In this book the author's trademark gifts of penetrating characterization, unsparing eye, and
... rascally intelligence are once again fully on display. Her classic wicked humor in each story, which range from a ghost story to a vampire story to near-memoir to mini-sagas of family and social fracture, brilliantly unsettles the reader in that unmistakably Mantel way. She brutally and acutely writes about gender, marriage, class, family, and sex, cutting to the core of human experience. Unpredictable, diverse, and even shockingly unexpected, each story grabs you by the throat within a couple of sentences. -- Provided by publisher. Read More