The Gentleman Lion and Other Stories --by Martin Jones

 Fiction / Literary Short Stories

Cyberwit.net

First Edition: February 25, 2022

ISBN: 978-81-8253-872-6

$15.00

148 pages

5 Stars

 

This collection of eleven short stories by Martin Jones, is a delight to read. The stories are literary, with hints of genre in some of them. Each story is different from the others and cover ground from chance Meeting the Payzaks on a flight to Vegas with a stop off Waiting for the Assassins to the last and title story of facing your mortality and destiny.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed each of these stories. I loved Don’t I know You from Somewhere? What fun; makes me want to try it myself. And the realization at the end of On the Ottawa Express was choice and I chuckled out loud, having almost but not quite figuring it out. 

 

Poor Henry in The Music Solarium. He had lived in his own world, his own reality for so long, he didn’t understand when he was ignored by his wife and her friends, and his music collection began disappearing. Each story in this anthology gives us a perfect ending. 

 

The Gentleman Lion is both the title story and the last story. It is also the longest story with more character and story development. A fitting story on which to close the book.  I enjoyed each one. My only complaint is the book ended too soon. I’d like to have a few more stories. Perhaps another book. Are you listening, Mr. Jones?