Happy Wednesday everyone, this week I thought I’d do a whistle stop tour through some of the short stories and short story collections I’ve read recently.
The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth
I’m starting with my favourite – Sally Hepworth’s story about a celebrity chef and restaurateur who is found dead in his walk-in freezer the evening after his three ex-wives dine at his restaurant. There are plenty of reasons why each woman would have wanted him dead and the shifting perspective reveals the secrets that are below the surface. It’s only about 80 pages and very easy to read in one gulp. It’s part of the Alibis short story series, which is by authors of psychological suspense but this felt more like a domestic drama to me – the rest of the series definitely looks too scary for me though!
Sinister Spring by Agatha Christie
Another of the seasonal collection of Christie short stories, again featuring all the names you would hope for – Miss Marple, Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence and Parker Pyne. It’s got a good mix of stories and although I found some easier to solve than others, there are a couple of really good ones here. As with the other three seasons, this is rotating in and out of Kindle Unlimited, and if you spot it while it’s in, it’s worth a read.
Abscond by Abraham Verghese
And finally, a change of pace with a short story about an Indian American teenager in 1967 who is caught between the expectations of his parents that he will become a doctor and the fact that he is a tennis prodigy who wants to turn professional. Then, suddenly, everything changes. This is really beautifully written and packs a lot of emotional punch for something that is under 40 pages long. I haven’t read any Abraham Verghese before and I’m glad I picked this one up.
Happy Humpday!
Verity Reads Books (lots of them) 