Chris Leek
Independent Reviewer
| Bio Blog |
This week we run
the rule over one of our own, and take a look at Joe Clifford’s Choice Cuts.
Some of you might
be thinking this is an inside job, but Joe ignored my requests to be bribed with
Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, so you can all relax on that count.  |
| Order from Amazon |
In Choice Cuts you’ll find people from all walks of life; TV producers, Russian political prisoners, thieves, cops and even a couple of movie buffs. The one thing they all have in common is they exist on the ragged edges. These characters are the meat for the grinder, the acceptable losses of society’s blue on blue battle for the moral high ground.
The bad, the damaged
and the weak have rarely been so beautifully drawn or empathically considered. Joe
writes with a compelling voice and a hard earned honesty that is impossible to
fake. His vivid prose grabs you at the first sentence and refuses point blank
to let go until the story is done.
Every one of
these tales is worth the price of admission, some like Red Pistachios and Tripping
for Biscuits really are outstanding, but for me the pick of the bunch is Nix Verrida. It’s a story
about Ray, a combat vet struggling to come to terms with life back home.
His slide from
loving husband and father to a detached observer of his own life is just a flat
out stunning piece of writing. It’s a story I can’t shake off and one that makes
me eager to read Joe’s upcoming longer works.To sum it up, Choice Cuts is a dark, diverse and gritty collection of stories that never disappoints. There’s a hell of a lot of bang here for just a measly couple of bucks and if you haven’t already taken a look, then I really think you should.
Go on, you know you want to.
