The Game & the Challenge

What’s it going to be – the dice or the gauntlet?

If you’re game, here are thirteen thought-provoking short stories to challenge you.

Rumours of a mad captain’s ship stranded in the desert attract men from around the world, each armed with a different theory. Two generals play Russian roulette that’s bound to have a checkmate ending. And as for the game of chess, you’re in for several surprises as its key moments throughout history are revealed.

A bobby treads the London streets where the cobblestones rhyme. An Arabian princess will tell you the story behind her dead lover’s eyes. The powerful pull of a macumba moon makes for a ghoulish supper. When the gift of a golden wish turns true, the consequences become dicey. Getting to work in Mexico City turns out to be more than a difficult task, considering the time involved.

Read the letters revealing the palindrome nature of a relationship made impossible. Join a confidence game in which the con man gets trapped in his own device. Get an invitation to a hilarious movie pre-production meeting that ends with disaster. Enjoy the memoirs of a self-made scrap millionaire who doesn’t shy away from the pleasures in life.

And – how would you react if you were handed the world on a plate, with no knowledge of the price tag? Read and decide for yourself – if you’re up to the challenge.

Category: THE BOOKS.

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“This collection will appeal to readers of literary fiction, particularly those who enjoy fiction with an absurdist twist that nears magical realism.”

– Amazon Editorial Review

“Thirteen riveting short stories of suspense and intrigue: a commute to work in overcrowded Mexico City turns out to be a journey of many twists and turns. A Chinese and a Russian general decide who will win a battle by having a contest that includes Russian roulette and a chess game using prisoners of war as live pieces. A man who has the power to have anything he wants discovers the deeper meaning and implications of having wishes come true. A con artist who thinks he hit the jackpot winds up in prison, but that’s just the beginning of a tale of one-upmanship. These are just some of the plots, places, and characters in these stories, which can all be aptly be described as page-turners. Ekemar enhances his engrossing plots with a finely honed gift for description and metaphor, whether he’s presenting his characters or the vast array of worldwide locations and historical settings they inhabit. In ‘Mad Captain Boccaccio and the Ship in the Desert,’ for instance, the desert fire and the man beside it are palpable: ‘The boulders cast long shadows across the space that separated them, thumb-nosed by the dancing flames that interrupted the serenity of the place. The man wore a cape … It covered him completely from head to feet, and barely allowed one to imagine the bearded features of a weathered face well past fifty.’ A book of provocative, gripping tales, replete with elaborative imagery.”

– Kirkus Reviews