Red Spikes

A small boy helps deliver a baby to a fantasy warrior queen; another finds courage from a mythical hero to confront a school bully; a terrified, sleepless girl is carried off by Wee Willie Winkie.

Filled with echoes from other tales, these stories probe that uncharted, potentially dangerous gap where nightmares, dreams and legends intersect with everyday life.

When they intrude - often suddenly and shockingly - the results are sometimes terrifying, sometimes life-affirming.

The writing is lean and concentrated, with heart-stopping descriptions and beautifully judged juxtapositions, setting intense fear alongside the smallest details of safe, mundane normality. Not an easy book - but one that repays perseverance.