The Humiliation of Millicent Salmond by Jenny Lynch

A former editor of the NZ Woman’s Weekly has written a collection of short stories that are like a decadent dessert with just the right amount of tart. These tales of greed, ambition, lust and betrayal are hugely entertaining.  Jenny Lynch is an astute observer of human nature, and her stories are delightfully twisty, witty and surprising. They are a perfect escapist treat for readers.

It’s impossible to have a favourite story from the 22 stories on offer, but to give a flavour of this excellent book, you can’t go past the very first story, ‘Death by A Thousand Bites’ when an unhappy wife hatches a plan to do away with her hapless husband. ‘Written in the Stars’ has an unexpected take on the weekly horoscope advice that is sometimes a stable of women’s magazines. ‘School Reunion’ will resonate for anyone who has been to a reunion and met school mates that haven’t been seen in decades. ‘The Knitting Lady’ has a story of a death during a tornado that will surprise. The title story reveals the awful nature of Millicent Salmond and her downtrodden husband, and is an unexpected take on dreaming about your teeth falling out.

Despite all her planning, Edwina Poole gets her comeuppance in more ways than one in ‘Status Anxiety’ when she is haunted by the smell of soup, after the passing of her mother. Dreams and a deceased sister collide in the most dramatic way in the tale, ‘Water.’  In ‘Dick Turpin’s Campaign’ readers learn you should underestimate your pet cat at your peril. ‘Celebration’ is an exquisitely crafted story about a young boy, a disabled girl and a love of birds.

What each of these stories has in common is the razor-sharp wit, the flawless writing and the superb characterisation.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Mary Egan Publishing