What do you think?
Rate this book
Sourdough Universe
No Good Deed: A Sourdough Tale
Angela Slatter’s No Good Deed is a dark fantasy tale of magic, ghosts, and marriage set in her World Fantasy Award-winning Sourdough universe.
Isobel assumed her wedding would be the grandest day of her life, but when she wakes in a ghost-filled tomb still wearing her bridal veil, it’s clear events have taken an unexpected turn.
With the assistance of a vengeful spirit Isobel escapes her imprisonment, but her new husband Adolphus will not be pleased to discover his wife is alive. As Isobel comes to understand her husband’s darkest secret, the newlyweds begin a deadly dance that only one will survive.
This chapbook presents a stand-alone Sourdough story that does not appear in any of the three mosaic collections devoted to Slatter’s world of myth and magic, plus a chronology for all the publications that have appeared thus far.
Isobel assumed her wedding would be the grandest day of her life, but when she wakes in a ghost-filled tomb still wearing her bridal veil, it’s clear events have taken an unexpected turn.
With the assistance of a vengeful spirit Isobel escapes her imprisonment, but her new husband Adolphus will not be pleased to discover his wife is alive. As Isobel comes to understand her husband’s darkest secret, the newlyweds begin a deadly dance that only one will survive.
This chapbook presents a stand-alone Sourdough story that does not appear in any of the three mosaic collections devoted to Slatter’s world of myth and magic, plus a chronology for all the publications that have appeared thus far.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 2021
22 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
Angela Slatter
188 books838 followersAngela Slatter is the author of the urban fantasy novels Vigil (2016) and Corpselight (2017), as well as eight short story collections, including The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales, Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, and A Feast of Sorrows: Stories. She has won a World Fantasy Award, a British Fantasy Award, a Ditmar, and six Aurealis Awards.
Angela’s short stories have appeared in Australian, UK and US Best Of anthologies such The Mammoth Book of New Horror, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction. Her work has been translated into Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, and Romanian. Victoria Madden of Sweet Potato Films (The Kettering Incident) has optioned the film rights to one of her short stories.
She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, is a graduate of Clarion South 2009 and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006, and in 2013 she was awarded one of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships. In 2016 Angela was the Established Writer-in-Residence at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre in Perth.
Her novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (from Tor.com), and Ripper (in the Stephen Jones anthology Horrorology, from Jo Fletcher Books) were released in October 2015.
The third novel in the Verity Fassbinder series, Restoration, will be released in 2018 by Jo Fletcher Books (Hachette International). She is represented by Ian Drury of the literary agency Sheil Land for her long fiction, by Lucy Fawcett of Sheil Land for film rights, and by Alex Adsett of Alex Adsett Publishing Services for illustrated storybooks.
Angela’s short stories have appeared in Australian, UK and US Best Of anthologies such The Mammoth Book of New Horror, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction. Her work has been translated into Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, and Romanian. Victoria Madden of Sweet Potato Films (The Kettering Incident) has optioned the film rights to one of her short stories.
She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, is a graduate of Clarion South 2009 and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006, and in 2013 she was awarded one of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships. In 2016 Angela was the Established Writer-in-Residence at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre in Perth.
Her novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (from Tor.com), and Ripper (in the Stephen Jones anthology Horrorology, from Jo Fletcher Books) were released in October 2015.
The third novel in the Verity Fassbinder series, Restoration, will be released in 2018 by Jo Fletcher Books (Hachette International). She is represented by Ian Drury of the literary agency Sheil Land for her long fiction, by Lucy Fawcett of Sheil Land for film rights, and by Alex Adsett of Alex Adsett Publishing Services for illustrated storybooks.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 4, 2023
Un delicioso relato gótico, siniestro, perteneciente al mundo de Masa madre, que la autora plantea como el primero en una lectura cronológica (no en orden de publicación).
A destacar, el tono de cuento macabro y la crítica feroz a los roles de género y atribuciones esperadas en las mujeres para satisfacer a sus maridos.
Y por supuesto, esos modelos de mujeres fuertes, independientes, o que descubren su fuerza interior en el desarrollo de la historia.
Un placer volver a estas historias que se encadenan y relacionan entre sí.
A destacar, el tono de cuento macabro y la crítica feroz a los roles de género y atribuciones esperadas en las mujeres para satisfacer a sus maridos.
Y por supuesto, esos modelos de mujeres fuertes, independientes, o que descubren su fuerza interior en el desarrollo de la historia.
Un placer volver a estas historias que se encadenan y relacionan entre sí.
July 17, 2025
First off, this was an excellent story! Nothing makes me happier than ghosts, a bit of magic and a lot of revenge. Isobel is enjoying her wedding day and then... she awakens in the dark next to a skeleton who speaks to her of betrayal. That's it, that's all I'm giving away. Read it, it's awesome!
Secondly, I should have looked closer before making this purchase as it is just a story, a mere 35 pages, not a book as I was expecting, but again, that's all on me for not looking close enough to the description. This author has a series called "The Sourdough Universe" and I will definitely be looking into it, and hopefully there might be a collection of the stories.
Secondly, I should have looked closer before making this purchase as it is just a story, a mere 35 pages, not a book as I was expecting, but again, that's all on me for not looking close enough to the description. This author has a series called "The Sourdough Universe" and I will definitely be looking into it, and hopefully there might be a collection of the stories.
October 7, 2021
Sometimes justice is a battle cry.
Isobel was a delightfully contradictory character. Sometimes I shook my head at the foolish choices she made because I could think of several safer options for her that would have taken the exact same amount of brain power to come up with and time to accomplish. In other scenes, I felt a wave of sympathy for how scary it must have been for such a young and vulnerable woman to wake up in her own grave. Getting to know her was a real treat, and I appreciated how many different facets of her personality were displayed here.
It would have been helpful to have more world building in this short story. I understand that it was a prequel to a series, and I certainly wouldn’t expect something of this length to be as well-developed as I’d hope to see in a full-length novel. With that being said, there were many aspects of this world and how magic worked in it that I struggled to figure out. It was frustrating for me at times to see how often the narrator took these details for granted instead of giving the audience a quick explanation of what was going on, especially since the blurb described it as a stand-alone work.
I valued what this book had to say about how women and other vulnerable people are so often mistreated by people who are in positions of power over them. Isobel lived in a time when women had few social and legal protections from those who wished to harm them, so her predicament was even more dire than it would otherwise be. While I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover exactly what the narrator thinks of cultures and families who turn a blind eye to suffering for the sake of tradition or , I was quite pleased with the message myself. It was subtle enough to fit the storyline perfectly but also blunt enough to get its point across for anyone who might think they have a good reason for participating in such things.
No Good Deed – A Sourdough Tale was a satisfying read I’d recommend to anyone who like dark fantasy.
Isobel was a delightfully contradictory character. Sometimes I shook my head at the foolish choices she made because I could think of several safer options for her that would have taken the exact same amount of brain power to come up with and time to accomplish. In other scenes, I felt a wave of sympathy for how scary it must have been for such a young and vulnerable woman to wake up in her own grave. Getting to know her was a real treat, and I appreciated how many different facets of her personality were displayed here.
It would have been helpful to have more world building in this short story. I understand that it was a prequel to a series, and I certainly wouldn’t expect something of this length to be as well-developed as I’d hope to see in a full-length novel. With that being said, there were many aspects of this world and how magic worked in it that I struggled to figure out. It was frustrating for me at times to see how often the narrator took these details for granted instead of giving the audience a quick explanation of what was going on, especially since the blurb described it as a stand-alone work.
I valued what this book had to say about how women and other vulnerable people are so often mistreated by people who are in positions of power over them. Isobel lived in a time when women had few social and legal protections from those who wished to harm them, so her predicament was even more dire than it would otherwise be. While I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover exactly what the narrator thinks of cultures and families who turn a blind eye to suffering for the sake of tradition or , I was quite pleased with the message myself. It was subtle enough to fit the storyline perfectly but also blunt enough to get its point across for anyone who might think they have a good reason for participating in such things.
No Good Deed – A Sourdough Tale was a satisfying read I’d recommend to anyone who like dark fantasy.
September 15, 2024
Macabro y siniestro. Slatter haciendo de las suyas.
Lo de la novia enjoyada en su ataúd me ha parecido maravilloso.
***Sept/2024: relectura mientras disfruto de La biblia de Bosqueamargo porque quería recordar las implicaciones de esta historia con Hepsibah Ballantyne y las señoras Meyrick. Cuando tengamos traducido The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales tocará darle otro repaso 😁
Lo de la novia enjoyada en su ataúd me ha parecido maravilloso.
***Sept/2024: relectura mientras disfruto de La biblia de Bosqueamargo porque quería recordar las implicaciones de esta historia con Hepsibah Ballantyne y las señoras Meyrick. Cuando tengamos traducido The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales tocará darle otro repaso 😁
October 22, 2025
Angela Slatter's dark fantasy chapbook, No Good Deed: A Sourdough Tale, is a compact story of ghosts, magic, and revenge set in her acclaimed Sourdough universe. The narrative follows Isobel, a newlywed who awakens in a tomb, still dressed in her bridal veil, after her wedding goes unexpectedly awry. Aided by a vengeful spirit, she escapes her prison, only to discover her new husband, Adolphus, is more sinister than she realized. As Isobel uncovers his dark secrets, the story transforms into a deadly game between the newlyweds, where only one can survive.
Reviewers praised the story for its gothic atmosphere and compelling revenge plot, with one reviewer on The StoryGraph noting the imagery was so vivid it "leaked into [their] dreams". The short length (approximately 35–40 pages, according to Barnes & Noble) adds to its effectiveness, allowing the chilling plot to unfold quickly while feeling complete. A reviewer on Lydia Schoch's blog enjoyed the story's commentary on the mistreatment of women by those in power and how social conventions and tradition can lead to suffering. While some readers desired a longer story, most agree that it delivers a satisfyingly spooky and tense experience, showcasing Slatter's talent for crafting atmospheric fantasy.
Reviewers praised the story for its gothic atmosphere and compelling revenge plot, with one reviewer on The StoryGraph noting the imagery was so vivid it "leaked into [their] dreams". The short length (approximately 35–40 pages, according to Barnes & Noble) adds to its effectiveness, allowing the chilling plot to unfold quickly while feeling complete. A reviewer on Lydia Schoch's blog enjoyed the story's commentary on the mistreatment of women by those in power and how social conventions and tradition can lead to suffering. While some readers desired a longer story, most agree that it delivers a satisfyingly spooky and tense experience, showcasing Slatter's talent for crafting atmospheric fantasy.
October 5, 2021
No Good Deed is set in the Sourdough universe following protagonist Isobel, a former student of St Dymphna where she learned many skills from blade-work to poisoning, and not a lady easily pushed around. After a marriage proposal from the son of a old family (unknowingly long since fallen on hard times but keeping up appearances), Isobel thinks her marriage well made. Until she wakes in her wedding dress locked within a crypt with the remains of Adolphus’s previous wives. Alive and determined to get her revenge, Isobel finds support from another vengeful wife, this one incoproreal, but more than pleased to get revenge on Adolphus with Isobel’s help.
So begins the cat-and-mouse game between the newlyweds where Isobel must kill Adolphus if she wishes to survive her marriage.
No Good Deed is truly a tale of revenge and laced with dark humour. The gothic theme is lavishly applied but joined with a strong female protagonist to make No Good Deed very enjoyable and unique.
Highly recommended read for lovers of gothic fiction, horror, dark fantasy and grimdark. Beautifully written, darkly humorous and enjoyable to the end. A must-read!
So begins the cat-and-mouse game between the newlyweds where Isobel must kill Adolphus if she wishes to survive her marriage.
No Good Deed is truly a tale of revenge and laced with dark humour. The gothic theme is lavishly applied but joined with a strong female protagonist to make No Good Deed very enjoyable and unique.
Highly recommended read for lovers of gothic fiction, horror, dark fantasy and grimdark. Beautifully written, darkly humorous and enjoyable to the end. A must-read!
May 3, 2024
This gave me an actual nightmare! Not because it’s soooo scary, but because the imagery and the feeling are so vivid they leaked into my dreams.
Slatter has yet to do wrong by me. Her command of atmosphere and her ability to create these hard, rough women are unmatched. I’ll be vague so as not to spoil a 35-page story, but the themes are very skillfully and precisely carved into this horrific little number, and as someone who relates to certain aspects of this story, it was very cathartic.
Slatter has yet to do wrong by me. Her command of atmosphere and her ability to create these hard, rough women are unmatched. I’ll be vague so as not to spoil a 35-page story, but the themes are very skillfully and precisely carved into this horrific little number, and as someone who relates to certain aspects of this story, it was very cathartic.
February 25, 2024
A great little read from an author who clearly loves her genre with a passion. I felt the relish with which she relates this macabre tale from the perspective of a spurned bride arisen from the dead.
Figures sketched thinly are the evil groom and the spectre with whom she strikes up an alliance. The prose is delectable, although at times overwrought.
Recommended as a taster for her writing which now I’ll pursue poste haste.
Figures sketched thinly are the evil groom and the spectre with whom she strikes up an alliance. The prose is delectable, although at times overwrought.
Recommended as a taster for her writing which now I’ll pursue poste haste.
Read
July 2, 2023I enjoyed this short piece by a new-to-me author. There was enough background and setting hints to pique my interest in her other works. The sequence of events had a couple of handwavy aspects. I guess they might be explained in other stories, and I didn’t mind going along with the flow. Presumably, some of the characters feature elsewhere in the story universe. It will be fun to meet them again.
May 27, 2024
A wonderful short story in the Sourdough world. It was my first outing with Angela Slatter and left me entranced and wanting more. Several more books have made their way into my library and wish list as a result. The story is a dark, grim gothic tale - but deftly achieves that without being violent or graphically macabre.
March 31, 2021
Pretty Good
A very different type of horror story. While I did enjoy it I can't say that I would want to read everything the author has written. Horror is not a genre that I enjoy & I believe that I'll stop now.
A very different type of horror story. While I did enjoy it I can't say that I would want to read everything the author has written. Horror is not a genre that I enjoy & I believe that I'll stop now.
March 16, 2021
Short story I got for free on Amazon Kindle.
I enjoyed the world building aspect of it quite a bit. Definitely interested in checking out Slatter's other work and exploring more of her world.
I enjoyed the world building aspect of it quite a bit. Definitely interested in checking out Slatter's other work and exploring more of her world.
September 22, 2021
That was creepy but I loved it. 4.5 stars
May 20, 2023
An enjoyable gothic read with delightful spookiness and delectable revenge.
July 10, 2023
A very enjoyable and creepy Gothic tale about betrayal and vengeance.
November 9, 2023
Terrific short story from one of my favourite Aussie Authors. Angela Slatter’s prose is so perfect for this dark gothic story of revenge. Highly recommended.
December 26, 2023
4.75⭐️
May 18, 2024
A creepy little story of revenge.
August 20, 2024
Well-written story either often lush prose. However, I didn’t feel anything for the protagonist which is why this lost a star.
September 18, 2024
A stand-alone story early in the Sourdough world, reminding me a little of the film "Ready or not".
Luckily the bride went to St. Dymphna :)
Luckily the bride went to St. Dymphna :)
November 2, 2024
A short but wonderfully gothic addition to the sourdough world.
December 28, 2024
Fun short story about women getting their revenge, which means a bit of man murder, and I’m here for it honestly
February 12, 2025
4.5 stars
Haven’t read anything by this author that I haven’t loved.
Haven’t read anything by this author that I haven’t loved.
July 18, 2025
A gruesome, richly written, and entertaining novella of deceit and feminine rage. I may have just found a new favorite author.
October 28, 2025
系列故事中的第一部，风格倒是挺特别的，是鬼魂、死亡和阴谋的味道。陈旧的在婚礼当天被杀死的妻子复仇的故事，放在整个故事宇宙里，像小小的火种，字里行间透露出的某些设定是这片神秘水域的底色，希望在其他故事里有更多回响。
December 4, 2025
Another winner in the Sourdough Universe. At only 35 pages, this is a gripping story about revenge, ghosts and magic. Angela Slatter is the queen of gothic fantasy with a sprinkle of horror.
December 27, 2025
I really do need to fully read the sourdough-verse.
January 25, 2026
3.5
Lush and murderous.
Lush and murderous.
January 5, 2025
A dark fantasy tale of magic, ghosts and marriage. Desperately wishing for a longer tale. Read in a single sitting and will continue to read again and again and again ...
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews