‘The C Word : For some, lockdown has been murder’ compiled by Spellbound Books | @SpellBoundBks @zooloo2008

It’s a pleasure to host one of the stops on the blog tour for The C Word anthology today! Thanks to Zoé for the invitation to join and to the publisher for the review copy.

Author : Various
Title : The C Word
Pages : 278
Publisher : Spezllbound Books
Publication date : December, 2020

| ABOUT THE BOOK |

So, what do writers do during Lockdown? They create murder, mystery, death and destruction of course!

The C Word is a collection of short stories collated during the COVID-19 pandemic to raise money for NHS Charities Together. A plethora of wonderful stories created by a wide variety of writers, each with their own unique style. Some you will know already and some we’ve yet to introduce you to. However, we’re sure you’ll want to hear from each & every one of them again as we leave 2020 behind us.

With contributions from Steve Mosby , Sophie Hannah , Elly Griffiths , Sarah Hilary , Rob Scragg , Trevor Wood and many more …

| MY THOUGHTS |

I must admit that short stories aren’t really my thing but since all the proceeds from this particular collection are going to charity, I figured I’d do my bit in helping to spread the word.

This collection offers a wide range of variety in the crime genre. From the supernatural to cosy crime to murder and mystery, there is sure to be something for everyone. Contributing authors range from established names like Elly Griffiths and Sarah Hilary to the unknown debut authors who answered the call on social media. In short, this anthology has quite the healthy mix.

There are spooky shenanigans and slightly gruesome events. There is mention of the lockdown and the virus and heavier topics like domestic abuse. All these stories, short as they may be, pack quite the punch in their own special ways. The reason I don’t always enjoy short stories is because I feel that just when I’m beginning to sink my teeth into them, they’re over. But it also always manages to surprise me how much story an author can actually get across in so few pages.

Like any other anthology, this collection of short stories can be read front to back or dipped in and out off or you can just pick out your favourite authors and read their stories. There’s no overhanging arc, no particular order these stories should be read in. My personal favourites were written by Steve Mosby (delightfully dark), Sarah Hilary (probably the shortest one of the bunch but very memorable and also, it’s Sarah and she can do no wrong with me) and Nic Parker (actually rather disturbing and shocking but my warped sense of humour found it hilarious 😳). I discovered more than one new author whose work I’ll definitely be checking out, like Trevor Wood for instance. So not only do you get all these stories but you’re also introduced to a whole slew of new authors!

But more than anything, 100% of all royalties from The C Word will be donated to NHS Together Charities and if that isn’t a good enough reason to purchase this book, then I don’t know what is.

Amazon UK