Title: Entwined – Tales from the City | Author: A.J. Armitt | Pub. Date: 07/02/2011 | Pages: 226 | ASIN: B0059UJBGK | Genre: Horror | Language: English | Triggers: Cannibalism, suicide, organ donation, evil dentistry | Rating: 4 out of 5
Entwined: Tales from the City
13 Dark and Twisted Tales – 1 Feature Length Story
Strangers…
When you live in a city, you are surrounded by them.
Or so it may seem?
For how can someone be a stranger if they are already inexplicably and inextricably entwined into your life?
The stories in this book, concern one such group of strangers.
Falling –
Michael Young is quite literally a man on the edge. Will he fall into the abyss, or will his treacherous best friend, Marcus, persuade him that life is worth living after all?
Life after Bill –
Isabelle misses her dead husband, Bill. She comfort eats to fill the gap in her life, but then she meets the charismatic George…
His Brother’s Keeper –
Gary Maloney is an ambulance driver, racing against time to find an organ donor for his younger brother. Will he succeed, or will he continue to fail his ungrateful sibling?
The Tattoo –
Andy Webb has just separated from his fiancée. After a drink and drug induced night on the tiles, he stumbles along a tattoo shop that works unusual hours…
The Neighbours –
Caroline Fitzpatrick dislikes her neighbours. What lengths will she go to for a little peace and quiet?
The Interloper –
Karen Carlson is in love with her boss, but then a ghost from her past re-emerges and attracts his attention…
The Children –
A brother and sister are lost in the City. They must remain undiscovered if they are to stay together. They decide to hide in a creepy cellar…
The Ring –
Marcus Campbell is a womaniser. He currently has three girlfriends, but recent events persuade him to devote his future to just one woman…
No Second Chance –
Candy is an escort with a drug habit…her sadistic dealer calls her and demands that she ‘repays’ her mounting debt.
A Rip in Time –
A serial killer is butchering the City’s prostitutes. Can an old doctor’s bag from the past, hold the answer to the identity of the killer?
The Gift –
A spoilt wife looks forward to opening her Christmas presents; will she get more than she bargained for?
The Good the Bad and the Truly Evil –
Detective Pearce is on the hunt for a killer, and follows his prey to the airport, bringing a dramatic conclusion to the tale.
**BONUS** The opening story of ‘Entwined – Tales from the Village’
The Seventh Sin –
A narcoleptic priest is concerned by the disappearance of his parishioners, but then he gets a visit from the mysterious man who has been following him…
I really, really loved the concept behind the book. The stories are ‘Entwined’ with each other. From the beginning story down the stories are connected by a character from the previous story or someone in the area of the events. Some of them are connected a bit loosely but it’s still a cool idea. /kind of like a book version of the game ‘6 Degrees of Separation’.
Besides it having an interesting concept that is used well, the stories themselves are very good. I haven’t checked out anything else by the author but I do plan to. In fact, the only thing that irritates me is that there is a sequel teased that hasn’t appeared yet. Here’s hoping…
I really liked one of the characters that pops up in several stories. The book wraps up very nicely but I was left wondering about this particular character due to an unforeseen but enjoyable twist near the end.
My favorites from Entwined are:
His Brother’s Keeper: An excellent story with an ending I didn’t see coming.
The Tattoo: I love creepy tattoo stories and this one is great. It reminded me a little bit of the X-Files tattoo episode in the beginning but then went in a totally unique direction
The Children: Had a great twist and merges with a previous story in a very cool way.
No Second Chance: This was an excellent story. It had the stereotypical hooker junkie but the characterizations make you feel something a bit more for her than just passing interest in the story. As a side note I was pleased that I figured out who the “Mystery Man” was.
A Rip in Time: Very good. It had a great ending and I was a little bummed at the same time because I liked the characters so much.
The Good, The Bad and the Truly Evil: An excellent story to wrap up the book with. It was tense and well-written and ends the book with a bang. It also makes one character more clear and at the same time made me more curious about him.
I do hope the author of Entwined: Tales from the City does write the sequel. I know, it’s been six years but I’m an optimist. I waited ten for the PC game Diablo III to come out, so there you go.The characters in Entwined might not always be likable but they feel very real. I also enjoyed the preview of the ‘sequel’. It continues Entwined in a very natural way and doesn’t feel stretched at all. So, Mr. Armitt, if you read this? I would love the sequel!
GracieKat was the first co-host of Sci-Fi & Scary, Lilyn’s partner-in-crime, and sub-head of the Kali Krew. She reviews horror books, movies, and games for the site. She also does a weekly Focus on the Frightful feature, and is the site list-maker. She is also in control of the Sci-Fi & Scary podcast which will relaunch soon.
Many thanks for the review, and glad you liked the stories. I’ve been very busy these last few years, but I’ve actually got back to writing again recently and I’m pretty close to finishing the next book. You’ll be pleased to know your favourite character is in this one too. No promises, but I hope to get it finished in the next few months
That is excellent news! I’m looking forward to it!