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Post by dem on Sept 11, 2023 17:52:02 GMT
David Riley - Lucilla: A Novella (Parallel Universe, Aug. 2023)  Jim Pitts Blurb: It was just another standard day at the Women’s Refuge until the arrival of Lucilla. Then Miranda’s world was never the same again.
Unaccountably influenced by what the girl needed, her job, her friendships, even freedom itself were of no importance. It was not until her niece’s life was at risk that Miranda knew she had to act.
But what could she do against someone who had such a tight, insidious grip on her? Many thanks to Mr. Riley for sending on his latest, a hardcover edition of a novella first serialised over eleven issues of on-line magazine, Bewildering Stories #967- 977, 26 Sept - 5 Dec 2022. David says it is "possibly one of the last horror stories I'll write, as I have moved into swords and sorcery/dark fantasy these days." Commentary/ "review" of sorts to follow when the weather drops a bit. Am*z*n.uk
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Post by David A. Riley on Sept 17, 2023 12:10:43 GMT
David Riley - Lucilla: A Novella (Parallel Universe, Aug. 2023) Jim Pitts Blurb: It was just another standard day at the Women’s Refuge until the arrival of Lucilla. Then Miranda’s world was never the same again.
Unaccountably influenced by what the girl needed, her job, her friendships, even freedom itself were of no importance. It was not until her niece’s life was at risk that Miranda knew she had to act.
But what could she do against someone who had such a tight, insidious grip on her? Many thanks to Mr. Riley for sending on his latest, a hardcover edition of a novella first serialised over eleven issues of on-line magazine, Bewildering Stories #967- 977, 26 Sept - 5 Dec 2022. David says it is "possibly one of the last horror stories I'll write, as I have moved into swords and sorcery/dark fantasy these days." Commentary/ "review" of sorts to follow when the weather drops a bit. Am*z*n.uk Thanks, Dem I would just like to add that this is now also available as a kindle eBook: amazon UK £13.99 in hardcover/£2.99 in kindle amazon.com $17.85in hardcover/$3.70 in kindle |
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Post by dem on Oct 2, 2023 10:09:06 GMT
Deliberately held back on this until I'd two hours to myself, though it turns out maybe half that would suffice. At 90 medium print pages, Lucilla is equivalent to a slimline 'seventies NEL, and moves like one, too. The drama begins when a frail, timid young woman arrives at a Lancaster Women's Shelter with just a bundle of clothes and no ID. There is confusion surrounding her referral - is she really a victim of an abusive partner, or is the damage to her arm self-inflicted? And what a horrible cut! More gouge than stab-wound. The girl is obviously frightened, but neither Mary Milligan, who manages the refuge, nor her deputy, Miranda, believe she's playing straight by them. Her story just doesn't hold together.
A week on, and Lucilla-with-no-last-name seems to be settling in at the shelter until Karl Brown, a violent drunk, barges into the shelter demanding to see "that bitch of a wife" — only to fall bleeding to the floor when the elfin woman-child places her hand on his chest. He's dead before the police can get him back to the station to charge him.
Miranda finds herself overwhelmingly attracted to the girl and when Lucilla is accused of assaulting another of the women, she offers to put her up overnight while alternate emergency accommodation is arranged. Mary reluctantly agrees, only to immediately regret it. There's something not quite right about manipulative, little-Miss-Innocent. Miranda is no longer the same reliable colleague and friend since she fell under her spell.
Miranda, loath to be separated from the girl she adores, blithely informs social services that she has sneaked off for who knows where. Mary prefers to call around and see for herself —
Will abandon synopsis here as I've no wish to spoiler the thing. Enough to reassure there is unpleasantness in spades once Miranda belatedly comes to her senses, realises just what she has invited into her life.
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