The Ghost Wife - C.G. Twiles

-

AUTHOR: C.G. Twiles

GENRE: Suspense, Short Story
RATING: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: Wow! I was surprised by this indie tale! Loved the unusual plot.

Story Synopsis:
Tabitha, our first person narrator, isn’t looking forward to Christmas. As she watches her husband and her thirteen-year-old daughter struggle with the changes in their Christmas duties, she has mixed feelings. After all, she is dead and can’t move on unless her family has moved on. But they can’t seem to accept the fact that she’s no longer there, and she can’t understand why they are still setting out food for her or doing her laundry. She keeps musing over how she can convince them once and for all to let her go wherever she is meant to be. Then on Christmas day, someone comes… and something happens…


When a work is tagged as a ‘short tale of suspense’, you sure want the suspense to be worth your while. In this case, it WAS so, AND HOW!! I did guess a part of what might be happening towards the 25% mark, but my guess was a teensy part of the actual truth.

I loved the way the story was developed. It started the usual way (well, as long as you can call having a dead narrator ‘usual’) but soon the proceedings seemed to turn somewhat bizarre. I completed this within 15 minutes because I couldn’t wait to find out what was going on.

The characters were penned intriguingly. Some of their actions don’t make sense until the very end, as the author does smartly not spoonfeed you every tiny detail but allows you to use your brains too. There are some emotional moments and fun remarks as well. There are also witty pop culture references, which, if you know their source, you will enjoy!

(Towards the start, Tabitha says (after she introduces her family), “Don’t feel like you have to remember everyone’s names”, I felt like she was talking to me because I was, as usual, taking note of the main character names for my review! 😄)

The writing has a teensy amount of repetition, but considering how much it hooked me and that it is an indie work, I will happily let this go.

For this tiny 38-page story, I don’t want to reveal much more. It is better you go in blind. Avoid even the Goodreads blurb if you can, for it goes beyond the bare minimum required.

Heartily recommended to short story lovers and suspense/mystery fans. I was torn between 4.25 and 4.5 stars, but the ending was so good that I am motivated to choose the higher rating and round upwards. I definitely want to read more by this author.

My thanks to author C. G. Twiles and BookSirens for the DRC of “The Ghost Wife”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Takeout Sushi - Christopher Green - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Christopher Green GENRE: Contemporary Short Story Collection, Japanese Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE:  May 2, 2024 RATING: 3.9  stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended! This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan witho
Read More»

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars. In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended! I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆 Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover. All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of conse
Read More»

The Great Divide - Cristina Henríquez - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Cristina Henríquez GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: March 5, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction focussed on Panama during the time of the construction of the Panama Canal. Note that this isn’t a book directly about the canal or its construction, but about the people connected to the canal in some way or the other during that period. A great book if you go in with the right expectations and enjoy character-oriented fiction. Plot Preview: 1907, Panama. Francisco, a Panamanian fisherman, hates the commercialisation of his country under the foreigners, and hence resents his son Omar’s joining the canal construction crew. Omar, however, wants to learn and earn more than his little village can offer him. Sixteen-year-old Ada has heard about Panama having many jobs. She has stowed away to Panama, hoping to get some work and earn enough for her ailing sister’s surgery back in Barbados. Her mother Lucille, a tailor, doesn’t yet know of her ru
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis
Read More»

Red Runs the Witch's Thread - Victoria Williamson - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Historical Fiction, Horror. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.)  However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of s
Read More»