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Rather Like Marzipan: A collection of delectably dark short stories
Dark, delectable and devious – stories to make you squirm, stories that worm their way into your head and heart, leaving you chilled, perhaps thrilled, and maybe a tad paranoid.
These stories all have dark themes, with many of them touching on subjects that could be distressing. Some are at the grimmest edge of crime fiction, nothing cosy about them, with the exception of perhaps one, two. If you like your stories cosy then they aren’t for you!
Will Alvira get the night out she’s hoping for? And if so, at what cost? – Night Out
A mum looks for her daughter on the beach. Can she ever forgive herself for the tragic events she blames herself for? – Kaleidoscope of Seaweed, Stars and Footprints
The stress of IVF, an errant husband, and the murders of hard-working sex workers come together in a Blueprint for Murder
The secrets of the past threaten the now comfortable life of retired Tilda Fox – will she follow her heart or head?
Will Uncle Harry succumb to the dastardly deeds of his niece who is plotting a Caribbean cruise with the inheritance she’s due – Spring Menu
Does having a famous name bring celebrity and fame? And what do you have to do to achieve that notoriety? – What’s in a Name
When is enough finally enough of a charmer? How will Donal’s long-suffering wife seek revenge? - Blarney
Will Alice finally get to meet her sister, Izzie? Why did they come to be separated? When is a bad thing a good thing? – Finding Izzie
Kelly is missing her mum. How can Someone Else’s Mum ever replace her own?
Can a hardened detective save a vulnerable baby? What is the legacy of saving babies – or not - for a living? - That Tiny Sliver of Time
These stories all have dark themes, with many of them touching on subjects that could be distressing. Some are at the grimmest edge of crime fiction, nothing cosy about them, with the exception of perhaps one, two. If you like your stories cosy then they aren’t for you!
Will Alvira get the night out she’s hoping for? And if so, at what cost? – Night Out
A mum looks for her daughter on the beach. Can she ever forgive herself for the tragic events she blames herself for? – Kaleidoscope of Seaweed, Stars and Footprints
The stress of IVF, an errant husband, and the murders of hard-working sex workers come together in a Blueprint for Murder
The secrets of the past threaten the now comfortable life of retired Tilda Fox – will she follow her heart or head?
Will Uncle Harry succumb to the dastardly deeds of his niece who is plotting a Caribbean cruise with the inheritance she’s due – Spring Menu
Does having a famous name bring celebrity and fame? And what do you have to do to achieve that notoriety? – What’s in a Name
When is enough finally enough of a charmer? How will Donal’s long-suffering wife seek revenge? - Blarney
Will Alice finally get to meet her sister, Izzie? Why did they come to be separated? When is a bad thing a good thing? – Finding Izzie
Kelly is missing her mum. How can Someone Else’s Mum ever replace her own?
Can a hardened detective save a vulnerable baby? What is the legacy of saving babies – or not - for a living? - That Tiny Sliver of Time
164 pages, Paperback
Published April 11, 2023
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 20, 2023
I love dark literature! I don’t know what it is because I’m not a dark person by personality but there’s something about a dark story that appeals to my inner soul so imagine my joy when someone offers me a book full of several of them.
Rather Like Marzipan is a darkly delicious anthology of short stories to indulge your darks side with. They vary in length and content and provide a very entertaining set of stories to dip in and out of when you need something shorter than a novel. They are all impactful in their own way and really gave me goosebumps or the chill factor.
One of the reasons that I love dark stories so much is the way they hang around in your head for a while – niggling at you at random moments during the day. It’s that slight feeling of being unsettled and disturbed that I enjoy for a short time after reading something that catches me off guard and the stories in Rather Like Marzipan will do this for you. They’ll leave you with questions, and that weird sensation of shock and disbelief.
There is a huge variety in subject matter, characters and the way you are left feeling after reading these stories and I loved every minute that I indulged in them.
Rather Like Marzipan is a darkly delicious anthology of short stories to indulge your darks side with. They vary in length and content and provide a very entertaining set of stories to dip in and out of when you need something shorter than a novel. They are all impactful in their own way and really gave me goosebumps or the chill factor.
One of the reasons that I love dark stories so much is the way they hang around in your head for a while – niggling at you at random moments during the day. It’s that slight feeling of being unsettled and disturbed that I enjoy for a short time after reading something that catches me off guard and the stories in Rather Like Marzipan will do this for you. They’ll leave you with questions, and that weird sensation of shock and disbelief.
There is a huge variety in subject matter, characters and the way you are left feeling after reading these stories and I loved every minute that I indulged in them.
April 18, 2023
This is a short anthology of stories, most of which are quite disturbing and dark. This is not something to read if you’re easily triggered. The stories are well written and vary quite considerably in length, some as short as just a few pages. I’m obviously not going to be able to review all the stories but I’ll just give you a line or two from three of them.
“… not have a bastard son like me, with my disjointed bones, clawlike digits, and mass of black unruly hair that grew where hair should not. He saw me as a freak.”
“… committed on the seventh day after childbirth to a place where they forced her to give up her first-born baby son…”
“…we found drops of blood in the baby bouncer seat…”
I’m not easily upset by stories but there are some very emotional and distressing stories so be aware. In particular there are a number about child abuse, Finding Izzie made me cry. A good anthology if you like a quick read and your stories dark and disturbing, probably not a good bedtime read!
“… not have a bastard son like me, with my disjointed bones, clawlike digits, and mass of black unruly hair that grew where hair should not. He saw me as a freak.”
“… committed on the seventh day after childbirth to a place where they forced her to give up her first-born baby son…”
“…we found drops of blood in the baby bouncer seat…”
I’m not easily upset by stories but there are some very emotional and distressing stories so be aware. In particular there are a number about child abuse, Finding Izzie made me cry. A good anthology if you like a quick read and your stories dark and disturbing, probably not a good bedtime read!
April 17, 2023
With a description like that you can see why I had to read this anthology, and I completely ate it up!
It’s like a grown up version of “Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark,” or the perfect collection to take along with you when camping or having a bonfire and you’re ready to exchange spooky stories. They’re all short enough to tell on the go, but they all pack a punch and leave an impression on you. They draw you in, no matter the length.
I don’t know that I can pick a favorite. The title tale, “Rather like Marzipan was good,” it’s obvious why she started with this one, but there’s another which I liked that really made me think about a young woman in trouble with the law, but it’s complicated by her own trauma. Another tells of a sick young girl telling her story in the void of her own spirit.
In honesty, they’re all good.
Pick this up for some quick, creepy thrills!
It’s like a grown up version of “Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark,” or the perfect collection to take along with you when camping or having a bonfire and you’re ready to exchange spooky stories. They’re all short enough to tell on the go, but they all pack a punch and leave an impression on you. They draw you in, no matter the length.
I don’t know that I can pick a favorite. The title tale, “Rather like Marzipan was good,” it’s obvious why she started with this one, but there’s another which I liked that really made me think about a young woman in trouble with the law, but it’s complicated by her own trauma. Another tells of a sick young girl telling her story in the void of her own spirit.
In honesty, they’re all good.
Pick this up for some quick, creepy thrills!
May 10, 2023
‘Rather Like Marzipan’ is a collection of chilling and dark short stories that truly had me gasping at some points!
This is a brilliant collection as there truly is something for everyone in them and they range in length from a couple of pages to a weighty chapter. I fly through these (literally as I was also on a plane at the time) and I must admit there is one which I loved. That was ‘Monkey’s Lament’. I grew up in Scarborough and I always wondered why my friends used to go on about hanging monkeys when our local team played Hartlepool and now I know! It was a brilliant introduction to the story and I never realised the human aspect behind it. There are some stories which are very dark indeed so please beware, it includes child abuse.
This was a great wee collection! Let me know if you pick it up.
This is a brilliant collection as there truly is something for everyone in them and they range in length from a couple of pages to a weighty chapter. I fly through these (literally as I was also on a plane at the time) and I must admit there is one which I loved. That was ‘Monkey’s Lament’. I grew up in Scarborough and I always wondered why my friends used to go on about hanging monkeys when our local team played Hartlepool and now I know! It was a brilliant introduction to the story and I never realised the human aspect behind it. There are some stories which are very dark indeed so please beware, it includes child abuse.
This was a great wee collection! Let me know if you pick it up.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews