“This book captures the dread of realizing a relationship is dying, or has been for quite some time, the regret while looking back on all the things ignored and warnings unheard though they may have been spoken quite clearly.”

Lorne and Gwen are experiencing some serious marital problems that Lorne is intent on fixing, though he wonders if he really can after being unfaithful to her. He finds himself tucked away in a bathroom stall during a birthday party, smoking even though he swore to his wife he’d quit, and gets interrupted by a stranger who passes to him an object he can’t even see. He keeps it in his pocket, hoping that it could somehow bring him luck in trying to win his distant spouse’s heart once more. He knows it won’t be easy after all he has done and destroying, A Wake, a painting she perfected. He comes upon the idea of renewing their vows and hopes that will rekindle their love and trust so he travels to the Decroux House to make arrangements. He meets an old man that promises it is a place to fix broken things, a place of new beginnings.

The giver of the invisible token is a character that isn’t mentioned in many stories; a mime. In this tale the silent figure that mimics the everyday actions of average human behavior feels menacing and much creepier than its colorful counterpart the clown. Both Lorne and Gwen find themselves face to face with the stalker, though he sees a male and Gwen encounters a female, both know a message is being relayed through silent gestures. After watching Lorne on his knees in their yard digging in the grass she agrees to the ceremony he plans for them at the Decroux House. When they enter it, they find it holds things of their dreams, the walls are filled with paintings she has completed and some she hasn’t but she recognizes they are painted by her hand and Lorne discovers a bookshelf lined with novels he longed to write and a few he hadn’t even thought of yet. A letter within the book informs Lorne of a choice that must be made, a decision to determine who would stay in the Decroux house forever.

This book captures the dread of realizing a relationship is dying, or has been for quite some time, the regret while looking back on all the things ignored and warnings unheard though they may have been spoken quite clearly. The mime is something some people become when going through the motions of life, trapped within invisible boxes, voiceless and powerless to break free … they are also creepy as fuck and Mr. Wehunt did a great job of portraying that.

Michael Wehunt’s has written some really extraordinary stories, blending the macabre with a good dose of literary skill. His collection Greener Pastures also displays his knack for suspense building and use of description that feels natural yet impossible for some other writers to attain. The Tired Sounds, A Wake is a novella length story, a quick read but leaves you fully satisfied. Dim Shores has a reputation for putting out some great books and this is no exception.

                                                                                                                                            MICHELLE GARZA

Publisher: Dim Shores
Paperback: (88pp)
Release Date: 5 December 2016

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