Review: Drama in the desert...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 15, 2013
Evan Arden, sniper and hit man for the mob, was isolated for months in a remote desert safe-house, hours from the nearest town.  He has little to do and spends much of his time on guard, watching the outside perimeter.  One afternoon, like a mirage shimmering on the roadway, a person appears in the distance, walking towards the house.  The person is a stranger--a beautiful woman who should not be there...---------After reading lots of what-is-available-for-free, my expectations were not high as I began to read "Otherwise Alone". This is the first book I have read by Shay Savage. To my surprise, it is a gem with the characteristics essential to quality short-stories. It is narrowly focused, covers a brief time, and introduces characters with an economy and clarity that makes the reader want to know more.  Without giving anything away, the ending was well done in that it resolved the main conflict and answered questions to a degree that leaves the reader satisfied, while still desiring to see more of the characters.This is a far better way to end than the abrupt cliffhangers many writers use that seem to me like extortion (Ha! Now you must purchase my sequel or you will never know...) Those types of cliffhangers merely break a longer story into unsatisfying episodes--more about marketing than telling a great story.Otherwise Alone is a complete short story that stands well by itself, and I look forward to reading the rest of the "Otherwise" stories and more from Savage.Warning: very explicit steamy scenes (not for under-18).