...Bookfanatic

Some time ago Marie Sexton wrote a piece of free fiction that was posted on her website and it was called 'Chapter 5 and the Axe-Wielding Maniac'.  It was cute and funny, sexy, entertaining and as with any good story it was also too short. So now here we are at least a year later or that's what it seems, I honestly don't remember how long ago she wrote it. It could have been more than a year, it could have been less. I'm just not sure. What I do know is that the author has been kind enough to re-issue that story for those of you who missed it and would like to read it. It's still available as a free download. I got my copy at ARe.

Ok, now that we've explored the origins of how this story came to be. Can I just say that I really, really liked 'Chapter 5 and the Axe-Wielding Maniac' and I did enjoy 'Apartment 14 and the Devil Next Door' it gave us a short, interesting and unexpected look into what happens to Josh & Rad beyond the cabin in the woods. For me it didn't quite contain the quirkiness that I found in 'Chapter 5 and the Axe-Wielding Maniac', but it was still a charming and enjoyable read.

Normally this is the part where I would say that I wished the story was longer, but in this case I think longer may have turned a fun, cute story into something dull and boring. Mainly because it didn't feel like this was written with the intent of ever being a full length novel. It struck me that it was the author wanting to give readers of Chapter 5 a conclusion to that story. Something to let us know what happened to the MCs once they left that cabin in the woods. So for me in this case the story was just right with an ending that was adorable and yet gives the author the opportunity to share other brief glimpses of Rad and Josh and maybe even the chance to find out what happens to 'the Devil Next Door?' without leaving this story incomplete.