A Case of Black Rock

This review is from: A Case Of Black Rock and other stories by Peter Klien(Kindle Edition)

Think of Edgar Allen Poe or you might want to think of HBO's Tales from the Crypt. Alfred Hitchcock's TV tales might also come to mind when you read Simon Marshland's 15 short/short stories titled after the first of the strange tales - A Case of Blackrock Mineral Water. 
Not all of the stories end with someone saying hello to death and there is at least one (find it for yourself) that actually does have a happy ending. That said, all of the stories do look at life from a far-side point of view and just might cause you to read it again to make certain what you think happened actually did happen. This is not a problem because the stories are short and you will probably read more than one at a sitting. 
Plotting is terse and too the point as is required in very short stories. Character development is 
surprisingly good, again considering the length of the stories. As for style, I would refer you to those 
mentioned above - Poe, Crypt and Hitchcock. 
About the author 
Marshland says of himself, "Rolling stone with most of my life spent on the move, living and working in 
places diverse as East Africa to South America. More recent activities have been based around the 
Mediterranean ranging from yacht chartering in Greece to fish farming in France. Currently I live in the 
West Country but admit to itchy feet. But wherever I've been or wherever I am I always write. It has 
become a habit I find impossible to kick." 
He has published several books including Mr Christopher, Private Lives and Dark Destiny. 
Summary 
Best read at night near a fireplace where the logs are burning while outside it rains and/or the wind is 
howling. Not recommended for those who insist on reading novels. I can't help but think it is a shame 
short stories find it difficult to find their way into print. But for those who want something different I can Highly Recommend A Case of Blackrock Mineral Water. Reviewer: Peter Klein Allbooks Reviews.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012

A Case of Black Rock and other stories By Simon Marshland

A Case of Black Rock is a collection of short stories covering many aspects of life. Subjects range from romance to inspirational, crime to family and drama to science fiction.

I thoroughly enjoyed the stories in this short story collection. There is dry wit and suspense, thrills and chills, and best of all twists at the ends that I did not see coming. The writing is very effective in getting such large stories condensed into only a few pages and making them entertaining at the same time. I found myself comparing the writing style to Jeffrey Archer, one who is very well known today for not just his novels but also his short story collections. I hope Simon Marshland continues to publish his short stories as I will for sure become a regular reader of his work! I suggest anyone who enjoys short stories to check out this book. And if you don't normally, try this one for when you just have a few minutes here and there, you might just get hooked!

Reviewer   Jennifer of M0mmy's Reading Too