30 Shades of Darkness

Keith W. Lofthouse

30 Twisting Tales

These 30 short stories are bound by a collective eclecticism, shades of darkness and narrative twists. The darkest themes – violent crime (Blood Red and the Eighth Dwarf), suicide (Pin Back Your Ears and Smile) and the spectre of incest (Terror by Torchlight) – are tempered by the light (If Horses Could Talk, Old Lady’s Dream, Crown for the Coronet). But even in the lightest, darkness lurks. No character in these tales – the overzealous cop in Sweet Transvestite, the brutal husband in Cutting Board Killer, the mysterious man on the run in Strangers on a Plane – will stop to smell the roses. The convicted rapist / killer in Devil’s Doorway will hardly get the chance … but is the Death Row inmate guilty, or innocent?

The reality is that the world can be a dark place. It turns bleak and forbidding in the futuristic Thirty11 when, fortunately, none of us will be around.

The reader, I hope, will feel for the victims: the terrified eyewitness of Snitch in the Ditch, the bullied boy in the Sheriff of Rottenham, and desolate paraplegic in Crushed. They may see humour in Nuts at Christmas, and the sadness behind it. Day of Reckoning and Rush Hour are meant to be fun. This is a book for those who love animals. They have important roles to play in many of these tales – as does the odd insect.

It is the writer’s most earnest wish that no story will end the way you think it might.

 

About the Author

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia; Keith spent most of his working life as a journalist in Melbourne. He began as a greyhound, trotting and horse-racing writer, before branching into film publicity and freelance film reviewing. He was a respected radio critic, columnist and showbiz writer and introduced trivia to the iconic Fantales caramel wrappers. But his film review work for Melbourne’s Herald Sun and the national magazine, TV Week, were the happiest years of his working life. “I was watching up to 500 movies a year when the millennium was in its infancy. Can you think of a better way to garner life experience, even if it was gained by vicarious means?” He is now happily retired, writing for pleasure, on a lifestyle property in Stawell, Victoria, surrounded by wildlife. 30 Shades of Darkness is his first book. His interests include cricket, rugby league, wildlife preservation, dogs and, of course, movies and horse racing.
He still competes with three cross country running clubs.

To connect with Keith, visit: www.facebook.com/keith.lofthouse.73

Official Website: www.30shadesofdarkness.com