The Rick Rake stories are my foray into the world of noir fiction. There’s no colour in these black-and-white and always-raining detective stories with a strong link to English language. Do I think these stories should be read out in schools to teach children what language constructs like onomatopoeia or similes are? Well, I’m glad you asked that question because I do like to reply no to people as much as possible.
The mirror’s steamed up on account of all the hot, wet bodies sheltering from the rain but the obscured reflection that greets me still looks haggard. I’ve been putting the decision off long enough and it’s not as if the weather’s going to improve any time soon so I down […]
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Well, this is luxury. I’m in the back seat of a car appreciating the fine stitching on the initials “H.W.” embroidered into the leather, and I’m taking in a view of the countryside just outside the city. It’s raining, but then it’s always raining. Still, trees make a nice change […]
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I’m not a happy person. Never have been. The rain in this city has a way of washing happiness down the sewer. Splat! Splat! I’m looking at the door and thinking some unhappy thoughts – something like: that’s not the sound I expect to hear from a door – when […]
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I’m not a vacation person. Never have been. Vacation people are happy people and that’s not me. Maybe there’s a market in vacations for people bitter at the world. Maybe that’s something I can look into when the detective business really dries up. Really dries up. I know it’s not […]
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I’m not a morning person. Never have been. I wake up like everyone else and I go to my office but the morning passes in a blur. I need coffee and cigarettes to get me out of my waking sleep. Alcohol too if it’s available. Sure, I sit at my […]
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