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Kick It Again
KICK IT TOGETHER is McDroll's 10 original crime/noir stories now together in one amazing edition! Read about Gemma Dixon, the young CID officer who doesn't stand for any nonsense from her male colleagues and can kick and punch her way out of any difficult situation.Drowning tells the story of a support for learning teacher who comes to the end of the road in more than one sense.McDroll writes about people on the edge, struggling to survive against the odds and the momentus decisions they have to take to survive.
Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 29, 2012
Oh... Beeny's a little shite, isn't he? Lying to his mate like that!
Veronica, Queen Slave of the Mutant Monkeys sounds very interesting indeed... she doesn't come on the DS, does she? Haha!
A STRAIGHT GAME is an absorbing, all-too realistic story of a couple of delinquents. The characters.. . the dialogue... I can almost hear the conversation... the inflection in their voices... you capture perfectly the dialect. It really brings the characters to life. Excellent read!
This is really first rate writing, Fiona! As with all of your stories, I absolutely LOVE A STRAIGHT GAME.
NO MORE CHOICES... a raw, powerful, bleak story... when a mother's love and desperation takes her down to the very bottom of that long, dark path to something she hoped and prayed would never come to pass. there is a dark, tragic sadness in this telling of the human condition. Beautifully written, Fiona.
This one doesn't tug... it rips at my heart! We read stories like this and the lucky ones who haven't had to make the hard choices can only be thankful that they haven't had to. For those of us who have... the anguish and torment here wrings our emotions. This one brings tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat.
Beautifully written, Fiona! That last line... "The pilot light popped. The gas hissed into the darkness." ... that one got to me.
If I write anymore, I might give something away, so I will leave to you, gentle reader, the other three amazing stories in this collection.
~~**~~
Brilliant and breathtaking 'slices' of crime/noir; Fiona Johnson has another winner in KICK IT AGAIN. She sets a bar many reach for, but few attain. Be sure to check out her previous collection - KICK IT, available on Amazon, and visit Fiona's website at http://imeanttoreadthat.blogspot.com/.
~~finis~~
Veronica, Queen Slave of the Mutant Monkeys sounds very interesting indeed... she doesn't come on the DS, does she? Haha!
A STRAIGHT GAME is an absorbing, all-too realistic story of a couple of delinquents. The characters.. . the dialogue... I can almost hear the conversation... the inflection in their voices... you capture perfectly the dialect. It really brings the characters to life. Excellent read!
This is really first rate writing, Fiona! As with all of your stories, I absolutely LOVE A STRAIGHT GAME.
NO MORE CHOICES... a raw, powerful, bleak story... when a mother's love and desperation takes her down to the very bottom of that long, dark path to something she hoped and prayed would never come to pass. there is a dark, tragic sadness in this telling of the human condition. Beautifully written, Fiona.
This one doesn't tug... it rips at my heart! We read stories like this and the lucky ones who haven't had to make the hard choices can only be thankful that they haven't had to. For those of us who have... the anguish and torment here wrings our emotions. This one brings tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat.
Beautifully written, Fiona! That last line... "The pilot light popped. The gas hissed into the darkness." ... that one got to me.
If I write anymore, I might give something away, so I will leave to you, gentle reader, the other three amazing stories in this collection.
~~**~~
Brilliant and breathtaking 'slices' of crime/noir; Fiona Johnson has another winner in KICK IT AGAIN. She sets a bar many reach for, but few attain. Be sure to check out her previous collection - KICK IT, available on Amazon, and visit Fiona's website at http://imeanttoreadthat.blogspot.com/.
~~finis~~
December 25, 2011
In Kick It Again, McDroll has brought together an eclectic mix of five dark tales set in the bleak world most of us read about in the newspapers, but thankfully few of us inhabit. I've lived amongst people like these and can vouch for the fact that people like this do exist – and not just in fiction.
McDroll socks it to anyone who dare suggest that women can’t write violence because she does it so well. But in amidst all the violence these are stories with a real heart and that’s why they work so well.
I won't give the story away, but No More Choices the second story in this impressive volume (a chilling tale about prostitute Cora), had by far the biggest impact on me. When the violence comes, it's brutal and swift and definitely not for the faint hearted. Favourite line ‘Finally letting go off the money, she let it slide down onto the floor, the notes tumbling and floating like petals.’
McDroll socks it to anyone who dare suggest that women can’t write violence because she does it so well. But in amidst all the violence these are stories with a real heart and that’s why they work so well.
I won't give the story away, but No More Choices the second story in this impressive volume (a chilling tale about prostitute Cora), had by far the biggest impact on me. When the violence comes, it's brutal and swift and definitely not for the faint hearted. Favourite line ‘Finally letting go off the money, she let it slide down onto the floor, the notes tumbling and floating like petals.’
October 7, 2016
This book is hard and gritty and off-colour and I loved it.
McDroll’s prose hits you like a jagged bottle to the face on a Saturday night, and she continues to kick you when you’re down. Make no mistake; this is coarse-grained writing that bleeds onto the page. If you’re looking for happy ever after endings with the Walton’s taking way too long to say goodnight to Jim Bob, then you need to skip this book. It’s not for you.
If Harry Crews were Scottish, and a woman, he could well have penned these short stories. An excellent read
McDroll’s prose hits you like a jagged bottle to the face on a Saturday night, and she continues to kick you when you’re down. Make no mistake; this is coarse-grained writing that bleeds onto the page. If you’re looking for happy ever after endings with the Walton’s taking way too long to say goodnight to Jim Bob, then you need to skip this book. It’s not for you.
If Harry Crews were Scottish, and a woman, he could well have penned these short stories. An excellent read
March 3, 2012
When I read Kick It Together, I was taken aback.
There's A Pot Of Christmas soup, all warm and cosy. Not only did I enjoy its telling, but I learned a neat trick with Foxes Glacier Mints that means I'll be able to put icicles on future Christmas cakes. It was really gentle and I got completely involved in ideas for next years dinner. 'Kick It' - I wondered about the title for such gently skilled story-telling. And then came the twist. The sting in the tale. 'Kick It' finally made sense.
Gemma Dixon, a woman working her way through the nettles of police-rankings, is a great character. The opener gives a hint and she appears in the remaining stories (bar one) where we get to know a little more about her style and her strength each time.
In between the Dixon tales we have a story of a disillusioned Support For Learning teacher. It's the job I do. Reading about it not only reflected many of my own fears, it also highlighted perfectly the difficulties of the job in a way that is far-too-rarely mentioned. And boy does this one wear steel toe caps.
Dixon is the kind of lady who'll be in a novel some day, you just watch - or at least I hope that's the case; she certainly deserves to have a longer work of her very own.
Fantastic.
This is a wonderful collection and I'm off to take another kicking in the very near future.
A+
There's A Pot Of Christmas soup, all warm and cosy. Not only did I enjoy its telling, but I learned a neat trick with Foxes Glacier Mints that means I'll be able to put icicles on future Christmas cakes. It was really gentle and I got completely involved in ideas for next years dinner. 'Kick It' - I wondered about the title for such gently skilled story-telling. And then came the twist. The sting in the tale. 'Kick It' finally made sense.
Gemma Dixon, a woman working her way through the nettles of police-rankings, is a great character. The opener gives a hint and she appears in the remaining stories (bar one) where we get to know a little more about her style and her strength each time.
In between the Dixon tales we have a story of a disillusioned Support For Learning teacher. It's the job I do. Reading about it not only reflected many of my own fears, it also highlighted perfectly the difficulties of the job in a way that is far-too-rarely mentioned. And boy does this one wear steel toe caps.
Dixon is the kind of lady who'll be in a novel some day, you just watch - or at least I hope that's the case; she certainly deserves to have a longer work of her very own.
Fantastic.
This is a wonderful collection and I'm off to take another kicking in the very near future.
A+
December 31, 2011
Kick It by McDroll, is the author's debut collection and contains five emotionally charged short stories, with the combination being a perfect bundle for a debut collection. Three of the five short stories are about one of my favorite female tough-girl characters, Gemma Dixon. Gemma is a female cop working her way up in a man's world and proving she's got more balls than some of the men she works with. She's sharp, witty, not afraid to get dirty, and has no problem holding her own when things get rough. In A Pot of Christmas Soup, Gemma learns what the real ingredients are in a tasty dish served up by a female inmate. Then in The Red Glove, Gemma and her team find the remains of a young girl, and Gemma gets a note with startling information. The third story featuring Gemma Dixon, and the one that always brings a smile to my face, showcases Gemma dressed undercover in six inch heels and working a street corner as a whore in It Takes Years of Training. The two other stories in the collection feature a sperm donor meeting his daughter in Number 74, and a school teacher bringing a dramatic end to a difficult day in Drowning.
December 12, 2011
Another great collection of stories by McDroll. Some of the tales although very short managed to capture the imagination perfectly. The first story A Straight Game started off the collection playfully with a couple of humorous characters chewing the fat in a game shop. Things soon degenerate and the tale takes a violent turn for the worse.
No More Choices the second tale is bleaker, starker and tinged in gritty realism. Desperation this time is a motivating factor for a dark deed. The Return Journey is a reflective, haunting and cleverly executed tale that is perhaps my favourite of the collection. McDroll shows a real storyteller’s eye for detail and the backdrop for this story is harsh, stark and believable.
In The Trip the tension builds surely throughout before reaching an explosive climax.
The use of descriptive language on occasion in this collection was breathtakingly effective. Here's an example from the final tale Unrest: Military helicopters hung overhead like bulky metal dragonflies glinting in the sun.
A very enjoyable 5 star read for lovers of short fiction.
No More Choices the second tale is bleaker, starker and tinged in gritty realism. Desperation this time is a motivating factor for a dark deed. The Return Journey is a reflective, haunting and cleverly executed tale that is perhaps my favourite of the collection. McDroll shows a real storyteller’s eye for detail and the backdrop for this story is harsh, stark and believable.
In The Trip the tension builds surely throughout before reaching an explosive climax.
The use of descriptive language on occasion in this collection was breathtakingly effective. Here's an example from the final tale Unrest: Military helicopters hung overhead like bulky metal dragonflies glinting in the sun.
A very enjoyable 5 star read for lovers of short fiction.
June 17, 2012
4FEB12. A very enjoyable, thought-provoking single sitting courtesy of Scottish author Fiona "McDroll" Johnson. But why did amazon.com pull this? I went looking for Kick It Again and not only did Amazon not have it, the (newly retronymic) first Kick It was gone too.
11FEB12. The weirdness continues; The book appears to have been renamed in the last week and now is called Kick It Together.
10APR12. WEIRDNESS EXPLAINED. Together is a re-issue that includes both Kick It and Kick It Again. Here is a table of contents for Together:
1. A Straight Game
2. No More Choices
3. The Trip
4. Unrest
5. The Return Journey
6. A Pot of Soup
7. The Red Glove
8. Number 74
9. Drowning
10. It Takes Years of Training
Notes:
- Again's five stories are presented first.
- Of the original Kick It's five, "Drowning" and "The Red Glove" have been transposed.
- The title of "A Pot of Christmas Soup" has been changed.
11FEB12. The weirdness continues; The book appears to have been renamed in the last week and now is called Kick It Together.
10APR12. WEIRDNESS EXPLAINED. Together is a re-issue that includes both Kick It and Kick It Again. Here is a table of contents for Together:
1. A Straight Game
2. No More Choices
3. The Trip
4. Unrest
5. The Return Journey
6. A Pot of Soup
7. The Red Glove
8. Number 74
9. Drowning
10. It Takes Years of Training
Notes:
- Again's five stories are presented first.
- Of the original Kick It's five, "Drowning" and "The Red Glove" have been transposed.
- The title of "A Pot of Christmas Soup" has been changed.
December 31, 2011
We get another helping of emotionally charged stories in Kick It Again by McDroll. This time the stories showcase a fairly wide range of characters, from a couple of shady guys getting a beat down in A Straight Game, to a mother with no place to go but down in No More Choices. My two favorite stories are told in The Return Journey, a haunting tale of a daughter returning to her abusive past to finally take her mother's hand, and The Trip, the disastrous story of a family road trip. Perhaps the most emotional story for me was Unrest. In this story we read about the terror of war and the fear of being found by the enemy... "all hope of rescue was now gone." Absolutely chilling.
November 7, 2011
Well, of course I think it's wondeful - I wrote it!
February 13, 2012
A collection of ten short stories which all have one thing in common: No frills. These tales cut right to heart of the matter, they don’t meander along with unnecessary flowery language or page filling meaningless unwanted description. This collection bypasses the pleasantries and goes straight for the jugular. How refreshing! The endings when they come are usually harsh, stark and a shock to the system. McDroll’s stripped back style is interesting and unique.
Three of the ten stories star DC Gemma Dixon. A wisecracking young woman working hard to survive and thrive in the man’s world that is modern policing. McDroll’s collection of stories is set in Scotland and her use of language reflects that giving added realism. If asked to pick a favourite it would have to be Drowning. The author conveys the internal dialogue of a desperate woman excellently and ends the story with a flourish of brilliance. Some of the tales really managed to capture my imagination.
A Straight Game – A playful tale with a couple of humorous characters chewing the fat in a game shop. Things soon degenerate and the tale takes a violent turn for the worse.
No More Choices – A bleak tale that is stark, gritty and realistic. Desperation this time is a motivating factor for a dark deed.
The Return Journey - A reflective, haunting and cleverly executed tale that is one of my favourites of the collection. McDroll shows a real storyteller’s eye for detail and the backdrop for this story is harsh but ultimately believable.
The Trip - The tension builds surely throughout before the story reaches an explosive climax.
A very enjoyable 5 star read for lovers of short flash fiction. A great value collection that is well worth downloading.
November 11, 2011
I think the title should have just been “Kick A$%”. This grouping of flash fiction is in your face and fast paced. There is a very good reason why this title has been charting on Amazon Kindle UK literally within hours of its release, it is that good. The characters are rich, the prose is just to the point, punch you in the gut tight, and the speed at which McDroll delivers the action is blinding. I for one am a fan and a reader won over, no questions asked.
Here is the synopsis and author bio:
“ Kick It is a collection of five short stories. Three of the stories feature Gemma Dixon, a young CID officer starting at the very bottom of the career ladder, thrust into a world of violence and hardened criminals. Her colleagues may disregard her abilities but Gemma is made of strong stuff and quickly shows that she’s not a woman to be messed with.
Drowning & Number 74 present two very different characters who each in their own way have to deal with the hand that fate has dealt them, while they journey towards vital decisions that will change their lives forever.”
McDroll writes crime fiction with a strong hint of noir and a pinch of humour.
Her stories have appeared in Shotgun Honey and the Flash Fiction Offensive. She has stories appearing soon in Brit Grit 2, Off the Record and the charity anthology The Lost Children.
Her book reviews can be found at http://imeanttoreadthat.blogspot.com/
Here is the synopsis and author bio:
“ Kick It is a collection of five short stories. Three of the stories feature Gemma Dixon, a young CID officer starting at the very bottom of the career ladder, thrust into a world of violence and hardened criminals. Her colleagues may disregard her abilities but Gemma is made of strong stuff and quickly shows that she’s not a woman to be messed with.
Drowning & Number 74 present two very different characters who each in their own way have to deal with the hand that fate has dealt them, while they journey towards vital decisions that will change their lives forever.”
McDroll writes crime fiction with a strong hint of noir and a pinch of humour.
Her stories have appeared in Shotgun Honey and the Flash Fiction Offensive. She has stories appearing soon in Brit Grit 2, Off the Record and the charity anthology The Lost Children.
Her book reviews can be found at http://imeanttoreadthat.blogspot.com/
January 7, 2023
Damn, that was short. Took me forty-five minutes to read through and I took my time. It was worth it, though. DROWNING alone was probably worth more than the price I paid for the entire collection. KICK IT is perfectly sized for a quick read while waiting at the bank or while taking the bus. Plus, if you like it, you can KICK IT AGAIN like I will, soon.
January 9, 2016
A nice collection of short crime stories. Like I said, they're short, but they're also good.
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