Bert felt jealous, cheated on, and blue. Then he discovered he could morph into a giant nightmarish slug... Would you like a FREE copy? On Wednesdays and Sundays I’m blogging nibble-sized chunks of new ‘Life in the Clouds’ novellas. You can check in regularly and read them bit for bit, or leave a message in my 'contact' page, and I'll send the entire digital story to you for free when published. Life in the Clouds #6: Take a Slug ® James Field. |
Old upholstery and leather books made the room smell musty. She hadn’t dusted it in all the months she’d hired it. Dust and cobwebs sheeted the springy brown chairs, the bone-hard settee, the sooty black fireplace, and the vast glass-fronted bookcase that furnished one wall.
The stagnant atmosphere was unnatural to Olive, but she didn’t let it discourage her. However, she peered around uneasily. The more time she spent here, the cleaner she’d have to make it. Even religious freaks, with their bad breath and stale body odour, needed to clean their house occasionally. She crossed to the bookcase, unlocked one section, and placed the last two encyclopedias next to the other twenty-four in full view. Cheap romance novels occupied the shelf above. She’d read all of them. The contents of the remaining shelves comprised black-covered, speckle-leaved, dismal books of history, theology, philosophy, and biography. Of these, she’d read none. Olive pored over the books for a moment, trying to memorise their titles. She selected “A discourse of the Apostles“, randomly opened a page, and read aloud: “According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew. Named an apostle in Acts 14:14, he and Paul the Apostle undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts against the Judaizers.” Olive slammed the book shut, and an impish smile made her mouth twitch, “That’ll do. The Apostle Barnabas-a good name to spring on people.” To be continued… The real world: Rather than miss an instalment, it’s easy to follow my blog on bloglovin’. They’ll give you a friendly nudge as I release new parts. Like to know more about Alf, Bert and the rest of the gang? You can read their chaotic history in What on Earth. -
Image by lbrownstone from Pixabay
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James Field
Talvik, Norway You can also Find me on subscribe to get a free copy
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars There’s a lot to like and a lot to dislike in this story. I like that it’s cosy, funny, and heart-warming. The plot, however, is a tragedy. There are two murders, and every character in the book, of which there are many, has a motif. With so many twists, turns, and red herrings throughout the narrative, it lost me in a virtual maze. But the author commits the gravest crime: he introduces a new, guilty character right at the end of the story. Tut, tut, naughty. View all my reviews Archives
March 2024
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