Not since George Orwell has the condition of being down-and-out been so well recorded

Carver has made himself the natural successor to his true mentor, Chekhov

He is alert to the unique, inconspicuous incident, when a life or a marriage may change course decisively

Carver's stories celebrate some lasting aspects of the human condition, however minimal, conjuring up a quality of fellow feeling which gives the stories a compelling, dry-eyed poignancy, a melancholy but intensely moving authenticity

There is nobody else like him. In some ways his pared-down style is an extreme development of the Hemingway style, but Carver writes about women and the ways men relate to them far more convincingly than Hemingway ever did

Carver is a master of the clear, sharp, resonant detail

Rendell's mesmerising capacity to shock, chill and disturb is unmatched

Affectingly raw and full of surprises

Spikey, bleak stories you won't forget ... poignant stories, all of which stand immediate rereading

Her stories are suggestively musical examples of rich, Glaswegian gothic

At last, Galloway's stories are back in print in one collection...savagely accurate, engaging and funny, she is one of our great contemporary writers

A testament to the sharp eye and shrewd brain of Janice Galloway, one of Scotland's finest writers

A writer of passion and virtuosity