Shots In The Dark: A Short Story Sampler.

‘Another gem of a collection from Paul D. Brazill here, as he dishes up several of his customary helpings of grimly fascinating, gruesome and frequently laugh-out-loud noir. Downbeat anti-heroes cause joyous mayhem while creating (and creatively disposing of!), a plethora of corpses in a bizarre and wonderfully eclectic series of bite-size shorts. ‘ Short stories, flash

Black & White & Red All Over by Paul D. Brazill

When I think about it, my most vivid and powerful memories of childhood are in black and white. The monochrome of the Saturday morning Odeon’s Kidz-Klub, and the Hollywood films on afternoon television, seemed so much more vibrant than anything that real life could come up with. And, as you would expect of someone who grew

A Cold Day in Helsinki by Paul D. Brazill

A Cold Day in Helsinki The January night had long since waned when Mika blasted Aki’s brains over the snow covered street, producing a more than passable Rorschach test. A murder of crows sliced through the whiteness as the purr of the passing motorcycle grew to a roar, masking the sound of the shotgun. When

This Old House by Paul D. Brazill

THIS OLD HOUSE Ten Sycamore Hill was, in Peter James’ mind, the font of all of his misfortunes. While women, work, cars and kids came and went, the only constant in Peter’s turbulent life – apart from the copious amounts of alcohol that he consumed, of course – was that weather-beaten Victorian detached house overlooking

The Company Man by Paul D. Brazill

THE COMPANY MAN Jose opened the waiting room door. Six men, wearing grey suits identical to his, were sat staring straight ahead. Their hands were palm down on their knees. Jose walked in and took a seat next to the reception desk.  He put his hands on his knees and sniffed. He sniffed again. ‘Would

The Man Who Could Afford to Orgy But Didn’t by Paul D. Brazill.

The Man Who Could Afford to Orgy But Didn’t Despite it being the beginning of spring, a time when a young man’s fancy was said to turn… a tad carnal, Henry Becket was quite firm when he refused his friend’s offer to attend an orgy. He was well aware that Allan had made the suggestion

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence’s Mate by Paul D. Brazill

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence’s Mate Oliver Peacock had often thought that there was an art to being in the right place at the right time and that life was more than simply a matter of chance, of luck. He supposed he put it down to his late father repeatedly telling him that people

The Man Behind The Curtain by Paul D. Brazill

THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN It was shortly after the pitter-patter of tiny feet had been drowned out by the rat-a-tat-tat of the debt collector’s knocks that Carole Parker considered killing her husband. But it wasn’t until many years later, when her daughter Kate had grown up and flown the nest, that she actually decided

THE TUT BY PAUL D. BRAZILL

After enduring forty-five years of a marriage that was, at best, like wading through treacle, Oliver Beacock Robinson eventually had enough and smothered his wife with the beige corduroy cushion that he’d accidentally burned with a cigarette two fraught days before. Oliver had been, for most of his life, a temperate man and he had

THE MAN WHOSE HEAD EXPANDED AND EVENTUALLY POPPED by Paul D. Brazill

THE MAN WHOSE HEAD EXPANDED AND EVENTUALLY POPPED Lenny Cray had always thought that the quest for experience was a vital part of a man’s learning curve and so, throughout his life, whenever a window of opportunity opened up, he jumped straight through, headfirst if necessary. And at times he just kicked the bugger in.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving by Paul D. Brazill

ONE Living well is the best revenge, or so my arthritic old grandmother used to say. And , for most of my life, I have lived very well – once I’d broken free of Seatown’s umbilical cord, which was strangling me like a noose. Fame. Money. Drugs. Travel. Fast cars. Faster women. All of the above.And it

Steps by paul d. brazill

Steps If the singer Eddy Cochrane is to be believed there are three steps to heaven and, according to Alcoholics Anonymous, the sum total of twelve steps are needed in order to set someone on the path to freedom from addiction. Unfortunately for Melissa, however, no matter how many steps she took she never seemed

DRABBLE: SWAMPLANDS BY PAUL D. BRAZILL

Elvis awoke in a cold, dank sweat, hungover from bourbon and bad dreams. The nightmares had consisted of him being hunted through a swamp by the murderous spectre of Jesse, his stillborn twin. His pounding heartbeat seemed to echo through the mansion. He stumbled into the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face and looked

LATE NIGHT FILM BY PAUL D. BRAZILL

Late Night Filmby Paul D. Brazill Fade in. It’s spring and, teetering precariously at the precipice of middle age, I become a self-imposed exile from London and get drunk between the moon and New York City. I know it’s crazy but it’s true. I set off with a half-arsed plan to hit the road, like