Published: 11th November 2013
Publisher: Self Published
Pages: 28
Format: ebook
Genre: Short story/Thriller
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars
For fans of Barry Eisler and Robert Ludlum. A three-course story collection with a side-order of revenge.
Crème Brûlée
Rogue operative, Monique Beauvais, cons a software genius into selling her a coveted technology that would allow its user to control CIA drones while they’re in flight. And she will go as far as killing him in public in order to have it.
To the Last Bite
A renowned food critic–whose scathing reviews have closed down restaurants–gets a savoury surprise.
Shashlyk and Morezhenoe
CIA operative, Ridley Fox, leads a team against one of Russia’s most powerful crime families. He discovers secrets, but not one that he was expecting to find.
Three stories with three consequences. All containing three Unsavory Delicacies.
***Caution*** Readers are strongly advised NOT to eat while reading To The Last Bite.
Note: I was provided a copy of this book for review
Brooks’ short stories, much like his novels, manage to encapsulate the thriller genre incredibly well, even with vastly fewer pages. Just like his novels Brooks upholds the tension and the gripping feeling but this time with less action and more cunning.
The theme of the collection is food, though Brooks takes very different approaches for each and as the title suggest they are quite on the unsavoury side. This does not mean though they are necessarily grotesque in description or in content. And yet while there is a warning for one of the stories, there is no denying Brooks is masterful when it comes to grabbing the reader’s attention from early on and holding on till the last page, dragging it around whereever it needed to be in the process.
Once again Brooks demonstrates creative and clever writing and he uses the short story design and the element of the unexpected to his advantage. The building anticipation in the stories is evident and not knowing where it could end up adds to the enjoyment because anything is possible. As a result, each story is brought to life with uniqueness and the perfect amount of pacing, revelation, and intrigue that a short story and a thriller needs.
With only three short stories, Unsavoury Delicacies is a quick read but it is one that once started you will not want to stop. Brooks’ cleverness is clear and his stories are filled with characters and conclusions that leave you wide eyed and mouth agape. This three course collection of stories are somewhat shocking yet fascinating, and with revelations that fit ideally into the thriller genre. I think it is safe to say that they are enough to suitably satisfy your appetite for the suspense but they also leave you wanting more.
You can purchase Unsavoury Delicacies via the following
Amazon
Amazon Aus
Amazon UK
iBooks
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