Scenes of Mild Peril by David Court - Book Tour & Review + Giveaway
Scenes of Mild Peril
by David Court
Genre:
Horror / Sci-fi / Satire , Short Stories
Horror / Sci-fi / Satire , Short Stories
Across thirty disquieting stories, we'll encounter such tales as,
"Sovereign's Last Hurrah", featuring a team of retired
super-powered villains embarking on one last caper with their
legendary super-hero rival.
"Sovereign's Last Hurrah", featuring a team of retired
super-powered villains embarking on one last caper with their
legendary super-hero rival.
"A Comedian Walks into a Bar", in which a hungry and ambitious
amateur learns that the fabled secret of comedy may come at too high
a cost. "83", where the interview for a dream job
becomes a nightmare, and "In Vino Veritas, In Vino Mors",
where a dying wine collector takes part in a very special tasting
session, courtesy of a very special visitor.
amateur learns that the fabled secret of comedy may come at too high
a cost. "83", where the interview for a dream job
becomes a nightmare, and "In Vino Veritas, In Vino Mors",
where a dying wine collector takes part in a very special tasting
session, courtesy of a very special visitor.
You'll encounter possessed little fingers, magic swords, sanity-defying
factories, stranded astronauts, lovecraftian librarians, virulent
plagues, and pork scratchings ... all with a twist in the tale,
courtesy of the equally twisted mind of David Court.
factories, stranded astronauts, lovecraftian librarians, virulent
plagues, and pork scratchings ... all with a twist in the tale,
courtesy of the equally twisted mind of David Court.
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I'm going to start my review by admitting I was a little hesitant in agreeing to review this book. I LOVE short horror stories, but I've read so many duds lately that I was starting to worry maybe there was something wrong with me. But, thankfully, Scenes of Mild Peril proved to be a huge, winning success. I absolutely enjoyed this collection of stories, although there was one or two that weren't quite my cup of tea.
The very first story isn't even a page long. It's called Obsession, and it's fantastic. I was immediately enthralled, and I couldn't wait to read more of the author's stories.
Another story I enjoyed immensely was VIP. It definitely went a direction I wasn't expecting, and it made me snicker with how ridiculous it was.
Dangerous Yellow is a story that also goes in a direction you won't even come close to expecting, and it's absolutely amusing. I was like, "Oh my God, really?!"
Shit Happens is one of the longest stories in the book, but I do think it might be my favorite. That ending... sweet babies, it's amazing. I loved this story so much that as soon as I finished it, I ran to gush to my husband about it. He was like, "You're crazy, you know that?" haha
83 is another particularly good story. It's creepy and weird, and it's kind of messed up. It almost reads like a Choose Your Own Adventure, except you can't choose anything except to finish the story and see how it ends. I quite liked it. I also liked how the number appeared in a few other stories in the collection. Does it have any relevance? Maybe so...
Safety Record is a nice nod to an old cartoon. It surprised and delighted me. It's not necessarily horror (not all of the stories really are), but it's fun.
Apply Within is another really weird, creepy story. It takes the whole "babysitter gets screwed over in a horror movie/horror story" trope and turns it on its head. It was definitely a strange one.
If you enjoy short stories with elements of horror, humor, and science fiction, you'll enjoy Scenes of Mild Peril. Even though some of the stories were just okay to me, they were all well-written and kept me entertained. The ones I mentioned above were the ones I liked the most.
I'm rating Scenes of Mild Peril 4 stars. Highly recommend!
Check out the podcasts here!
David Court is a short story author and novelist, whose works have appeared
in over a dozen venues including Tales to Terrify, Strangely Funny,
Fears Accomplice and The Voices Within. Whilst primarily a horror
writer, he also writes science fiction, poetry and satire.
in over a dozen venues including Tales to Terrify, Strangely Funny,
Fears Accomplice and The Voices Within. Whilst primarily a horror
writer, he also writes science fiction, poetry and satire.
His writing style has been described as "Darkly cynical" and
"Quirky and highly readable" and David can't bring himself
to disagree with either of those statements.
"Quirky and highly readable" and David can't bring himself
to disagree with either of those statements.
Growing up in the UK in the eighties, David's earliest influences were the
books of Stephen King and Clive Barker, and the films of John
Carpenter and George Romero. The first wave of Video Nasties may also
have had a profound effect on his psyche.
books of Stephen King and Clive Barker, and the films of John
Carpenter and George Romero. The first wave of Video Nasties may also
have had a profound effect on his psyche.
As well as being a proud VIP writer for Stitched Smile Publications,
David works as a Software Developer and lives in Coventry with his
wife, three cats and an ever-growing beard. David's wife once asked
him if he'd write about how great she was. David replied that he
would, because he specialized in short fiction. Despite that, they
are still married.
David works as a Software Developer and lives in Coventry with his
wife, three cats and an ever-growing beard. David's wife once asked
him if he'd write about how great she was. David replied that he
would, because he specialized in short fiction. Despite that, they
are still married.
2 Comments
Really glad you enjoyed it, Jasmine!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm very glad I took a chance on the book. Looking forward to more short stories!
DeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.