William Peskett

The Second William Peskett Short Story Omnibus

For serious story fans here are two collections of William Peskett's short stories bundled into one package. That's 22 stories for not much more than the price of one of the collections. The two collections are Sweet Song of the Siren and The Day of the Tiger. Most of the stories are set in Thailand or have a Thai or Asian connection, though some aren't and don't. They feature a fascinating collection of characters: A murderer who sees himself carved in stone; a writer whose dead wife returns to him through time; a robot community waiting for their saviour; a man who falls in love with his own penis; a woman dying slowly of dementia; a troupe of wise-cracking monkeys; a bank teller who suspects a colleague of murder; an old man who loses his shorts; a butcher reminiscing with his biggest customer and a ladyboy searching for love. Throw in the diary of one of the last two people on Earth, a market-stall tableau and a vision of eternity and you begin to appreciate the variety of perspectives that this collection contains. Often amusing, sometimes comical and occasionally sad, these tales are always touching. William Peskett writes with a light touch and brings a sensitive and sympathetic eye to bear on a wide variety of characters and an unusual mixture of relationships. They have much to reveal about how life is lived by locals and by foreigners resident in this fascinating part of the world.