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Claire Ladds

Crime and dark fiction author

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Here you can read complete short stories. excerpts from my published books, as well as my works-in-progress and books available for pre-order.

Claire Ladds - The Reason for Everything and other short stories

The Reason for Everything and Other Short Stories

From: ‘Sweetening the pill’

I feel the ancient fingers grip onto me. She’s calm now, and her smile is docile – it’s like drugging a dangerous animal so it can be handled.

‘This is my Catherine. My daughter. She’s been living abroad. She’s come to see me.’

I can feel the carer’s eye on me. ‘That’s lovely for you, Maggie.’ As I look up, she mouths the words, ‘Have you?’ and I shake my head and stare at the blankets, and the hard, sugar-coated sweets, and wonder when I’ll be free to leave. Will I ever be free, even in my own head? The rooms here spin around in my dreams and I’m tortured by Mum’s face as I toss and turn; she forgets to eat at first, then forgets where she is for a while, until, finally, her eyes grow cold and she forgets me. I become smaller, more transparent, until I am nothing more than a dot, and even that disappears altogether and I exist no longer in the world where she is. I awake from my dreams, soaked in sweat and tears.

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Judgement Day (complete short story)

This short story follows a young, proud and naive priest as he negotiates his way through his first confessional. He encounters a woman whose devastating story leaves him unexpectedly and completely shaken, questioning his competence, and with a sudden shattering insight into just how fragile confidence and faith can be.

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Latest Release

Baby up the Chimney by Claire Ladds: a dark historical novel
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Don’t miss my latest blog posts

  • Spell the Month in Books: April 8th April 2021
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  • Spell the Month in Books: March 5th March 2021
  • Kobo Long Weekend Sale: Baby up the Chimney for 0.99 12th February 2021
  • Spell the Month in Books: February 6th February 2021

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I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other geographical Amazon sites such as Amazon.co.uk (as the UK is where I live). Please also expect to find other affiliate links, too. I only ever use affiliate links on products or services I have used myself and wholeheartedly recommend.

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