Sharpshock by @JaxMacNamara
Recommended and reviewed by EF.
Sharpshock by Jax MacNamara is a compilation of flash fiction. For anyone who may not know, flash fiction (sometimes called micro fiction or postcard fiction) are extremely short stories. In the spirit of Halloween, I chose to review these snapshots of the darker side of life, from all the Literary Fiction stories, because they are just what I am in the mood for this time of year. Though not exclusively spooky, the stories in this collection are all delightfully twisted. They are structured much like ghost stories in that they each depict a familiar scenario that ends in the creepy equivalent of a punch line. It’s hard to tell you much about them without giving away the unexpected turns they take.
In “Heat” a man is relentlessly pursued by the lover he betrayed. In “In the Early Light” a boy searches for his 6-year-old brother (who has disappeared in the night) before something dangerous happens. In “The Sweetest Fruit” a woman dreads going home to her unfaithful husband. They start out as simple stories, but each ends in an unnerving twist. The lover, the brother, and the husband are not who you think they are, and I’m afraid that’s all I can say without having to first say “spoiler alert.”
MacNamara’s pacing is excellent, and the twists in these short, short stories are extremely well executed. It’s easy to binge-read them all in one go. I highly recommend reading Sharpshock, not just this Halloween, but anytime.
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