Review: Deliciously Dark
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2013
I've read two books by this talented author, one a full length novel, Under the Desert Moon, the other a book of short stories, The Awakening and Other stories, of which I loved both.I was asked to beta read Dark Whiskey and knowing Emma's work, I didn't hesitate. If there is one author who never needs much of anything done to her books, it's Emma Meade. To say it's a pleasure reading her work prior to it being published, is probably an understatement. It's the cleanest, most organised work I've ever encountered. Her attention to everything is unmatched. She's an editor's dream!Dark Whiskey is yet another favourite of mine, albeit very short. The thing is, I've read short stories prior to Emma's work and although most are good, most feel like something's missing, that the story isn't over, that way too much was packed into the book - almost as if a full length story had been compacted into a short one. Not so with this book. From the get-go it pulls you in, holds your interest, is fast-paced, dark, scary and unbelievably complete.Jesse, for me, is kick arse, and humour rolls off her like water off a duck's back. And although she went along with her best friend, Tasha - who was getting over a break-up and looking to hook up - to a nightclub, a nightclub Jesse immediately felt was wrong, she's still one tough gal. It's what friends do. The ending proves how tough she really is. The very last line? Haven't read one as good in a while."Tasha insisted the only way to get over a man was to get under one." -Jesse on TashaAfter drink upon drink, along comes Davis (the poser as far as Jesse is concerned) who is there to accompany and lead them up to the VIP room. She presumes he's the manager. One thing she's not keen on is staying at the club, but her friend is having none of it. Jesse is free to leave on her own if she so wishes.What she sees is beyond anything she's ever witnessed in her life, and from here on in things heat up further. She'd been right that something was wrong. Seeing people in a club wearing dark sunglasses is a sure sign.In this short story, you're hit with the dark element, humour, and suspense. I'll whisper. "And vampires."There's one thing I'd like to see happening with this story. That perhaps sometime in the future, Emma Meade continues with Jesse's story, because I for one, would love to know exactly how she metes out her wrath on Davis.This is a fabulous read. Once again, the author does not disappoint.