A collection of short fiction, one of which I'd already read. But Stephen King is to my mind the Number One living writer in English. No one else has come anywhere near his output of hits across a surprising number of lengths, forms and genres.
Full Dark, No Stars is essentially a book about marriage. '1922', which I read as a standalone novella last year and which is therefore reviewed earlier on this blog, is about a poisoned relationship. 'A Good Marriage' is what it says on the tin, with a killer twist. 'Big Driver' is a revenge tale in which the ill-starred union which resulted in the 'Big Driver' is the nexus - and again it's the twists that make it. 'Fair Exchange' is perhaps the weakest of the four feature stories - a Faustian deal to make a marriage better by sabotaging the marriage of another. A bonus short story, 'Under the Weather', is in keeping with the marital theme. All would be hunky dory with the Franklins on the fifth floor, if only the other tenants hadn't started to complain...
OK, not the master's finest work, although I would argue that '1922' comes close. Nevertheless, thoroughly engrossing and far better than anyone else is offering.
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