Close Call: Short and Bittersweet (my first literary review!)

“Close Call: Short and Bittersweet is a great title for a memorable book. It is an autobiography in the form of short stories … the first three are based on her family’s south Skye stories from the first half of the 20th century and actually pre-date [her] own life … taken together this string ofContinue reading “Close Call: Short and Bittersweet (my first literary review!)”

Weejie

Five curious students that should have known better perform a séance. It seemed like a good idea at the time … “… I LOOKED for the tell-tale signs of white on the end of someone’s fingernails but there were none … [The glass] darted from letter to letter, spelling out words that did not makeContinue reading “Weejie”

The Undertaking

The aftermath of a funeral is the setting for an encounter with the supernatural. Appearances can be deceiving … “I had already returned to my home town by bus by the time the fancy Hearse arrived from Glasgow … In the first few moments of being introduced to the young undertaker and melting at theContinue reading “The Undertaking”

Port Wine

Granny’s acting awfy suspicious-like. Why on earth would she want to harm her newborn grandchild? “… [THE woman] quietly turned the handle and crept towards the little cot that had been placed beside [the] bed. There she found the infant loosely wrapped in layers of swaddling blankets, a tiny set of fingers poking out theContinue reading “Port Wine”

Terminus

THE Abortion Act has not long been passed. An unmarried pregnant woman is railroaded into terminating her pregnancy due to mental illness. If her doctor has his way, she will be among the first in the Highlands … “ … THERE was no sense of dread, only a knowledge that she didn’t want to be here.Continue reading “Terminus”

As the Crow Flies

What has Iain been up to? The Old Man has his ways of getting to the truth of the sins of the son … “… THE MAN slammed his brakes, veering to the other side of the road to avoid lurching forward and flying through the windscreen … When the car finally screeched to aContinue reading “As the Crow Flies”

Chicken

The house has a little secret. What is Roddy not telling his wife? “… MR MCDIARMID was just polishing off the last spoonful of cream from his plate when the light and soft quiet emanating from the window was interrupted by a dark shadow and a loud flutter … By the time Morag returned fromContinue reading “Chicken”

The Serpent and the Bicycle

IN THE wake of the Great War, a young Skye man experiences an inexplicable occurrence that leaves everyone with their heads scratching and his mother climbing the walls. It is an event that that will change the course of his life forever. “… NOT EVEN the sight of Beinn na Cailleach and the Coolin mountains in aContinue reading “The Serpent and the Bicycle”

Foot in Mouth

A MAN was away on a business trip and stumbled onto a Hallowe’en party in the hotel he was staying at. As he mingled, he spotted a man dressed as Robin Hood and a woman of large stature dressed in a Tudor-style outfit. So he decided to try and make conversation. The Tudor lady was standingContinue reading “Foot in Mouth”