Oddly Enough Volume Two: Tales of the Unordinary

by Kim M. Watt

Worlds end.

Deals are struck.

And the baking is to die for ...

Twenty-two more tales of the odd and unfamiliar, tales of murder and mayhem and garden sheds of peculiar proportions. Tales of near-misses and direct hits, of faery tech and alien ships. Tales of the strange. Tales of the unordinary.

Come on in. The tea shop's open, and the cakes are plentiful.

There’s nothing to fear here.

Well. Maybe check the tea. Just in case ...

____________________________

Oddly Enough Volume 2 is (surprise!) the second collection of short stories from Kim M. Watt, author of the Beaufort Scales Cozy Mysteries (with dragons) series and the Gobbelino London, P.I., series, among others. These 22 tales are full of the same humour, friendship, and joy as her novels, with the addition of dangerous coffee, peculiar retirements, and unusual pets, to name a few. Plus tea and cake, of course.

None of the stories contain graphic violence, sex, or strong language, although they do contain blasphemy.

The majority of these stories have been written for the membership site, and are available to buy individually on Kim’s website. But there are also some brand new ones, including a free extra to download at the end which went feral and grew too big to include. Don’t forget to grab it!

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 18, 2025

About the author

Hello lovely people!

I’m Kim (as you may have guessed, given that you're on the author page for Kim). I write funny fantasies and off-beat cosy (or cozy, depending where you're from) mysteries set in a world not so dissimilar to ours - and in fact sharing many locations.

And in this not-dissimilar world you'll find mystery-solving dragons with a strong affection for barbecues and scones, and snarky feline PIs with human sidekicks. You'll run across baking-obsessed reapers running petting cafes stocked with baby ghouls, Apocalyptic riders on Vespas, and women of a certain age Getting Things Done. There may even be the odd born-again troll redefining troll-ness for the modern age about the place.

You'll find myth and reality clashing in small and spectacular ways, and discover the healing magic of tea and a really good lemon drizzle cake.

But, most of all, there will be friendship, and loyalty, and people of all species looking out for one another. Because these, above all things, are magic.

And you can find me rambling on about all this (and more) over on my website, or join me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for bad puns and many, many cat memes. Many.

Come join me!

Reviews

[Tsippi Jelingold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short stories. I especially love Kim's short stories. Whether light and funny or dark and horrible or scary or downright frightening, they all have the lyrical quality of her unique voice. Some are better than others, but all are good. The last three are about the special village of Whistlewick. Please, can I have more Whistlewick stories? Or a book series even? I'm totally in love with Margaret the tiny bat, who insists that she's of the darkness and that she is not cute. More, please.

[Erin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a very love/hate relationship with short stories. All the standard reasons I suppose, plus the fact that the gems don't keep on. I find myself nicely engrossed, waiting for 'what next', and its over. I hate that part, but its the mark of a great story and I love that part. So, this collection really emphasized that for me. A lot of "wait, that's it?" alongside some beautiful stand-alones. The Whistlewick stories, Deck the Halls and Dreadfully Sorry were probably my favorites, with Ready Steady Bake being the only real disappointment. It was over without any real feel for what was happening. Real shame too, cause there was some seriously weird potential there. Now I need to re-read the first Oddly Enough (again).

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I loved it - I gave it five stars. This is an unusual collection of rather odd short stories, and a delight from start to finish. Some of the stories are very odd indeed, and some of them almost a little alarming. Some finish with a happy sigh in spite of there being no resolution. Mystical and mythical creatures, badness (though not horrid badness - mostly rather witty in fact) and so much to utterly charm the reader. Some crime. Some murders - entirely justifiable of course. A terrific package of splendidly imaginative stories, triggered by the ordinary and shifted with no apparent effort into the extraordinary. I hope to meet some of these characters again to find out what else they have been up to and where they went (when they went somewhere). Thank you Kim, more please!

[Beth G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come for the quirky monsters. Stay for the endlessly surprising and perfect twists of Kim Watt’s writing. Come and notice sly notes of homage to others; stay to fall in love with Kim herself. Come for weird, stay for wonder! My favorite characters in this collection are the monsters and demons who find themselves out of place in a technological world, but have a greater, and rather more direct, moral compass than humans. And while Kim’s novels end up with more or less happy resolutions, as humorous fantasy novels should, short stories don’t necessarily. And that makes for thoughtfulness among the chuckles.

[Denise Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Oddly Enough Volume 2 for an honest review, and I can say that while short stories are not usually my 'thing', this collection may just change my mind!

There's a wide variety, some funny, some disturbing, some scary, maybe even prophetic and a couple leave you thinking what if...
I thoroughly enjoyed reading them, to the detriment of the housework, but it's not my fault, it was just so good!
The weird seems normal, magic is second nature, and now I know what it is that goes bump in the night, and I'm off to give my old shed a friendly pat and reassuring word!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent an advance copy of this book to review. This book contains 21 (I think) short stories plus a link to a longer short story (too big for a book of short stories, but now a novel it’s in own right). Each story is a glimpse into a different world, a sort of glimpse into ‘what would it be like if our world was just slightly different’. There are stories that make you pause and think, stories that make you laugh out loud, and stories that leave you just slightly uncomfortable-I’m not sure I’ll ever be quite the same again about coffee machines…
Loved it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good book of short stories - and this one is a great one! Ms. Watt has created several series that I absolutely love, and this is just icing on the cake. I get to spend additional time with some very minor characters that just couldn't be fleshed out more in the novels. Plus, there are new adventures and characters that just couldn't find a place in the novels. Yet, maybe.

There are funny ones, scary ones, caring ones - plenty to choose from. And since they are short, you can have one at a go, or sit down to several as you have time.

Ms. Watt has great descriptive writing. I don't often highlight books, but I do in hers. There is one passage where she describes the dark that is just scrumptious. Made me stop and reread at the time. (And yes, I just reread it again - page 145 in A Summoning of Roses if you want to go straight there after you buy the book.) Such lovely writing is scattered throughout the book.

Enjoy!!

[Alexa Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an Advance Reader Copy, and I'm so happy I did. These stories are great fun and a bit more odd than I expected. Yay!
"Ready. Steady. Bake." is unexpected and very unsettling. "A Summoning of Roses" made me laugh, as did "The Witching Hour."  "A Little Not-Good" is right on the mark—retirement can get a bit dull.
As always, Ms. Watt's writing is excellent, and again there are metaphors and similes I will long remember.
This collection is a win.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

I’m loving these latest tales of the extraordinary from Kim Watt.

They are funny, a little sad at times and scary. There are cats, things with tentacles, creatures with scales and claws as well as demons. I don’t think I’ll be able to look at the Great British bake off in quite the same way ever again and making coffee might be a thing of the past.

What a Christmas treat and not to be missed.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness - a marvellous medley of short stories: scary, funny, magic and downright weird. I really enjoyed the mix of tales where one meets all sorts of faes, demons, witches and a shed (I rather like the idea of owning one of those, tentacles and all. The coffee-maker tale was the scariest for me.

Another fine book from Kim

[Mireille · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second collection of stories.
And it is indeed Unordinary. These stories are of the unexpected, unbelievable, underestimated, sometimes unforgettable, sometimes unnerving, but definitely undeniably good!
Kim has a knack for taking something that you often would not even think about twice and then spin a yarn around it that makes you sit up, take notice and wonder.
Enjoy!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute brilliant collection of short stories. From cats to strange eggs. From smiling coffee machines to sneaky bats. There are stories here for everyone.

If you know Ms Watt’s writing then you may have already read one or two. Brought together like this, though, and they’re just fabulous.

I can guarantee that many will stay with you leaving you skirting canal tow paths, avoiding the garden shed (really, it’s a great excuse!), never going ice skating at night, and any other numbers of ways that stories of old had you avoiding cracks in the pavements and walking under ladders. Just in case.

You won’t be disappointed so sit down with a cuppa and some cake (but mind the jam!) to enjoy.

[Jacky Mercury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky and often scary tales of monsters, trolls, tentacles etc that just will lurk in unexpected places such as innocent garden sheds. There's always something to remind you that life is never quite as normal as you thought and to keep your wits about you while venturing into this book!

[Love2Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another collection full of fantastical, funny, fabulous tales. Whether you’re in the mood for something eerie or tongue-in-cheek funny, whimsical or dark, this collection has a bit of everything. Skip around or read it straight through; you’ll find a variety of great stories.

[Lavender Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kim M. Watt never fails to entertain. This book is a treasure trove of weird, twisty, thrilling fun and delectably dry humour. 10/10: would definitely recommend!

A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.

[Rosalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

More tales of the weird and wonderful from Kim! From buildings that don't behave to an egg that's more than it seems, each story is a little gem of curiosity that somehow ends up making perfect sense. Just watch out for the holiday beasties, and beware of sheep.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another funny, creepy, odd, surprising and sometimes moving short story collection from the fertile imagination of Kim M. Watt, a perfect taster menu before consuming the feasts of the Beaufort Scales, Gobbelino London and D. I. Adams series. Enter at your own risk, and mind the shed ...

[Anne Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well named. Lots more very odd stories about lots of strange things. Some are very funny, others more sobering, but, if you enjoy oddities, this book is for you.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story left me hankering for the next chapter. There are so many unique and charmingly bizarre worlds in this book - you won't be disappointed (unless, like me, you wish you could visit.)