When I read Kick It, I was taken aback.
The first story, A Pot Of Christmas soup was warm and cosy. Not only did I enjoy its telling, but I learned a neat trick with Foxes Glacier Mints that means I'll be able to put icicles on future Christmas cakes. It was really gentle and I got completely involved in ideas for next years dinner. 'Kick It' - I wondered about the title for such gently skilled story-telling. And then came the twist. The sting in the tale. 'Kick It' finally made sense.
Gemma Dixon, a woman working her way through the nettles of police-rankings, is a great character. The opener gives a hint and she appears in the remaining stories (bar one) where we get to know a little more about her style and her strength each time.
In between the Dixon tales we have a story of a disillusioned Support For Learning teacher. It's the job I do. Reading about it not only reflected many of my own fears, it also highlighted perfectly the difficulties of the job in a way that is far-too-rarely mentioned. And boy does this one wear steel toe caps.
Fantastic.
This is a wonderful collection and I'm off to take another kicking in the very near future.
A+
Thanks so much Nigel, you are very kind!...or should it be Nigella?
ReplyDeleteIt does indeed rock.
ReplyDeleteJust reviewed your contribution to OFF THE RECORD.
ReplyDeletewww.z7hq.com
Gemma has had my vote for Cop of the Year for a long time. And Fiona is one of the funniest, most seriously talented writers out there. Long live McD!
ReplyDelete