This is the
second half of my review for Between
These Pages, a short story anthology by Catherine MacKenzie.
The first
half of Between These Pages was good,
but the second half is definitely my favorite.
With respect to the other authors I’ve reviewed, Between These Pages is probably the best book by an independent
author that I’ve read over the course of this year. It was well-written, and contains a lot of
interesting topics, especially the half I’m about to review.
1
Quota:
This interesting story stood out almost as much as Island Lovers, but,
being a fan of science fiction, I enjoyed this one more. This sci-fi story could best be described as
a population-control horror story (if such a genre ever existed). A man must fill his quota of death, or else.
1
Between
the Good and the Bad: This is an erotic
story about a character (Vanessa) that is a cross between witch and
vampire. The main character uses her
abilities to kill people who she believes deserve to die, because they are
evil, or to end their misery. One of my
favorites.
1
The
Mannequin: One of the most memorable
stories in the entire book, a wife pretends to be the mannequin that was created
in her likeness in order to catch her husband having an affair.
1
Molly
Mulligan: This is a story about
secrets. Molly Mulligan has a family
secret, and her children want to know the truth.
1
Afterword: In one of the more tragically compelling
stories of this book, a woman kills her husband, assuming he was having an
affair on her. This story is extremely
well written, and memorable.
1
Trapped
in the Swallow: A man and wife go on
vacation to New Zealand, and one of our main characters finds herself stuck in
a sinkhole.
1
Tart
Thorns among Silken Threads: This is a
story about a woman who continues to marry men, and kill them, to inherit their
possessions and live a life of luxury.
1
Footprints
in the Snow: Catherine MacKenzie pushes boundaries with this story about a
controversial topic. A woman once
requested to be put out of her misery if her illness took away her quality of
life. Will her husband live up to his
end of the bargain? Will she still want
him to when the time comes?
1
Blood
Dreams: An old woman claims that her
caretakers are draining her blood, but people think she’s delusional. The marks on her body are real, but what
about the bats flying overhead?
Who would like this book? Previously, in the first half of this review,
I said Between These Pages was geared
toward women. That remains true for the
second half as well. However, Catherine
MacKenzie has written a book that can be enjoyed by a variety of different
readers.
Here are some of my personal
reactions to the second half of Between
These Pages:
“Afterward”: This was the story that had me on the edge of
my seat.
“Quota”: The first, and only, science fiction story in
the book. I was happy to see something
from the sci-fi genre in this book, and even happier to see how well it fit in
with the rest of the stories.
“Between the Good and the
Bad”: I’m not an expert in the
commercial success of books, but if I could make a suggestion to Catherine
MacKenzie it would be MAKE AN ENTIRE SERIES BASED ON THIS CHARACTER! The main character of this story, Vanessa, is
sexy, violent, and already has a great story.
She’s a witch and a
vampire. She’s a renegade who kills
people based on her own judgment. She’s
sexually promiscuous without shame or apology.
Vanessa, in my opinion, could sell a lot of books.
“Footprints in the Snow”: This is my favorite story in the entire
book. The story evokes strong emotions
of what it means to be alive, and what it means to experience the process of
dying. Cathy MacKenzie tells her story
as a work of fiction, but the real-world implications are hard to ignore.
Between These Pages was an excellent read. Support Catherine MacKenzie by downloading
her book, and let her know what you think of her stories.
Email Catherine MacKenzie at writingwicket@gmail.com
Joshua Hicks recently released
Flashlight Stories, an anthology of short stories that are meant to terrify. The book is only 99 cents until after
Halloween. Get the first story free
(plus a flash fiction introduction) with any sample download. Enjoy!
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