PARADISE BLOCK

13 haunting short stories about different people in one particular block of flats, lonely residents living in close proximity while longing for connection. This new talented author has brilliant insight and casts her own unique spell from the surreal in the first story Eggs, stuffed squids, and the boat in the story Black, Dark Hill. In Paradise Block, mould grows as thick as fur along the walls, alarms ring out at unexpected hours, and none of the neighbours are quite what they seem. A little girl boils endless eggs in her family's burnt-out flat; an isolated old woman entices a new friend with gifts of cutlery and cufflinks; a young bride grows frustrated with her unappreciative husband who is the caretaker of their crumbling, dilapidated housing complex. With a haunting sense of place and a keen eye for the absurd, these 13 surreal stories lure us into a topsy-turvy world where fleatraps are more important than babies, and sales calls for luxury coffins provide a welcome distraction. Don't expect to emerge from this book the same as you went in. 232pp.