DARK THOUGHTS by Martin Reaves_Review

Review of Dark Thoughts by Martin Reaves

5 stars

The hallmark of a good story, of whatever length, is the capacity of that story to linger in the reader’s mind. If you finish the final page and go away unfulfilled, and never consider the story again, its purpose has been unfulfilled. If, however, that story, or novel, or chapter, stays on and on and on (like an uninvited house guest who just won’t go home), then that story—and that author—have succeeded. Such is my response to Martin Reaves’ collection, “Dark Thoughts”-9 stories, a work-in-progress teaser, and a novel excerpt. These folks, I can tell, are going to be hanging around for quite a while; especially “The End of the World-and I Feel Fine,” and most especially “Linda Vista Hospital…in Memoriam.” THAT one walked right out of my e-book reader and curled itself up in my heart, speaking to my life the way the narrator sings about in “Killing Me Softly”: “as if he’d found my letters and read them each out loud.”

Discerning Readers: wait no longer! Hie yourselves to your favourite bookseller and grab this collection!