Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Big Brown Bag: Stories

Author: Mark D’ Anna

Publisher: Ex Machina Press

ISBN: 978-0-9772763-5-6

Mark D’ Anna has been a contributing author and co-founder of the successful annual short story anthology Silent Voices. Big Brown Bag is Mark’s first book. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

It’s always so refreshing when there is a new talent discovered in literature. Mark D’ Anna is one of them. He produces Big Brown Bag and if Mark continues to write such wonderful short stories, further success is certainly guaranteed.

The first story out of the promised 12 features a woman and a simple man …or does it? I love the way Mark doesn’t give away too much information on these characters and allows you to make your own mind up.

To cut a long story short this woman, Leila, holds a big bag under her arm and walks briskly while trying to urge the man named Eck forward, he has an unusual appetite for rotten figs. Why? And who is Peter Twiss?

So many elements in this first story remind me of the childhood character Humpty Dumpty, although this man is certainly not an egg. Whenever Leila walks on a little way, Eck topples over and breaks either an arm or a leg. When I say breaks, I mean literally. This is one story that promises lots of blood and gore and a dash of dark humour.

Moving on we have the unusual, surreal and mystifying story, The Elephant Factory. This features two young lovers on top of a roof, flashing lights and a fatal attraction. It certainly keeps you hooked for you just want to know what’s behind the mysterious lights.

Another wonderful, enchanting read that conjures up a thousand images, Robotics is without a doubt, my favourite. A truly fantastic, vivid and surreal tale that I couldn’t put down. After I read the first line, I was instantly hooked. Next door to husband and wife, lives the Tweek’s. Mrs. Tweek does not know about her husband’s latest hobby, working as some kind of doctor, she is out of the house sometimes for days at a time. As soon as the wife is gone, Miles Tweek is up to his old tricks - building a robot. With the privacy of his garage, Miles works undercover to build his dream. Mrs Tweek comes home after a long day’s work, non-the-wiser. All the while the neighbours watch on in secret at Mr Tweeks grand design.

I absolutely loved this tale of deception. It is almost like Miles was having an affair although not with a human being but a machine! A funny, secretive, clever and totally fun story. A genius idea, let’s hope Mark produces more stories like this one.

Earthquake Weather is a story that deals with modern issues such as crime and violence. A burglary at a diner that ends in a tragic death. Perhaps not for the faint hearted? Not my favourite but it might be yours.

The stories in this collection are unusual, wry and unique some with perhaps, an underlying theme?  I was hooked, a wonderful collection to be enjoyed by those who lust for dark humour, crime and romance.  Mark has made his debut and let’s hope he’s here to stay.

The above review was contrbuted by: Jessica Roberts: Jessica has been a book reviewer for a newspaper and a national women's magazine and is working on a novel. To read more of Jessica's reviews CLICK HERE 

Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Big Brown Bag: Stories