A Sliver of Darkness: Stories

Tudor’s (The Chalk Man) latest is an imaginative and entertaining collection of short stories. The universe as created by Tudor is not a safe one—it is full of dangerous elements like stone-cold killers and menacing graffiti, of man-eating butterflies and all-consuming darkness. Settings run the gamut from sketchy neighborhoods full of monsters to cruise ships at the end of the world. While the quality of stories in a collection can be somewhat inconsistent, Tudor’s is solid overall; particular standouts include the noir “Runaway Blues” and the grimly comedic “I’m Not Ted.” The audiobook’s stellar cast (Richie Campbell, Dakota Blue Richards, Roy McMillan, Richard Armitage, and Adam Sims) immerses listeners, and Tudor’s introductions to each story and to the collection as a whole are a refreshing window into her life and the genesis of her work.