Five stars (of five)
After tripping onto Mark Edwards just over a week ago, I am utterly addicted. When I received a free short story from him for signing up for his updates, I was immediately prepared to dive in. Laura has been in a long relationship which soured and left her to wonder if she’d ever find happiness again. On her morning commute, she reads the classifieds and ‘reach out’ ads, finding that she seems to have an admirer who’s showing up wherever she might be and seeking a formal sit down. When Laura confides in her best friend, they try to concoct a plan to discover who it might be, to no avail. Laura becomes suspicious and, after posting a message of her own and engaging the police, seeks to shield herself from this man. All she wants is for someone to love and protect her, not stalk her and leave her to feel ill at ease. As with any Edwards novel, tragedy spawns a complete change in the story and the reader must collect their jaw from the floor. Edwards knows what he’s doing and has his fans eating out of his hands.
Although it’s only a short story, Edwards is able to lure the reader in and keep them on the edge of their chairs. His premise is always stellar and he is usually able to capture the most devious sides of humankind, in a few short pages. Fans will likely rush to devour this short story as they wait for the next full instalment later this spring. I will soon have to check out his co-writing with Louise Voss to see how powerful their thrillers can be.
Kudos, Mr. Edwards for this wonderful short story. Keep them coming!
Book Reviews to Ponder 