When is it OK to kill dogs - and other animals - in crime fiction?

[Benjamin Sobieck]

There are two reasons people will be talking about The Wrong Delivery - Corrin's Eyes, by McDroll:

 

1) The depiction of a dog's gruesome death in the first paragraphs.

 

2) The twist at the end that you won't see coming.

 

The story opens with Morna - one half of a couple (the husband being Gordon) in Scotland - finding their dog Corrin dead outside their home. As Morna makes her way to the house, she's hit with another shock that makes it clear Corrin's death was no accident.

 

Killing animals (and for that matter, children) in fiction has always been a sensitive topic. Some people will be appalled that this short story opens in such a way. They'd be overreacting. Be it animals or children, the difference between a gratuitous death and a justifiable one (in the writing sense) is how it relates to the plot.

In this case, McDroll uses the death as the pivot on which the entire story revolves. There's a reason the story is called Corrin's Eyes and not Morna's Bad Day.

 

As for the twist, I'm not giving that away in the least bit. All I can say is after I read the ending, I went back and re-read the whole thing. The non-linear format of the story begs for it. Readers will find the most satisfaction when they answer that calling.

 

McDroll once again proves herself as one of the most capable indie crime authors today. Give this short story a read.

Click here to get The Wrong Delivery - Corrin's Eyes exclusively on Amazon for the Kindle for 99 cents.