A mixture of thrilling, gripping and heart-warming short stories for a cosy fireside read anytime, anyplace. Fur Coat & No Knickers will introduce you to an impoverished heiress desperate to keep up appearances; a bitter and broken-hearted widow whose wilful terrier leads her to romance; an ageing theatrical masquerading as a highly-paid carer and a woman whose husband has maintained a secret family throughout their married life! These are just some of the fascinating and unforgettable characters in this fabulous new collection by award-winning author Adrienne Vaughan.
Writing a good short story is a tricky thing, and something that many novelists find difficult. The transition from novelist to short story writer isn’t easy and, having read and enjoyed this author’s novels in the past, I have to admit I was a little worried that these stories might not work as well as her novels undoubtedly do.
But they do work, and they work very well indeed. Ms Vaughan is a wonderful story-teller, and there are some wonderful stories here. These stories are character-driven, and the author has a real skill for drawing characters that are relatable and realistic; to build these characters so well and so clearly in such few words, and to make you care about a character that you only spend a few pages with is quite an accomplishment.
Stand outs for me were ‘Heir Apparent’, a story of deception with a little twist in the tail; ‘The Messenger’, which I feel could be developed into something longer; and ‘A Married Man’ which has a surprisingly dark edge.
A lovely book to dip in and out of, and perfect for a little bit of escapism.
Recommended.
Lovely review, Alison. I really enjoyed Adrienne’s pick-and-mix collection of stories and poetry – just perfect for dipping into.
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Thanks June, someone recently told me they read a story each evening and a poem before breakfast! I thought that was a great way to dip in and out. X
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Thank you, June, and that’s a really lovely idea, Adrienne – nice way to start and end the day!
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Reblogged this on New Romantics Press and commented:
Another fabulous review for Adrienne’s FUR COAT AND NO KNICKERS via blogger and writer Alison Williams. Thank you Alison.
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Thanks for spreading the word, Lizzie. X
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I endorse everything in this book review. I think Adrienne’s book would make a fabulous present for any reader. We are all pressed for time and occasionally a book of short stories/poems is all we can manage. Fur Coat and No Knickers is such a book and IMHO ticks all the boxes.
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One of my favourite reader stories about Fur Coat & No Knickers was when a friend of ours sent me a text … she was at the station reading it wearing a fur coat! X
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I keep dipping into this when I have a minute and the stories/poems are excellent.
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That’s very kind of you to say Cathy, thank you. We all have so little time these days that just a quick read can work wonders, a short story can refresh the brain while a poem can reset the soul. 🙂
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Absolutely and I’m just about to have a coffee and read some more 🙂
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Thank you Alison for such a stunning review of Fur Coat & No Knickers – absolutely chuffed you enjoyed it. You are so right, the short story is a completely different animal from the novel, and serves as an excellent exercise for training the writer’s brain, especially in vocabulary and editing skills. My penchant for the genre is quite spook though, as I have no idea where they come from and am always fascinated to meet these characters myself!
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Thank you Alison for such a stunning review of Fur Coat & No Knickers – absolutely chuffed you enjoyed it. You are so right, the short story is a completely different animal from the novel, and serves as an excellent exercise for training the writer’s brain, especially in vocabulary and editing skills. My penchant for the genre is quite spooky though, as I have no idea where they come from and am always fascinated to meet these characters myself!
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You’re very welcome 🙂 Love a good short story and there are plenty of those here!
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Excellent review! Having loved reading Fur Coat and No Knickers, I can only agree with what you say, Alison! 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Cheers Isabella, I’m even more impressed by the fact you totally ‘get’ the Irish and English nuances being Italian … must be in the blood! X
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Adrienne, I’m actually a closet Briton/Gaelic 😉 xx
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I love short fiction (flash, micro, short stories) and this is on my TBR list. Moving it up. 😉 Looking forward to reading! Thanks!
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