These are enticing and intriguing stories by a compelling, thought-provoking author. A woman living inside a stone circle hides an unusual secret, and makes her ever-more confused guest wonder if she is actually human. An elderly, faded artist becomes obsessed with her young model, who re-invigorates her and inspires her to create more vibrant works of art using his hair and blood. Sexual energy drives most of the stories onwards – Blayney seems to be influenced by Iris Murdoch in this respect. The stories are lyrical and beautiful. You can feel the sweat dripping down your spine in the prickling, dry heat of Turkey, you can feel the dry, sulphurous night in Lille prior to a hot, wet thunderstorm. Blayney has much to say about human belief, the fabric of reality and the unspoken relationships between couples. The title story, for instance, is about two young honeymooners who find it difficult to communicate with each other, reaching new levels of understanding when they go on a boat trip to search for turtles. Like Paul Bowles or J. G. Farrell, Mark Blayney has the gift of conveying an immensely visual scene in a few broad brush strokes. He strikes the right balance between writing about serious issues whilst also being entertaining and page-turning – there is some beautifully-crafted prose and the stories have pace, verve and excitement. Read the extracts below for a glimpse of these magical, evocative stories. Also see Mark Blayney’s other book, Conversations with Magic Stones.