This is such an amazing short story collection. Neil Gaiman has to be one of my favourite contemporary authors. He is such a fabulous, creative writer, and knows exactly what a story needs to be interesting, or heart-warming, or harrowing. Mostly harrowing, in the case of Trigger Warning.

Just a few words on some of my favourite stories with the barest hint of spoilers:

The Case of Death and Honey. What starts as seemingly two separate stories ends up connecting in an interesting way. I love Sherlock Holmes and I love this story, and I love the ending. I think it's wonderful that Gaiman can take someone else's character and write about him so well; he's so true to the original Sherlock Holmes yet makes the story his own.

Click-Clack the Rattlebag. A nice, short, properly spooky story. Wouldn't want to spoil it.


Nothing O'Clock. Time Lords! I missed Eleven, and it was so nice to read about him and Amy (and her Rory). This makes me wish Gaiman did more writing for Doctor Who - he has such a good understanding of his characters, and of revealing just enough of the plot as he goes along.
Also: this story made me giggle in public. I'm just glad I didn't squeal in delight. That would have been even more embarrassing.

Image: BBC

Feminine Endings was wonderful(ly frightening). The scariest stories are the ones with no supernatural elements to them, and Gaiman did such a good job with this one. This is probably the story that actually frightened me the most, because the way it starts off is so normal.

The Black Dog made me really want to (finally) read American Gods. I'm so fond of Shadow already, and curious to read more about him. This story is one of the longer stories of the collection and allows you to get to know the characters really well, adding to the suspense.