Bad Lot

by Barbara Kastelin

Twenty-four engrossing tales of human life, each with a twist in the tail. A collection of bite-sized novellas to enjoy in a busy life of commitments. Entertaining short fiction with an after-taste of surprise and disquiet. 'During the hour of perusal, the soul of the reader is at the writer's control' Edgar Allan Poe. A Bad Lot is a collection of twenty-four short stories. Twenty-four stories each in a different style, set in different times and in different places showing the frailty that humans are capable of. The Neapolitan thief can almost be forgiven, and the lone woman in the Manor house might have been more perceptive about her suitor. The Cambridge lawyer had no guts; lies have short legs in a Caribbean resort. A crush on a police inspector is a poor excuse for some behaviour, and buying a holiday home in the sunny Algarve may have its downfalls but, for her love of dogs, the woman from Norfolk will have to be rewarded in heaven. Whether giraffes have mythical powers is questionable, while being slave to a Nordic god could confuse any young man. Yes, the world around us is full of surprises. We have all come across the feelings these characters in A Bad Lot experience. Our senses record the world around us but, in our brains, it is our frail humanity that overlays the information with illusion - our vanity, jealousy, sexuality, insecurity, love, ambition and guilt warp our perception. This anthology of short stories takes us on an entertaining tour of our capacity for self-deception. Lyrical and clever, they tackle the challenges of our demons.

416 pages, Paperback

Published August 20, 2018

Reviews

[Paul Falk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Kastelin neatly wrapped together a collection of twenty-four short stories. In general, for each, the narrative was well-written. The storylines varied in depth and scope as much does New England weather. For a change of pace, it was nice to sit down and gobble up a story in twenty minutes, give or take.

If you’re looking to fill your digital plate with a gentle infusion of noir, look no further. They'll be no traces of any happy Disney endings found here. Already, there's plenty of that abound. On a road less traveled, this somewhat, far-reaching, morbid anthology made for an enjoyable, yet, bittersweet read.

I offer my thanks to NetGalley and Matador/Troubador Publishing Ltd for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine collection of stories. I liked more than I disliked.
I love one or two where I’d like to spend more time within those pages and characters.
However, and here’s the rub. Not everything is pure and true in these brief stories. By some degree of recognised standards of behaviour, there is a sense of a moral dilemma presented.
In some instances, this might be criminal in thought and actions. In others it might be a personal standard or family values, even shame or fear of exposure might be send an individual of a path of honesty and personal integrity.
Caught up in this duplicity is a switch, a change in the order of things, as Jeffrey Archer once wrote ‘A twist in the tale’. Barbara Kastelin’s writing carries more depth and the stories and endings subtler and less obvious or inevitable. Her characters are quickly established, and the range of writing styles and situations make each a fresh reading experience.
Some get their comeuppance in a more telegraphed way, others it is more shocking and unmerited to the reader who has not identified that person as deserving such a resolution. The power rests with the writer and her skills are wonderfully demonstrated here.
Short stories are not for everyone. At times the short version is a thing of beauty and a skill in itself.
I loved the action here, the drama and the odd surprise or two. They are based on relationships and the dangers when people are not what they appear to be or present themselves in conflicting ways. Twenty-four short stories are a long collection but on balance well worth the effort to read them all.

[Julie Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were rather action-filled stories that reminded me of the times when a short story had to also tell a story and not just be a literary portrait of something TRUE.



My favorite was LUXURY CRUISES that tells an adventurous turn of events for a middle-aged man who's more comfortable wearing a dress and a wig than his uniform tux that he's more or less obliged to wear while entertaining widows on a Cruise Liner. I can't say I didn't see that ending coming but it was a fantastic twist.

[Kayleigh | Welsh Book Fairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: A Bad Lot
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Barbara Kastelin
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 19th July 2018
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5

"Never think you're more than anyone else, Lukas. The moments you do, you're less than them."

A Bad Lot: Collected Short Stories by Barbara Kastelin is a collection of short stories that delve into the very worst of human nature. Each of the twenty four novellas holds a twist that further exposes the selfishness and greed of the human species whilst exploring our downfalls as disillusioned people.

This was quite an interesting read. There were no happy endings. It made me feel quite... sad to be a person, because I understand that the happenings in each of these stories play true to the dark side of human nature.

I did find myself becoming quite bored half way through, I knew that people can be bastards, and I was getting slightly fed up of reading about how horrible humans can be. I recommend reading this in short intervals, so to not depress yourself with the fictional but realistic manipulation and selfish trickery people can perform.

Each story held a twist. Now, I am a fan of twists, but I'm pretty good at guessing what they're going to be as well; however, Kastelin took me by surprise every time. She is clearly a very imaginative author. Each ending was new, and exciting, which is definitely an achievement seeing as there are twenty four of them.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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[Natalie Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories are not everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoy them.  Normally there will be a couple or three of the stories in a collection like this, that I end up flicking through as they don't grab my attention.  However, in this book, I read every single story and enjoyed them all.  Some I enjoyed more than others, but each one was able to hold my attention and entertain me.

Some of the first short story collections I read were the ones by Roald Dahl and there were similarities in this collection - deception, greed, jealousy, blind ambition.  It was like a trip through the seven deadly sins.  Some of the stories were shocking, some horrifying and some made you cheer when the good guy actually came out on top!  There is some adult content not suitable for children.

Any short story fan will love this and it is a great introduction to them if you have not previously read a collection.  Highly recommended and very much enjoyed by me!

[Nissa Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from net galley in return for an honest review.
thanks for giving me this copy..

never ever trust someone.. your parents, your lover, your daughter...

this story reveal viciousness of human being. its not your happy ending story.
the plot itself is interesting and the cover is amazing. if you want a quick reading and unordinary ending you can read this book

[Barbara Boyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too negative and ridiculous so never finished it !