Continuing my theme of short fiction, I'd already decided to read this small volume I received in the last bundle I bought from PS before I started on the John Probert book. I'd never heard of him before so I thought it was quite a coincidence that he was mentioned in the acknowledgements in that book as the head of the small press that published it.
So we know as editor in chief of a small press he has good taste.
Is he a good writer to go with it?
The answer is a definite yes.
Chris is a fixer with a strange skill set. he can move between different iterations of London. from the regular version he (and presumably we) inhabit, to mega futuristic versions, to smog filled nightmares. he can sense the spaces where reality is weak and leap through the gaps.
Whether any place outside of London exists in these multiverses is not discussed which is a bit of a sticking point for me- but that's incidental.
He's approached by an old friend in trouble. Her boyfriend has just been apparently disintegrated by weird looking strangers in brown coats and hats. She knows Chris is the only man who can help her. This leads to a chase through many different versions of the city to an exciting denouement.
Multiverses are fairly popular in fiction at the moment and this is an interesting and entertaining addition to the sub-genre. Whates managed to keep me guessing throughout and the plot twists and turns nicely. His writing is always entertaining and Chris is a good narrator, even if he is a bit of a cliché.
It's a fun read. It might not be a literary classic but I'll definitely read more by this writer.
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