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Marple: Twelve New Stories

Val McDermid, Leigh Bardugo, Kate Mosse, Alyssa Cole, Ruth Ware, Dreda Say Mitchell, Natalie Haynes, Elly Griffiths, Naomi Alderman, Lucy Foley, Jean Kwok and Karen M McManus

7.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the...

Short Stories Anthologies Historical Fiction Cosy Mystery

Dana (24 KP) rated Close Range in Books

Mar 23, 2018

Close Range

Annie Proulx | 2000 | Fiction & Poetry

6.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

I enjoyed reading this, mainly from a craft perspective. I am not the biggest of fans of the Western stories, but the characters and their actions really came alive from her descriptions and I felt like I learned a lot.

While I didn't enjoy reading all of the stories, there were a few that were very interesting. As I said, the craft in all of the stories was very cool to be able to pick apart. I liked looking at the moods of each story as I read it. Each one had its own set tone that you should look out for when you read them. Even the smallest parts, like drawing out the settings, were all beautifully rendered.

I had never read "Brokeback Mountain" before and I hadn't seen the movie either, but I enjoyed the story when I read it. Even though she paints the two guys as very similar in the beginning of the story, the both end up having such different personalities at the end.

There was also a very short, two page story that was so beautifully vague. It was called "55 Miles to the Gas Pump." I loved how much characterization and care went into this very short story.

All in all, this was a cool collection of her short stories. I will most likely be picking up some of her other stories and giving them a read if not only to learn more from her craft.

Kudos

Debbiereadsbook (1107 KP) rated The Arts of Love: Stories of Sensual Creativity in Books

Dec 10, 2018

a fabulous little collection!

Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

16 short stories, written by the same author, based around love and the Arts. Music, acting, writing and everything inbetween.

A 16 book collection was never going to get 16 individual reviews, so here's what I thought about them all, as a whole.

I rather enjoyed it!

It's a great collection of shorts, average about 15 pages each, some a little shorter or longer, but that gives you just enough for each story, I thought, to give you a brief connection, a glimpse into these people's lives.

Some stories are a bit more explicit, some almost clean, in my opinion. Mostly written from one person's view, in the third person.

Each short is well written, and well delivered. I saw no spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading experience.

This is the first I've read of this author, and I'd like to read more. Something much longer than these shorts, just to see what they can do with more pages!

A thoroughly enjoyable Sunday afternoon spent reading, thank you.

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**