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jacki_f's review against another edition
2.0
This is a collection of seven short stories. The first two are three part novellas and both have previously been made available as ebooks. The first story features Scope and the final story features Dennis Milne but otherwise they are all new characters.
I enjoy Simon Kernick's fast past books but I didn't particularly like these stories. (The first, Dead Man's Gift is the best but I'd already read it before). Each story had a very nasty villain and a lot of violence. In the context of a book that also has character development and an involving plot, I don't mind those elements, but here it felt like that was all there was to the stories. They were not pleasant to read and I didn't like them.
I enjoy Simon Kernick's fast past books but I didn't particularly like these stories. (The first, Dead Man's Gift is the best but I'd already read it before). Each story had a very nasty villain and a lot of violence. In the context of a book that also has character development and an involving plot, I don't mind those elements, but here it felt like that was all there was to the stories. They were not pleasant to read and I didn't like them.
si0bhan's review
3.0
Simon Kernick is an author I’ve been meaning to read for quite some time, and when I stumbled upon Dead Man’s Gift and Other Stories, I decided it was time to dive in. Although I’m not the biggest lover of short stories, I find them to be a great way of getting a feel for an author.
Dead Man’s Gift, which is more of a novella than a short story, certainly hooked me. Split into three parts, each sucked me into the story in different ways. The first part introduced everything and had me curious. The second part started to pull everything together and had me excited to see how things would play out. The third part provided a conclusion that ensured I was happy to power through it. Although I enjoyed it, this one ended up being a rounded down three-star rating. It certainly left me eager for more, though.
One By One, another story that is more novella, also hooked me. It’s another story split into three parts, and it offered the kind of story I adore. The first part got me gripped, desperate to see how everything would come together. The second part sucked me in deeper, and I became more confident in my belief of what would happen. The third part provided an action-packed conclusion, although it was a bit predictable and I had hoped for more. Although I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t quite everything it could have been. Another three-star rating.
The Debt was the first of the stories that were short stories not novella, and it packed plenty into the pages. There were some elements that were predictable and obvious, but it was not enough to take away from the fact I was hooked throughout. All in all, this was a three-star read.
Flytrap was another addictive short story that hooked me right away. I had a feeling where things were heading, but it was still a fun read to watch the specifics of how everything came together. It was quick and there was plenty packed into it, and I had a lot of fun with it. This could have been a four-star rating, but I would have liked a wee bit more from a couple of things. In the end, this one ended up a three-star rating.
Funeral for a Friend was one of the quickest reads in this, but it was just as enjoyable as the rest. It happened with speed, but it kept me hooked throughout. I wasn’t quite sure if I’d love it as much as I enjoyed the prior books, but the way things finished certainly had me smiling. Another three-star rating.
Robert Hayer’s Dead was another extremely quick read, but it was another addictive read. Even though I saw where things were heading, it kept me gripped throughout. It hooked, kept me wanting more, and I had so much fun watching things play out. Another three-star rating.
The Glint in a Killer’s Eye was a great conclusion to the stories, another story that hooked throughout. It had plenty packed into it, and I could not put it down. I was eager to watch the pieces come together and had so much fun watching how everything played out. Another three-star rating.
After enjoying all these short stories, I’m even more eager to read a full-length novel from the author. These gripped me, and I’m eager to see more.
Dead Man’s Gift, which is more of a novella than a short story, certainly hooked me. Split into three parts, each sucked me into the story in different ways. The first part introduced everything and had me curious. The second part started to pull everything together and had me excited to see how things would play out. The third part provided a conclusion that ensured I was happy to power through it. Although I enjoyed it, this one ended up being a rounded down three-star rating. It certainly left me eager for more, though.
One By One, another story that is more novella, also hooked me. It’s another story split into three parts, and it offered the kind of story I adore. The first part got me gripped, desperate to see how everything would come together. The second part sucked me in deeper, and I became more confident in my belief of what would happen. The third part provided an action-packed conclusion, although it was a bit predictable and I had hoped for more. Although I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t quite everything it could have been. Another three-star rating.
The Debt was the first of the stories that were short stories not novella, and it packed plenty into the pages. There were some elements that were predictable and obvious, but it was not enough to take away from the fact I was hooked throughout. All in all, this was a three-star read.
Flytrap was another addictive short story that hooked me right away. I had a feeling where things were heading, but it was still a fun read to watch the specifics of how everything came together. It was quick and there was plenty packed into it, and I had a lot of fun with it. This could have been a four-star rating, but I would have liked a wee bit more from a couple of things. In the end, this one ended up a three-star rating.
Funeral for a Friend was one of the quickest reads in this, but it was just as enjoyable as the rest. It happened with speed, but it kept me hooked throughout. I wasn’t quite sure if I’d love it as much as I enjoyed the prior books, but the way things finished certainly had me smiling. Another three-star rating.
Robert Hayer’s Dead was another extremely quick read, but it was another addictive read. Even though I saw where things were heading, it kept me gripped throughout. It hooked, kept me wanting more, and I had so much fun watching things play out. Another three-star rating.
The Glint in a Killer’s Eye was a great conclusion to the stories, another story that hooked throughout. It had plenty packed into it, and I could not put it down. I was eager to watch the pieces come together and had so much fun watching how everything played out. Another three-star rating.
After enjoying all these short stories, I’m even more eager to read a full-length novel from the author. These gripped me, and I’m eager to see more.
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