Double-take Tales [Kindle Edition]

Donna Brown (Author)

Book Description

Three dark, sardonic short stories that will have you expecting the unexpected:

In "Poison," a psychologically abused wife discovers that her husband's nut allergy may be the solution to all her problems.

In "Round Trip," a five pound note passes through desperate hands, greedy hands and tired hands before coming full circle…accompanied by a big surprise.

In "Ç'est La Vie," the police bungle a murder investigation under the watchful eye of someone uncomfortably close to the killing.

Product Details

• File Size: 102 KB
• Print Length: 21 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006HTHAW4
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #466,415 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing Characters and Stories. Great Read! December 10, 2011

By Brenda B. Wallace

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was totally impressed by how quickly the characters absorbed me into their stories. Following a Ł5 note through the lives of various interesting people was a fun and quick ride in the tale Round Trip. Round Trip somewhat reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Slackers. The story Poison threw me into the mind of a disappointed wife, a twisted character who becomes more sympathetic as the story progresses. I was intrigued with how well I came to understand her treachery. C'est la vie involves a troubled character who is following a suspenseful murder investigation, and ends with a nice twist. I'm a big fan of twists. I'm definitely on the lookout for more books from this talented author! Great read!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificently crafted short stories February 14, 2012

By Ritesh Kala

Format:Kindle Edition

I have not really read any published short stories, and when I came across Donna's Double-take Tales the title intrigued me enough to check it out. I have to now say that I was missing out on an important part of written fiction by ignoring short stories. After reading Donna's three shorts, I've realized that these are really different than the full-length novels or even the shorter novellas. The space available to each story does not grant the author too much time to develop characters, or a back story. But a good short story can overcome these restrictions and make us care for what happens in the story as well as the characters.

This is what Donna is able to achieve with each of her stories in this book. The book consists of three unrelated stories each of which is tied off with a common theme. That theme is the double-take which the stories require from the readers. We start off believing something about the stories or the characters and by the end, those beliefs are turned on their heads and we are left with the thought, "What just happened? Did I read the conclusion right?" I had to in fact go back and read the stories a second time to see how the new conclusion affected the stories. This makes the book extremely enjoyable as we get to read almost completely different takes on the stories a second time. I have to commend the author at being able to achieve this. I was definitely not able to think up the conclusion of the stories, and the double-take was an amazing way for each of the stories to end.

The first story of the book follows the journey of an everyday object which travels from person to person. The author is able to bring each of the persons who are touched by the object to life for the very brief moment when the object is with them.... Their hopes and aspirations, dreams and troubles are all laid bare. I always thought that this was not possible with the few words the author uses, I stand corrected and enlightened.

The second story revolves around a married housewife who seems stuck in a boring, even loveless marriage. The story of her plan to get out of this situation and the actual facts of how this happens are magnificently crafted. I could imagine her plight and her pain, but could not really come to grips with her actions. The ending left me in two minds, where I did not really like her, but was amazed at the turn of events for her. As usual, I had to go back and read the story again to truly appreciate the craft of the author.

The third story is a doozy. It is about a murder investigation being followed by someone who is closely linked to the event. The detached yet expectant way in which the person follows the investigation was brilliantly described. The ending of this story left me confused at first. But I was shocked when it actually sank in. Wow! This is all I can say.

If you want to read three terrifically crafted short stories which will make you keep coming back, get this book! My only complaint is that I wanted to read more stories by the author but had to be satisfied with JUST three. I really hope that she gets her next book out sooner. I just can't wait too long. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read shorts February 4, 2012

By alchemyofscrawl

Format:Kindle Edition

I think I've made it pretty clear that I have a hard time reviewing short stories. People forget that short stories are a prestigious format with contributions from masters of writing. So when people say they're going to write a short story, it would be best to remember the bar is set very high. So I usually don't take short stories because of that and they're hard for me to review. When I was invited to read Double-take tales, I was curious. I'm glad I'm curious. These stories fit the bill. The conflict and resolution is interesting, entertaining, and well-written. If you enjoy short stories that draw you in and leave you going, "Ohhh! That was good." then you will want to read these.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegantly Crafted Stories with Great Dialogue February 2, 2012

By Brooke Frederick

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Three stories make up this collection, but they pack a punch. Elegantly crafted, carefully structured, they are also filled with dialogue that resonates true. Example: "Jamie, I'll follow you anywhere, you daft sod!" I finished the stories a couple days ago, and the characters are still haunting me. In the first story, Round Trip, the author introduces a half dozen fully fleshed characters in about the same number of pages -- an amazing feat. But ultimately the main character isn't even a person.

The second story, Poison, is more traditional in its structure and denouement, but no less devastating. Surprises everywhere here. The third story could remind you of Dostoyevsky, depicting a descent into a special sort of madness which seems somehow totally credible. Reading stories this good, I realized I've been missing something. The short story is by definition more compressed, more distilled, and the language more powerful. I highly recommend Donna Brown's Double-take Tales.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 3 tales, three experiences, all a must read! February 7, 2012

By CabinGoddess

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I picked up 'Double Take Tales' by Donna Brown I walked into it a bit worried because it was a collection of short stories. Historically short stories emerged during a barrage of of 19th-century magazine publishing. Beginning with Chekhov, the short story soon became one of the great 20th-century art forms influencing one of my favorite women writers, Virginia Wolf. The short story needs to grab you and keep you on your toes from the first to the last word and have the staying power to keep you thinking about the characters and their messages. In the era where people spend less and less time consuming media, where people express their affection in 140-characters or less instead of a perfume scented love letter, the short story has a large role to play with emerging and established authors alike. 'Double Take Tales' is a great introduction for this rising author.

I was completely caught off guard with the depth of message presented in these three tales. Each one had one thing in common, the double-take at the end. Though each one had a completely different message within it's pages, they flowed from one to the next. It was the perfect amount of stories any more would be unbalanced. Donna Brown's haunting and rich style of writing allowed them to meld together in a commonality. From the travels of a five pound note, to the accidental poisoning of a husband and the murder of a former friend, by the end you are left full and satisfied with no room for dessert.

I am giving this collection of shorts a full five stars and I cannot wait to see what is next for Mrs. B. Her literary prowess is going to be a fun and exciting ride to watch within the independent publishing scene.

More About the Author

Donna is a long time book reviewer and has devoured books from an early age. She writes short stories as and when inspiration hits and is married to fantasy author David M. Brown. She is also a contributor to David's (mostly!) non-fiction book, Man vs Cat.

Donna has lived in many different areas of the UK over the last 31 years but has remained in Yorkshire for the past decade. She ardently disputes the misnomer that 'It's grim up north'. You can find Donna on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Goodreads, or visit the blogs she shares with her husband: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave, and Diary of Mr Kain