The Stray Reader

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Author:	Iain Rob Wright
Genre(s):	➡️ Short Stories ➡️ Contemporary Horror ➡️Thriller
Series? Series Order: Series Title:	✅ Yes Chapter 11 A-Z of Horror
Goodreads Rating:	⭐4.25 (60 ratings; 10 reviews)
Personal Rating:	⭐ 4 / 5 Overall

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🛑 Spoiler Warning 🛑

I might be recounting events, characters, and themes so THIS MIGHT BE FULL OF SPOILERS.

If you’d like to read a review with the spoilers hidden, kindly head to my Goodreads post. You don’t need an account to read it. 🙂

🗒️ BLURB 🗒️

Fireman, Mark Gunn, is a hero. That’s what sends him racing into a burning building to save an old man.

But it might have been better if Mark had left the old man to his fate, because people have a strange way of dying whenever he is around.

Short Story by bestselling author, Iain Rob Wright.

Source: Goodreads

🌟Review (4/5) 🌟

One of the best things about jumping into a story or a book without reading the summary beforehand is being pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns. This is definitely one of those cleverly written stories.

‘K is for Klutz’ introduces us to the main protagonist with a chilling death. One so sudden that it legitimately took me by surprise. That immediately creates the impact that the curse around the protagonist is real. People really tend to have a way of dying around him. Through the eyes of another character in the story – with the same level of curiosity as I was at that point – the author again successfully creates a well-paced way of delivering exposition that’ll lead us to the answers surrounding our mysterious old, man. And just as I thought the resolution was on the horizon, the ending again delivers a delectable twist.

There are only two minor things I disliked about this work. First is the usage of the term klutz. I’m not sure if there’s a deeper meaning behind it but the idea of it being attached to an ancient or old practice seems odd. Second is the inconsistency in Lilith’s character. She had been described as someone with black hair twice yet the old man sees her and says she has a golden one. I hope this was just an editorial mistake. Whatever the case, these two minor errors don’t take away from the experience; not majorly, at least.

This short story is part of a collection called A-Z of Horror by Iain Rob Wright. You can check out the book on Amazon. It’s free to read through Kindle Unlimited!