Predator or Prey: Short Tales with a Twist is a chilling collection written by J. New. It starts off with A Bolt from the Blue, a tale of an abusive relationship that tells of a desperate woman making her escape from a man who seems to be the reincarnation of the devil himself. There are ten stories in this collection and each one will cause a chill at the nape of your neck. In Be Careful What You Wished For, the quest for immortality ends up in a scenario that one would not expect, while in A Little Peace and Quiet, the fates of two little boys hang in a delicate balance at the hands of their own mother. This is a book that explores the subconscious of people whose stories will grip your heart and mind.

Predator or Prey: Short Tales with a Twist by J. New is a collection of short stories and flash fiction that seems like short extracts of the secret corners of people’s perverted minds. All the characters in the stories are either predator or prey, and reading this book is like entering their murky minds. What makes this collection of stories more chilling is that these are actually common crimes probably being committed every day in any corner of the globe. The author has a vivid descriptive style and this makes the book intriguing and difficult to put down, except perhaps for the fainthearted. The shifting of the characters’ points of view from oppressor to victim is quite effective too, especially in heightening the thrill and mystery of the stories. The twists made me thirst for more details after reading each one of them. A very interesting read!

Predator or Prey is a collection of short stories and flash fiction by British writer J. New. Each entry is a tale of mystery and suspense with a twist in the tail. ‘A Bolt from the Blue’ is a swift but shocking view of domestic violence. ‘App for Life’ also focuses on domestic abuse, but not as normally portrayed. ‘A Kind Gesture’ is a tale of someone who deserves it, getting their just deserts. ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ is a modern-day take on Faust. ‘A Good Day’ focuses on a school bully’s determined victim. ‘A Little Peace and Quiet’ is the tale of a single mother on the edge. ‘A Shiny New Bike’ looks at family dynamics following an accident. ‘A Sting in the Tale’ enters the Catholic confessional. ‘A Blessing in Disguise’ follows a child’s abduction. ‘(Wo)man’s Best Friend’ is another twisted tale of domestic abuse.

Each of the stories in Predator or Prey is well written, but many are flash fiction (extremely quick short stories), which can sometimes hamper their effectiveness. ‘A Kind Gesture’ is disturbing but its brevity leaves some unexplored avenues that would have benefited from a longer story (the protagonist is a doctor?). ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ and ‘A Blessing in Disguise’ are similarly hampered and didn't really work for me. The best of J. New’s tales are the swift but shockingly effective ‘A Little Peace and Quiet’, the heartbreakingly clever ‘A Shiny New Bike’ and the slightly lengthier and creepy ‘A Sting in the Tale’. Overall, the collection is interesting and I would read more from this author.