Moody, raw and touching, this collection of short stories is the work of Nic Pizzolatto, the sole writer behind the TV masterpiece True Detective. While all of the stories take place in the southern states of the US, and many deal with modern and real traumas - war veterans, teenage angst, racism and families that are falling apart - there is something provocative and touching in each tale, neatly brought to life by Pizzolatto's fine command of language and creating moments the reader will relate to and remember.

My favourite stories were Two Shores and Haunted Earth.