Death Cap

by Cecil Cavender

Stricken with a terrible fear of poisonous mushrooms, a young man’s life has degenerated into an endless cycle of suspicion and brillo pads. When his friend suggests a gravy-coated cure at a local restaurant, he reluctantly accepts. But as dinner progresses he begins to suspect that his friend may have an ulterior motive; namely murder, by way of the very mushroom that he fears the the Death Cap.

24 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2015

Reviews

[WP Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful little book is a bizarre combination of well-spoken Queen's English and paranoid psychosis, and manages to be very, very funny with it. A genuine 'laugh-out-loud' book is a rare find, but I certainly laughed aloud at this, with its quirky turns-of-phrase and eccentric British humor. The internal monologues are brimming with over-the-top panic, while the dialogue is quite understated for the most part, and the sudden contrasts between the two provide much of the laughs. It even racks up quite a bit of tension towards the end, no mean feat for such a short, strange book. I would highly recommend this if you fancy a good laugh. Even if you're unsure, it's free on Smashwords and only clocks in at about forty minutes' reading time - so there's nothing to lose!

A little gem that shouldn't go undiscovered.

[EHough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Bruce Robinson's 'Paranoia in the Launderette' and that bit at the start of 'Three Men in a Boat' with the ill-advised medical encyclopedia. An intense half-hour read full of schizophrenic monologues and exceedingly English dialogue. The humour may be a bit of an acquired taste but I found it hilarious - had to stop reading on the train for a while because I kept laughing. Definitely one of my top free books, and at absolutely zero cost, I would highly recommend it.