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Dark Teesside
Red Marks
"I wondered if she was sleeping alone; I liked to think that she was. It was too late to knock on her door and say hello, but maybe I’d get the chance some other time."
In this chapter of the Dark Teesside series, follow Michael as he walks the streets of Thornaby...
Introducing Red Marks, a dark short story by award winning author Glenn McGoldrick.
In this chapter of the Dark Teesside series, follow Michael as he walks the streets of Thornaby...
Introducing Red Marks, a dark short story by award winning author Glenn McGoldrick.
- GenresMystery
11 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2017
About the author
Glenn McGoldrick
32 books60 followersI live in the North East of England. I’ve always enjoyed writing short stories, and I have been writing professionally for three years.
‘Nightmare Waiting’ is my first short story collection; I hope you enjoy it.
I’m an avid reader, particularly enjoying James Lee Burke, Robert B Parker and Lawrence Block. When I’m not busy writing, I enjoy music, movies, beach walks and beer.
‘Nightmare Waiting’ is my first short story collection; I hope you enjoy it.
I’m an avid reader, particularly enjoying James Lee Burke, Robert B Parker and Lawrence Block. When I’m not busy writing, I enjoy music, movies, beach walks and beer.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 27, 2019
Not one of my favourites by this author, it was ok but not thrilling.
April 1, 2024
The Sociopath!
Michael Atkins is a sociopath. He just doesn’t know he is. As the narrator, he tells it like he sees it.
He finds a purse on a seat in the back of a bus and stashes it away. Later, after examining the purse, he finds forty pounds inside.
He spends it.
Now he wants to spend a relationship with the woman.
He’s something else.
Four stars. 💫💫💫💫
Michael Atkins is a sociopath. He just doesn’t know he is. As the narrator, he tells it like he sees it.
He finds a purse on a seat in the back of a bus and stashes it away. Later, after examining the purse, he finds forty pounds inside.
He spends it.
Now he wants to spend a relationship with the woman.
He’s something else.
Four stars. 💫💫💫💫
January 20, 2021
Have you ever sat on a bus and been uncomfortable when someone has sat beside you or close by (pre-Covid, mind), makes me want to get off at the next stop.
That has nothing to do with this dark tale; but it might.
Our protagonist gets on a bus to go to the job centre and gravitates to the back. There he surreptitiously slides across the back seat to pocket a lost purse. If the woman who left it on the bus had still been aboard as he sashayed to the back of the bus she’d have got off at the next stop.
The bloke keeps his appointment; afterwards with time on his hands he takes a look at the purse. He keeps the money but goes on to discover a pic of its owner and a bill with her address.
To listen to him chat with his postie mate or with his elderly parents you perhaps wouldn’t worry - but then you might, if he sat next to you on a bus.
Teeside is a real place, McGoldrick has a trick in his short stories of bringing it alive. Yet the pictures tend to be monochrome with a favouring of dark and shade. This cautionary tale works on a few levels but I’ll sum up. Avoid eye contact.
Made you look, made you stare.
Makes you think if you dare.
Be prepared, makes you scared.
That has nothing to do with this dark tale; but it might.
Our protagonist gets on a bus to go to the job centre and gravitates to the back. There he surreptitiously slides across the back seat to pocket a lost purse. If the woman who left it on the bus had still been aboard as he sashayed to the back of the bus she’d have got off at the next stop.
The bloke keeps his appointment; afterwards with time on his hands he takes a look at the purse. He keeps the money but goes on to discover a pic of its owner and a bill with her address.
To listen to him chat with his postie mate or with his elderly parents you perhaps wouldn’t worry - but then you might, if he sat next to you on a bus.
Teeside is a real place, McGoldrick has a trick in his short stories of bringing it alive. Yet the pictures tend to be monochrome with a favouring of dark and shade. This cautionary tale works on a few levels but I’ll sum up. Avoid eye contact.
Made you look, made you stare.
Makes you think if you dare.
Be prepared, makes you scared.
December 16, 2017
This is a 3.5 star read.
I have read quite a few of this author's short stories now and I must say he has an innate talent at producing well paced, thoroughly rounded short stories, which is very hard to achieve. This was a VERY short, short read and yet it hooked you in from the start and kept you guessing until the stunning conclusion. I just LOVE short stories and this author has my undivided attention!
I have read quite a few of this author's short stories now and I must say he has an innate talent at producing well paced, thoroughly rounded short stories, which is very hard to achieve. This was a VERY short, short read and yet it hooked you in from the start and kept you guessing until the stunning conclusion. I just LOVE short stories and this author has my undivided attention!
May 30, 2018
I guess I missed the message in this one. The formatting didn't work on my Kindle for starters and then the MC turned out to be a drip. For a British writer, the grammar was actually good and easy to follow. However, the story never really gets going and then it just stops. Like I said earlier, maybe I just missed something here. All those 5 star reviews can't be wrong. Can they?
January 31, 2018
The narrator in the story seems almost like a shy-ish stalker. Why not just go up and introduce himself, say, 'Hi, you left this on the bus,' and just go from there? I get it, though, in a way, why he didn't.
Parental intrusion on the love-life, though.... I can understand why he'd be irritated. I would be, too! 'Can't stay single forever,' and it's only been a year... Nosy people irritate me. I could relate to the guy in the story on that front.
I understand it's a short story, but why did he grab his girlfriend, the catalyst for their breakup no doubt. I'm not surprised her father looked like he wanted to slug the narrator. I don't blame him. One of the fastest-paced stories I've read yet of Glenn's. Curious to tackle the others I have of his in my stash!
Parental intrusion on the love-life, though.... I can understand why he'd be irritated. I would be, too! 'Can't stay single forever,' and it's only been a year... Nosy people irritate me. I could relate to the guy in the story on that front.
I understand it's a short story, but why did he grab his girlfriend, the catalyst for their breakup no doubt. I'm not surprised her father looked like he wanted to slug the narrator. I don't blame him. One of the fastest-paced stories I've read yet of Glenn's. Curious to tackle the others I have of his in my stash!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
Loved it. Simply loved it.
February 9, 2018
In Red Marks by Glenn McGoldrick the reader finds unemployed Michael not sure what he wants to do with his life. He must go to the Job Center to continue receiving benefits. He wasn’t too bad off today as he had found a purse with enough money to buy a few pints. Later there would be a visit with his parents where they would inquire about his job prospects and his love life. Michael was scheduled for some training but what he really needed was practice with communication skills. He just couldn’t connect with folks. That was what had happened with Becky. He knew she wanted to give him a message, but he just couldn’t get it out of her. His efforts ended in a breakup of their relationship.
He wasn’t actively looking for a girlfriend but there was a prospect. He had found Kate’s purse with the money that had financed his drinks. The purse also had a picture of Kate. Her eyes reminded him of Becky. He should return the purse anyway. Maybe Kate’s gratitude would end up in a friendship and even a romantic relationship. He would return Kate’s purse and see if he could get her to communicate with him better than Becky had.
Glenn McGoldrick writes short fiction with twists. Some are more hidden than others. See if you can find the twist in this one.
He wasn’t actively looking for a girlfriend but there was a prospect. He had found Kate’s purse with the money that had financed his drinks. The purse also had a picture of Kate. Her eyes reminded him of Becky. He should return the purse anyway. Maybe Kate’s gratitude would end up in a friendship and even a romantic relationship. He would return Kate’s purse and see if he could get her to communicate with him better than Becky had.
Glenn McGoldrick writes short fiction with twists. Some are more hidden than others. See if you can find the twist in this one.
June 9, 2018
As in the last story I read by this author, the scene-setting and characterisation are among the best I’ve read; Glenn McGoldrick uses every word to perfection, placing the reader firmly at the centre of events. Once again, its impossible to say too much here without giving too much away, other than how thoroughly enjoyable it was. Despite reading a lot of short ‘twist in the tale’ type stories, I must admit I couldn’t really guess where this one was going, and even at its conclusion, the ending is incredibly subtle.
In the story, we see a snapshot of the life of a somewhat unlikeable, rather pathetic young man – a man making no effort to get a job, a failed relationship behind him with hints of something more sinister than the usual reasons for break-ups, and a thief to boot. As I’ve said, the ending is very subtle, not the usual ‘wow, I didn’t see that coming’ sort I’ve come to expect, and yet, it made me think about the different directions this story could take were it to continue … another fine and intriguing effort.
In the story, we see a snapshot of the life of a somewhat unlikeable, rather pathetic young man – a man making no effort to get a job, a failed relationship behind him with hints of something more sinister than the usual reasons for break-ups, and a thief to boot. As I’ve said, the ending is very subtle, not the usual ‘wow, I didn’t see that coming’ sort I’ve come to expect, and yet, it made me think about the different directions this story could take were it to continue … another fine and intriguing effort.
March 5, 2018
I love short stories n this is a great example of what s short story should be.
June 25, 2018
Just as it gets started it was over. Like all good stories I was left wanting to read more. There is potential here for a much longer novella or novel and I would definitely read it.
July 31, 2018
Michael is strange. He starts the day by taking a forgotten handbag. He checks the contents and ends the day ... Easy to see why his girlfriend dumped him.
September 23, 2018
Unsure
I immediately disliked the character so was a bit anti from the start. Yet I must admit that it was a bit provoking and left part of me reluctantly wanting more
I immediately disliked the character so was a bit anti from the start. Yet I must admit that it was a bit provoking and left part of me reluctantly wanting more
November 9, 2018
Great short story
Great short story. This author can get so much info into a short story then some ad's can in a full length book. Can't wait to read more books from this w.
Great short story. This author can get so much info into a short story then some ad's can in a full length book. Can't wait to read more books from this w.
March 6, 2020
\McGoldrick’s short stories often leave the reader feeling uneasy as does this one. Finding a lost purse the narrator stalks the female owner.
February 14, 2026
This is exactly why I keep coming back to this author.
On the surface, very little “happens”. A man steals a purse, becomes fixated on the woman it belongs to, and convinces himself she’s trying to send him some kind of message. But the tension builds quickly and quietly, and that’s what makes it so effective.
The creepiness comes from how ordinary everything feels. The bus. The Jobcentre. Dinner with his parents. Casual drinks at the pub. It all feels grounded and real. Which makes the gradual shift into obsession even more unsettling.
The detail about Becky and the red marks on her neck is the turning point. From that moment, you understand exactly what kind of man this is. The story doesn’t need to show the confrontation. It trusts the reader to connect the dots.
It’s short, but it engages your head more than many 500-page thrillers. No theatrics. No melodrama. Just tight psychological escalation and a confident, restrained ending.
Proof that a story doesn’t need length to leave a mark.
On the surface, very little “happens”. A man steals a purse, becomes fixated on the woman it belongs to, and convinces himself she’s trying to send him some kind of message. But the tension builds quickly and quietly, and that’s what makes it so effective.
The creepiness comes from how ordinary everything feels. The bus. The Jobcentre. Dinner with his parents. Casual drinks at the pub. It all feels grounded and real. Which makes the gradual shift into obsession even more unsettling.
The detail about Becky and the red marks on her neck is the turning point. From that moment, you understand exactly what kind of man this is. The story doesn’t need to show the confrontation. It trusts the reader to connect the dots.
It’s short, but it engages your head more than many 500-page thrillers. No theatrics. No melodrama. Just tight psychological escalation and a confident, restrained ending.
Proof that a story doesn’t need length to leave a mark.
October 6, 2021
Glen McGoldrick is a short story author and this seems to be his calling. I have read several of his short stories and find each to better than the last, as if that would be possible. In this story we find a young man, who is rather driftless. He survives on unemployment benefits and alcohol, and an occasion small find. Today was just that day a woman forgot her purse on the bus. He quickly spent the cash on a few drinks but had kept the purse. He rather liked the looks of the gal who owned the purse. Maybe he will have to go around and return it to her, maybe she will be thankful and be his next girlfriend. Is this the budding life of a serial killer, a future con artist, or just a creep. You will have to read and find out! This is one shilling read. This is really a brilliant read that you will not want to miss! I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.
December 25, 2022
Michael finds a handbag on the bus, goes to the job centre, has dinner with his parents and smokes some cigarettes outside of the woman whose handbag he found.
As you can potentially tell already from the start of my review, this wasn't really for me. The writing itself has nothing wrong with it but the story has no depth and for me when it begins with a weak premise and is not able to develop anything further then it leaves it feeling much too flat. This is a short story but for me I would want to see some additional descriptiveness to add the depth, for example the bus could be described as 'the smoke spewing, grime covered bus' which at least gives a feel to the setting and would help to draw the reader into being able to visualise the words a bit more.
I will potentially try something else from the author but this story was simply not for me.
As you can potentially tell already from the start of my review, this wasn't really for me. The writing itself has nothing wrong with it but the story has no depth and for me when it begins with a weak premise and is not able to develop anything further then it leaves it feeling much too flat. This is a short story but for me I would want to see some additional descriptiveness to add the depth, for example the bus could be described as 'the smoke spewing, grime covered bus' which at least gives a feel to the setting and would help to draw the reader into being able to visualise the words a bit more.
I will potentially try something else from the author but this story was simply not for me.
January 12, 2024
It’s Monday afternoon, and Michael Atkins gets on the bus at Westbury Street. He’s heading to the job centre.
In his mid-thirties, Michael finds something on the bus that isn’t his.
Michael is not exactly excited about the Online Essentials course.
Cigarettes, his mate Colin, the pub. Kate Summers. Electricity bill. Reminds Michael of Becky.
Dinner with his folks on Tuesday evening. Pressure to get a job and get a girlfriend—it’s been a year since Becky, after all.
We get flashes of Becky…and how that didn’t end so well.
Hopeful conclusion. Unique, odd story. Thought-provoking. Really enjoying this author’s cool, idiosyncratic style.
In his mid-thirties, Michael finds something on the bus that isn’t his.
Michael is not exactly excited about the Online Essentials course.
Cigarettes, his mate Colin, the pub. Kate Summers. Electricity bill. Reminds Michael of Becky.
Dinner with his folks on Tuesday evening. Pressure to get a job and get a girlfriend—it’s been a year since Becky, after all.
We get flashes of Becky…and how that didn’t end so well.
Hopeful conclusion. Unique, odd story. Thought-provoking. Really enjoying this author’s cool, idiosyncratic style.
February 3, 2023
Red Marks: a Dark Teesside short story, my seventh short read from author Glenn McGoldrick. How do you get breakneck pace, an intricately & tightly woven story line in just 11 pages? “I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
July 7, 2018
This was my first read from author Glen McGoldrick, really this was a pointless read, there is nothing dark about it and nothing in his writing grabs me or has me wanting to read more of his writing.
July 1, 2022
Entertaining story
Although it is another very short story, it left me with 3 possible outcomes. That’s why I enjoy theses short stories so much. I get to make up possible endings for them.
Although it is another very short story, it left me with 3 possible outcomes. That’s why I enjoy theses short stories so much. I get to make up possible endings for them.
August 7, 2018
A short story that is not a who done it but is a what comes next. did not really care that much for this story.
August 14, 2019
red marks
i didn’t understand the story what message did he think the woman whose purse he stole had for him
it was kind of weird
i didn’t understand the story what message did he think the woman whose purse he stole had for him
it was kind of weird
July 5, 2020
Another trip..
Your stories always take me/us to unexpected places, thought processes, that could be me. Thank you for the always unexpected.
Your stories always take me/us to unexpected places, thought processes, that could be me. Thank you for the always unexpected.
January 23, 2022
A nothing little short story. Didn't really get my interest up. Don't like thieves as heroes and this is what it looks like. Writing is fine.
July 8, 2024
Nothing happened
The story is so short that nothing happened .
A day in the life of a lad on the dole.
The story is so short that nothing happened .
A day in the life of a lad on the dole.
April 3, 2018
Stocker
Short story about someone who steals a purse and then starts stocking them, parents on him to get a job and find someone.
Short story about someone who steals a purse and then starts stocking them, parents on him to get a job and find someone.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews