Review: Pearls & Prey by Mary Goff
With Mary Goff’s second story collection Pearls & Prey it’s clear to see her nightmares have grown darker and her thoughts much deeper. There are creative dark tales of whispering unseen children, a mother desperate to rid the evil that is inside her and a serial killer’s inability to explain her rage. Her collection also contains stories that are familiar to us all, a lovers betrayal fueled revenge and tales of bumps and thumps in the cold night air.
Whether she is telling old stories with her own cryptic spin or spilling out new ideas never imagined before what makes the collection special is all in the way she writes – the way she draws you into her own nightmares. She does it with her eloquence and her descriptives weaving her stories and tales with vibrant words and visuals. In describing a winter wind Mary’s makes sure you won’t just feel the cold air – she wants you to literally get goosebumps and chatter your teeth. And fear is something she gives you and makes you keep with you while you carry on about your day, constantly checking behind your shoulder to make sure none of her tales have followed you home. Because they will, Mary’s story of Inmate No 762030 is realistic and believable in such a way that I can’t shake the feeling that real evil does exist. I imagine running into Mary’s inmate on a cold dark night in an abandoned alley and I imagine she will look and behave exactly as Mary as described in the story.
But despite the scare and shock of her tales she does something else very very special – she works hard to make you see that the horrific, the frightening and yes even the despicable of creatures and events have a bit a beauty to them. Whether its the frozen tears of a broken down girl or blood gushed from swelling lips after a struggle – you sense that for Mary the beauty of things often lies in the pain.
And as always Mary has a way of telling stories, poems, and tales that leave me more curious than before so I beg of you Mary Goff give me more, give me more!
*Update: I also wanted to mention that Bryan Bloodsoaker has once again created a cover image that is both cringe worthy and amazing!
