheless which manages to hold your attention and the finale definitely is an intense blow to the gut that is well worth the entrance fee for this ride alone. Hence I do not regret the hour and a half it cost me to read this but I would nevertheless still refer you to Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber and other Stories if you are interested in the real deal.
Now Mercedes M. Yardley tries her hand on a contemporary retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" and the result is a grim, dark and merciless novelette that unfortunately ends up being some kind of a mixed bag. Yardley's prose is good but way often she lays it on to thick and the drama portraited is losing all sublety and sometimes even borders on cringeworthy. She also overuses the wolf/hunter/red riding hood metaphor continously, leaving at least this reader here mumbling to himself more than once: "Okay, we get it...we get it!"
Character building is solid but surprisingly stumbles when it comes to the main character of which we learn next to nothing while the minor characters are fleshed out briefly but very nicely.
Overall the story is a solid read nonetheless which manages to hold your attention and the finale definitely is an intense blow to the gut that is well worth the entrance fee for this ride alone. Hence I do not regret the hour and a half it cost me to read this but I would nevertheless still refer you to Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber and other Stories if you are interested in the real deal.
February 10, 2020
What if Little Red Riding Hood didn’t make it to Grandmother’s house because the wolf found her first? What if Little Red Riding Hood’s mother would do anything to avenge her daughter? What if the wolf tricked them all by wearing sheep’s clothing?
If you glance around my blog, it’s pretty apparent that I love fairy tales, especially the more grown up versions of the childhood classics. I decided to buy Little Dead Red just based off the title and synopsis. I assumed it was an urban retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with some horror thrown in. That is the basic premise of the story but this is no fairy tale.
This novella is very hard to review because it’s so short and I don’t want to spoil any part of it. While it does take elements from the classic Little Red Riding Hood story, this is a gritty and horrific reimagining. It’s not horrific in the sense that it’s filled with supernatural or even gory scares; what makes it so terrifying is that every horrible thing in it COULD happen to anybody. It expounds on our worst nightmares and the unfairness of life. Little Dead Red does require some trigger warnings for child abuse, suicide and murder. There is nothing truly graphic but these topics are plainly written about.
Speaking of the writing, it was absolutely superb. It was eloquent and blunt at the same time. What made this novella a true favorite for me, however, was the ending. It was a sucker punch to the gut that left me with my mouth hanging open in shock.
If you glance around my blog, it’s pretty apparent that I love fairy tales, especially the more grown up versions of the childhood classics. I decided to buy Little Dead Red just based off the title and synopsis. I assumed it was an urban retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with some horror thrown in. That is the basic premise of the story but this is no fairy tale.
This novella is very hard to review because it’s so short and I don’t want to spoil any part of it. While it does take elements from the classic Little Red Riding Hood story, this is a gritty and horrific reimagining. It’s not horrific in the sense that it’s filled with supernatural or even gory scares; what makes it so terrifying is that every horrible thing in it COULD happen to anybody. It expounds on our worst nightmares and the unfairness of life. Little Dead Red does require some trigger warnings for child abuse, suicide and murder. There is nothing truly graphic but these topics are plainly written about.
Speaking of the writing, it was absolutely superb. It was eloquent and blunt at the same time. What made this novella a true favorite for me, however, was the ending. It was a sucker punch to the gut that left me with my mouth hanging open in shock.
January 24, 2016
Damn... damn. "Little Dead Red" is a test, a soul check. If something doesn't stir deep down inside of you, if you don't experience at least a slight sting in the eyes, if you don't receive a solid squeeze to the feels whilst reading this novella then you are a lost cause, damaged beyond repair. And I'm sorry.
This piece, another in a long line of immensely satisfying reads from Mercedes M. Yardley, is the darkest thing I read in 2015. Prose like a river sweeping you along, sweeping you under if you're not careful, It's an emotional journey of a mother seeking answers, purpose, revenge after the loss of her only child.
Like all of MMY's work the characters that populate this night terror twist on a fairy tale are flesh and blood and their essence spills upon the page, staining your fingertips. And Marie is the centerpiece, Happy Marie, Grim Marie. She hurts, and so do you. She makes irrational but emotional choices, and you support her, you encourage her. She falls apart, you are already in pieces.
The only thing you can do is get up and live. Beware the wolf.
Place little dead red on a playlist with your favorite bottle of hooch, Kyle M. Scott's "Where the Dead Ones Play" (formerly Protection) & Jonathan Winn's "Eidolon Avenue"
Zakk is a big dumb animal!
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