Publication Date: January 11, 2013
In The Card by Brandon Luffman, Freddie and Brian are playing with Tarot cards when a mysteriously sinister card turns up. None of the three will admit to adding it to the deck. Circumstances lead them to believe that perhaps something bigger than themselves has stepped into the picture and things are about to go very wrong.
The Card by Brandon Luffman is a short story that reads like a novel. Often short stories are perfunctory vignettes. Luffman gives us a fully realized world and a cast of characters with a story line full of dangerous and mysterious happenings leaving the reader on edge. Luffman development of the story is a slow and delicious dance with the reader giving a great attention to the detail. We are not left with the feeling of information missing. As with his longer piece, Frostwalker(click here to read my review), Luffman’s character development is easy and relatable. He gives us friends with a rapport and history of socializing when a card none of them have ever seen before, turns up. Each character knows the other well enough to know they can’t be trusted, and they have a pause to wonder. Is this a prank? The kicker is when things start happening. A need to know what comes next builds and Luffman does not disappoint. He gives us a direct story line with some deeply unexpected moves. It’s a wonderfully written and suspenseful story. Luffman has a talent for writing thrillers and investing odd events with darkness.
This is a great short story. If you like the work of authors like Dean Koontz and Stephen King, read an excerpt and buy The Card by Brandon Luffman on
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