Christopher Goodenough Takes a Number

Christopher Goodenough Takes a Number

Sometimes a headache is just a headache. And sometimes it's much, much worse.

Christopher Goodenough is a very important man. A senior member of the Government, and responsible for taking an axe to long-cherished beliefs about the National Health Service. So the irony is not lost on him when he finds himself in an NHS waiting room.

His headache is fierce, taking up residence behind his eyeballs like a spiked mace and making rational thought impossible. Then he finds out he can't get seen by a doctor without taking a number.

And that's the last thing Christopher Goodenough experiences that makes any sense.

Andy Maslen meets Franz Kafka. A most unusual short story from one of the best word weavers around.
Graham T
Rated 5 out of 5
Homebodies

Homebodies

Randall and Sturgis are a couple of lowlifes who've found a lucrative--and enjoyable--sideline as home invaders. But their crimes are getting more and more brutal.

After drunkenly promising his girlfriend, Tina, a Mercedes for her birthday, Randall figures he knows where to get one. The home of a yuppie he was queuing behind at an ATM.

Skylar and Bailey are sisters, fourteen and eleven, living with their Mom and Dad in a beautiful surburban home. But when two strangers pull up outside in a banged-up truck, their lives are about to change forever.

Great little shorty and a neat little twist to boot. Andy Maslen is a a little different in this subject matter. Recommended for a little waiting room filler.
S. D. Knight
Rated 5 out of 5

Reversal Of Fortune

In this short story, a walk with his friend's terrier turns into a mission to exact retribution on a local bully when Gabriel finds one of his female neighbours crying at the wheel of her car. Lander Reeve is a mega-successful bond trader with a big mouth and an even bigger SUV. He's been running Gabriel's neighbour off the road and Gabriel decides it's time to put a stop to the man's behaviour. For good. A midnight mission to recce the bully's property gives Gabriel the idea for some poetic justice.

'And a moral to be learned by everyone. I really enjoyed it.'
Ruby Newman
Rated 5 out of 5

Skin

In this sharp little horror story, a rich industrialist who collects Nazi memorabilia spots an odd-looking antiques shop on his drive home.

His insatiable desire for the most twisted artefacts of the camps sets him on collision course with powerful forces beyond this world.

What he is offered by Zadok, the thin, pale man behind the counter, will change him for ever.

A treat for fans of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker and Mylo Carbia.

Just read it, and my mind is in knots trying to work out what I have just read.
Dave Wilkinson
Rated 5 out of 5

Weep, Willow, Weep

An intruder has murdered the husband of a glamorous older lady who turns out to have an interesting past. As Stella investigates, pieces of the puzzle come together but then fly apart and she’s left wondering how she’s going to solve the case. Her boss is putting her under pressure to clear it ‘for the statistics’ and steering her towards the burglar-disturbed-in-the-act story. But then, as she grabs some time with her husband, a shocking revelation shows her what might have really happened.

'A short story that rattles along with great pace.'
Alun Humphreys
Rated 5 out of 5