A Dark House and Other Stories

by Ian Colford

In Ian Colford’s latest collection, people get themselves and those they love into situations awkward and sometimes dangerous, doing what they think is best for all. A man kidnaps his young son from his ex-wife and the road trip west quickly spirals out of control; a destitute mother makes a risky alliance with a neighbour; an almost comically wrong-headed older brother has a detective follow his sister; a retired shop-owner in north end Halifax reflects on his life before making a snap decision to change the course of his sunset years. Colford depicts his characters’ shortcomings with wit and generosity, in a plainspoken style that belies deeply nuanced portrayals of the questions of fortune, inevitability, and self-preservation.

Genres: Short Stories

200 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 2019

About the author

Ian Colford is a fiction writer who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Educated primarily in Halifax, he has a bachelor's degree in mathematics, a master's in English and a master's in library science. His first short story was published in 1983. An early novel, "The Confessions of Joseph Blanchard," won the 2001 H.R. (Bill) Percy Prize for unpublished novel from the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia. His short story "The Reason for the Dream" appeared in the 1998 Journey Prize Anthology and was one of three from that volume shortlisted for the prize.

Ian's stories, reviews, and commentary have appeared in numerous literary publications, in print and online. From 1995 to 1998 he was editor of the literary publication Pottersfield Portfolio, and from 1994 to 2000 served on the executive board of the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia. In 1998 he selected and edited a collection of stories by Maritime writers, called Water Studies, for Pottersfield Press.

Evidence, his first collection of short fiction, was published by Porcupine's Quill in 2008. In 2009 Evidence was shortlisted for the Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize, the ReLit Awards, and the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, and won the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award. Evidence was described by the Globe & Mail as "a a rich, shadowed, mind-tweaking puzzle of a book.”

A novel, The Crimes of Hector Tomás appeared in 2012. Published by Freehand Books of Calgary, The Crimes of Hector Tomás is a tragic tale of disappearance and deception set in an unnamed South American country in the middle of the previous century. Critics have described the book as "disturbing" and "remarkable." In 2013 it won Trade Book of the Year at the Alberta Book Awards.

A novella, Perfect World was published in May 2016 by Freehand, and in 2019 his collection of short fiction, A Dark House and Other Stories, was published by Nimbus Publishing under their Vagrant Press imprint. A Dark House was shortlisted for the Alistair MacLeod Prize in Short Fiction and the Relit Awards.

His most recently completed manuscripts are "A Momentary Lapse," a novel of contemporary Halifax, and a second collection of short fiction featuring Evidence protagonist Kostantin Bitri.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is a book of short stories and I found some more likeable than others within its collection especially the faced paced heart pounding ones!
A great book to read at leisure!

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories / vignettes
Rather dark, but thought provoking.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first review on Goodreeads. Thoroughly enjoyed the collection of gripping short stories. Ian Colford has a style that grows on you. That's what made me chomp through all stories even though I started out with the intention of reading only one or two. He develops his characters with deft touches and nuances within the limited short story framework. There is a touch of pain, darkness, helplessness and even fatalism among most of the key players. He doesn't feel forced to offer a forced closure to any of the stories and leaves the plot fluttering in the air, thus adding to a sense of melancholy and imagination. I am going to read his other books soon.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of short stories that showcase the talent of Ian Colford. His stories have a central theme, but they are all different, telling the reader a completely different mystery with each one. These stories may not be novel length, but they certainly will keep you reading as the puzzles work their way through each character's life. The characters are memorable, their stories more so. Now I have to check Mr Colford's back library.

[Booksandthrifting · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dark House is a fantastic collection of short stories - some more gripping than others but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading them all especially the faster paced ones.

Again, this collection shows how much of a fantastic writer Ian Colford is and I will pick up a hard copy once published so I can re-visit some of my favourite stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook arc - my opinions are my own.

[Tim Covell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, the stories are grim. With one exception, these are tragedies where people suffer bad luck, make bad choices, and don't know how to recover from their regrets. That makes it difficult reading. On the other hand, the stories are told with excellent pacing and an unflinching eye for the details of poverty and struggle. The craft of these stories is admirable. Locations vary, but the locally set stories are a bonus.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The talented writer Ian Colford lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I recently became aware of his brilliant writing. As I grew up and spent part of my adult years in Nova Scotia, I don't understand why I wasn't aware of his books earlier. This thought-provoking, immersive collection of short fiction explores human dilemmas from the points of view of the dominant characters. Leading characters are flawed but treated with sympathy. Most stories are set in and around Halifax, NS.

The unsettling stories are melancholic, infused with a sense of helplessness and fatalism. Characters ponder what would be the right decision but choose what they believe to be the best move. The results cause themselves and others into unpleasant situations. I now plan to read the author's other books.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dark House from Ian Colford is a collection of short stories some of which have previously been published but not all together like this.

The stories are all totally different. Some fast paced, some will stay with me for a good while. A great book to pick up now and again and dip into.

Thanks to Netgalley and Nimbus Publishing for the ARC. (My review is my own opinion.)

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really strong collection of stories by a talented writer. He may never be famous but he writes really well, and I hope he writes a lot more. These stories are varied and nuanced at times, and always entertaining. Recommended!

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

[James Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional collection of short stories that are being published for the first time. Some were written 25 years ago, but are ageless in scope.