"Crime writing with a harsh edge." - Nicholas Clee, The Guardian "An original and stimulating debut. The narratives are steeped in Caribbean storytelling traditions which Shillingord exploits to deliver penetrating insights on the joys and sorrows of life." - Mike Phillips, award-winning crime writer. "The humour made me both chuckle and laugh out loud. What lifts this collection above the usual bang-bang crime story is its attempt to unpick the bigger issues facing the Caribbean. Shillingford deftly and confidently creates stories, which are concerned with dealing with the effects of crime on people's lives. Christborne Shillingford is an exciting and unique addition to the genre." - Dreda Say Mitchell, award-winning crime writer. A first collection from a new voice in crime fiction. Christborne Shillingford's short stories have an anarchic style chronicling the Caribbean adventures of a very amateur detective whose special knack is getting in (and out of) street scrapes. He escapes from drug dens, bent policemen, ghosts, disdainful girlfriends and crazy dogs. These are crime tales from "the block" - a modern, irreverent look straight from the back streets of Dominica. This is Christborne Shillingford's first book. He lives in rural Dominica, his birthplace.