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Wednesday 29 March 2017

LITTLE DEAD RED by Mercedes M Yardley


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My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This isn't my first Mercedes M. Yardley story, so I knew I was in for a treat before I even started. She's got a way with words. An amazing knack for telling real-world cautionary tales with a slant towards fantastical horror.

And this novella was no different.

Marie loves her daughter more than anything in this world. But even with all her love and attention to detail, she managed to miss the signs of a dangerous predator under their roof. Marie took care of him, but Aleta was never the same. Actually, neither was she. The guilt is something she can never wash away.

When Aleta volunteers to take a basket of goodies to her ill grandmother, their life changes yet again. Aleta doesn't make it to the hospital.

Marie is now all alone, but revenge keeps her mind occupied. And with the help of a kind police officer, she's detetmined to become the wolf in sheep's clothing...

Yikes. This story is dark. Sad. Disturbing. Haunting. Full of torment and loss. It's also beautiful. I'm not surprised it won an award. The way the Little Red Riding Hood tale is weaved into a modern story about little girls who are destined to be victims is truly amazing.

I might have felt uncomfortable and sad and wanted to rage against things that make the nightly news way too often, but I loved this novella.

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