#BookReview-‘The Little Gift’ by Stephen Volk

Published by Spectral Press , and available as a Hardback via PS Publishing, and also in eBook format (links to buy below)’The Little Gift’ by Stephen Volk packs a mighty punch.

I would contend that the short story and novella art form are still relevant in the day of bloated blockbusters, and that independent press such as the aforementioned, are fore runners in printing them.

To very roughly paraphrase Stephen King, ‘ a short story is like a kiss from a stranger in a dark alleyway’- in this case , ‘The Little Gift’ novella left me breathless, exhilarated and afraid…it lingered with me all day and night.

Who was the recipient of the little gift,who was the giver?

What I had thought of as a liberation had been just a diversion, a trap. By whatever circuitous route I’d come to it, I was safe again, rescued by grotesque happenchance from the reckless abandon of my unchained emotions.’

I don’t want to give too much away to spoil the plot, it’s a first person narrative of a unnamed man who has a decision to make that is ultimately taken out of his hands.

The parallel of the normal act of a household pet ,to what the narrator does(or rather doesn’t do) is brilliantly drawn, not a spare word is employed and results in a tightly plotted story line that teases enough to give you details but not so much that it results in showing the hand of the creator behind the curtain…

Someone who loves you may be bringing you a present but it may not be your idea of a gift at all, it may be bloody and gruesome.

I would highly recommend also, ‘‘The Dark Masters Trilogy’ which contains 3 novellas, that imagine stories for Peter Cushing, Alfred Hitchcock and Aleister Crowley.

So far I have read ‘Whitstable’ which is purely brilliant-great and succinct review as per, but it is what it is !-and I am looking forward to reading the other 2 immensely. It’s not often that this blogger has to find herself wiping tears away, but Stephen Volk definitely got me right there in ‘Whitstable’ which centres the late, great Peter Cushing.

For an extract of ‘The Little Gift’ and ‘The Dark Masters Trilogy’ follow the link-

http://www.pspublishing.co.uk/blog/2017/03/01/the-little-gift-by-stephen-volk/

PS Publishing make beautiful books with heart and are truly one of the foremost sellers of specialist fiction-their books are things of beauty.

About the author

Stephen Volk is probably best known as the BAFTA-winning writer of the notorious (some say legendary) BBCTV “Halloween hoax” ‘‘Ghostwatch’, which spooked the nation, hit the headlines, caused questions to be raised in Parliament, and was recently voted one of the top British horror films of all time. He was also creator and lead writer of ITV’s award-winning paranormal drama series ‘Afterlife’ starring Lesley Sharp and Andrew Lincoln.

Most recently he adapted Phil Rickman’s supernatural crime novel ‘Midwinter Of The Spirit’ as a 3-part miniseries for ITV starring Anna Maxwell Martin and David Thelfall, and co-scripted the 2011 feature film ‘The Awakening’, a period ghost story starring Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton.

Links-https://www.stephenvolk.net/