These Cold Strangers - J.T. Ellison - ★★★★.¼

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AUTHOR: J.T. Ellison
SERIES: We Could be Heroes, #4
GENRE: Short Story.
PUBLICATION DATE: February 7, 2023
RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A standalone short story that is somewhat predictable but still delivers a wallop of an impact. This series is making me shatter all my assumptions about heroes!


Plot Preview:
After a life-altering tragedy ten years ago, Addison Blake left her hometown and never returned, even though she is still haunted by the ghosts of the past. But when a video showing a stranger rescuing an old man becomes viral, Addison, a freelance reporter, knows that she has to go back to interview the man she recognised as her old classmate. After all, this interview could mark the beginning of a new phase in her career. But has the trauma of the past really healed? Will this ‘breaking news’ finally save her, personally and professionally?
The story comes to us in Addison’s first person perspective.


PSA: Go in blind!


This is the fourth standalone story in the 'We Could be Heroes’ series, described on Amazon as “a darkly inquisitive collection of short stories that examines heroic intentions versus their real-life consequences.”

It is easy to spoil this story, so I am going to keep this review short (Well! ‘Short’ by MY standards!) and vague.

When I picked up this particular Amazon Original Stories series, I was looking for something inspiring and heartwarming. ‘We Could Be Heroes’ is such a great title, but I should have realised the importance of the modal verb: ‘Could Be.’ This story is anything but heartwarming!

The thing is, the big reveal in this story isn't tough to guess. The minute you read a certain conversation, you know where the story is going. I almost sighed in frustration at seeing the twist being so apparent. BUT that's not all the story is about. And there are many more reveals along the way, not all of which are as easy to see coming.

Despite my initial guess about the twist being correct, I still relished this tale, and the main question it raises: Does one good act make you a hero?

Escaping past demons is never easy, and sometimes, whether you are able to do so or not is what makes a difference to your present peace of mind. That’s all I’ll say.

Recommended to all short story lovers who would like a dash of mystery mixed with a splash of musings about humankind (‘kind’ being a very ironic suffix choice considering the story.)

This standalone story is a part of the “We Could Be Heroes” collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.

I've yet to read the final story of this series but based on what I've read so far, this is easily among the best series of the Amazon story collections.

This was my first J.T. Ellison story, and I'd love to read more by this author. If you have any tried-and-tested recommendations, please let me know in the comments!

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