Mark Tilbury is not known for being ‘Twisted’ Tilbury for nothing, so when he announced this book comprising of five tales different to his normal books, I was rather eager to see what his twisted mind had come up with now.
Five twisted tales of murder and revenge.
Time doesn’t heal; it’s an incubator for old wounds.
Lucy’s return – No one remembers Lucy at the school reunion, but she remembers them. Especially one boy who made her life hell, and now she’s going to do the same to him.
The Tallyman – Donna is in debt, and the loan shark is making her life unbearable, with increasingly vile demands when she can’t make her payments. But her elderly neighbour, Elsie, has the perfect solution to get rid of the tallyman once and for all.
Last Orders – Jeff Tully’s wife has left him. Trying to run his pub single-handedly, he increasingly turns to his barmaid, Alyson, for help. But when Alyson tells him of her own troubles, they hatch a plan to get rid of Alyson’s violent, abusive husband. But will Jeff live to regret he ever got involved with his barmaid?
Ballad of the Unsung Hero – Retired shopkeeper Jennifer Price is at her wit’s end. Her husband Kenneth thinks more of his fishing than he does of her. But when she meets the man of her dreams at a spiritual church, Jennifer is hell-bent on getting her man – whatever it takes.
Private Museum – Retired nurse Mandy Rostron never thought she’d find love again after her husband died, but in Anthony Mallard she’s found the perfect gentleman. Or so she thinks. Mallard has some very dark secrets in his basement, or his Private Museum as he calls it, and Mandy is about to discover the truth about the man of her dreams.
I am so used to Mark Tilbury writing full-length novels or novellas that these short stories made a change. It meant I could dip in and out of these Twisted tales or even read them out of order if I so chose! Actually I read one after the other non-stop…until the last page.
I like that he has brought something different with this book. Different yes, brilliant oh Yes! The Introduction to each story is a poem, a creepy one at that. This was just the beginning as I discovered as each story unfolded. What I have to mention is that every story featured women as the lead character. I am not too sure if I should be worrying about the author’s life and history after reading this compilation.
Out of the set of stories, my favourite is Private Museum, a tense story in that I was just waiting for the reveal…I was almost on the edge of my seat.
A set of stories that cover so much and can appeal to a broad range of readers. Mark Tilbury has managed to pack so much into these short stories that they lack nothing for me personally and am so glad I was invited to take part in the tour.
Massive thanks to Mark Tilbury for my invite and the e-copy of the book.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 