(CORNELIUS QUAINT CHRONICLES, BOOK 5)
Author: Darren Craske. Entry is on Kobo books.
This is a great little short story. It's not a whodunnit. More of a how-do-I-get-myself-out-of-this-mess.
Here we go.
THE ENTHUSIASTIC AMATEUR
Review
How do you cope when your reputation is questioned? Cornelius Quaint decides to call Quentin Claremont's bluff and walks into a trap set purposefully for him. Heavily balanced in favour of surviving the traps set for him and living to fight another day, Darren Caske is serving up another tasty magical morsel.
Characters
Cornelius Quaint, master conjuror and magician;
Quentin Cromwell, enthusiastic amateur;
Prometheus, strongman;
Jeremiah, circus clown;
Peregrine, circus clown.
Story
During another masterful performance on a packed stage of the circus, master conjuror and magician Cornelius Quaint is heckled mercilessly by Quentin Claremont. After his performance Prometheus offers to cause harm to the heckler but relents in favour of the clowns Jeremiah and Peregrine making him the butt of all their dastardly jokes.
The next morning Cornelius find a note from Quentin calling his skills into question and offering him a chance to prove himself. Later that night Quentin turns up at the docks only to get knocked out.
When he awakes he finds himself suspended in a vast glass tank of water, secured tightly by a straightjacket, manacles and a heavy chain. Quentin tells Cornelius he expects him to fail and leaves him to his fate. Cornelius is made of stringer stuff and what follows id his struggle to free himself and escape.
When Quentin returns to the docks he expects to see the master conjuror's body lying dead in the tank, instead he can only find water puddles leading into the dark. Intent on finding his prey Quentin does not see the fist that knocked him unconscious. When he awakes to sees Cornelius standing over him he expects he is going to die however Cornelius has a better idea and invites Quentin Claremont to prove his worth on stage at the circus. Convinced he is a better magician that Cornelius Quaint, Quentin performs his own magic act and is found out. The audience are baying for his blood as his performance bombs.
Conclusion
It's a story of boasts, attempted murder and comeuppance.
Too short to put it down and pick up later, it's a little starter, an aperitif to get us warmed up. The story flowed and was quickly consumed but like all short stories it is light on scene setting. I'm not sure yet how early a writer has to induce the word orgasm, is there an expectation so the reader's mind is lead where the writer takes them.
So is it a good read?
Yes, it is, it passed all to quickly but it certainly held my attention for that time. 4 stars.
YOU ARE READING
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