Collie

You did this; you killed my brother, you and your
fancy tart downstairs, you and your Hollywood
ideas. You killed him, as sure as if you had taken a
gun and shot him through the heart, now you can
join him you bastard! She pulled one of the large
kitchen knives from behind her back and raised
it above her head then lunged at Lenny. I moved
quickly and tried to grab her arm but she had
the strength of a man, so much strength that she
tossed me aside like a rag doll. I remember her
eyes vividly, staring, empty, as though nothing
else mattered but driving the knife into Lenny,
as though there was nobody else in the room. I
tackled her from behind and by this time Stan had
managed to get a grip on her arm and all three of
us fell onto the bed.


I was pleased to read Collie this is both a substantial
novel and an extremely good one, with a story
whose credibility rests on the authors literary style,
which is assured, controlled and atmospheric. It is
a touching and compelling work, balanced between
detailed description and a paced narrative of
events.


The story is built gradually and with a great deal
of patience on behalf of the writer, who takes
pains to increase the tension and atmosphere
whilst drawing his characters with accurate and
well observed characterisation. He weaves their
relationships with unpretentious charm, marking
the text with genuine warmth. The dialogue is
believable and well written, the setting evoked
clearly but with subtlety this is a novel with an
individual and original style, one which will appeal
to readers of quality fi ction.


Helen Pascall-Barton.