The Thief's Tale (1.6)
Whitney is a thief. A good one. Like a mosquito she comes in quietly, first anaesthetising, then feeding, and finally leaving before her prey know any better. It’s a strategy which has worked for her 22 times in the past. But when she lands in Refuge, an estate sale opens the door to other possibilities. Cover art by Will Jacques, all Profits to charity.
Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf lrf pdb html
- Category: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Supernatural
- Category: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories
- Published: Dec. 6, 2015
- Words: 7,650
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781311808073
Lee Murray writes fiction for children and adults for which she has been lucky enough to win some literary prizes. She is currently working on various projects, one of which she hopes will be bigger than hobbits. Lee wishes she were edgier than she actually is—a fantasy which recurs whenever she is folding the washing. She lives with her family in New Zealand.
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Reviews
A greedy con artist thinks of almost all the angles in a town with no shortage of "worthy victims." And then something else arises and seeks its own victims. There weren't any real surprises here, but the story moves logically and relentlessly to its conclusion.
Murray's story of an uninvited guest who herself hosts an uninvited guest is a solid little story that mixes political machinations and Russian history in the town of Refuge. Highly recommended reading.
Not for the faint-hearted, The Thief’s Tale is as rich and dark as the bitterest chocolate.
Whitney, an expert scammer, is fascinated by a rare antique at an estate sale. Unfortunately she attracts the attention of Eduardo, the Godfather-style mayor of Refuge. His brazen criminality captivates her interest, so she lays plans to muscle in on the mayor’s territory. But unknown to her, the cursed antique has plans of its own.
Lee Murray’s engaging dark tale had me wondering whether she was an antique dealer, a biologist, or a thief at heart. Each time I read this spine-prickling story, I noticed more exquisite detail subtly layered in her elegant writing.
The Thief’s Tale supports charity, and is a steal at this price. Like good chocolate, this tale will be appreciated by connoisseurs of horror.
Warning – contains coarse language and dark themes.
The Thief's Tale by Lee Murray begins with an interesting premise and winds its way into something all together different. The beginning reads like a stereotypical story of mystery but it soon becomes apparent that mystery is just one of the tropes used in this hybrid tale. A moral imperative lies at the heart of this story - a theft unravels consequences for Whitney, the lead character, and she is soon embroiled in a deadly curse which threatens to destroy her and members of her household in the strange little town of Refuge. Good story, but I did feel as though it could have been fleshed out (no pun intended) a lot more. The story could've easily extended itself to a novella with all the interesting threads. Despite that - the sales of this little page-turner are for a great cause and I recommend you grab a copy now. William Cook - author of Blood Related.