A woman (spirit? Salamander in human form? Even she isn’t sure) who has an affinity for fire hitches a ride with Billy to a motel somewhere off the Interstate. All her talk is of fire, and Billy will see plenty of that when they reach their destination. Like King’s story, this starts with a conversation between two people and leads up to a supernatural denouement; Kiernan’s tale doesn’t quite get under the skin as much as King’s, but it has greater consistency between beginning and end, and rounds off with a neat little twist.
Rating: ***
5th October 2011 at 12:47 am
I’ve read enough of Kiernan’s works to know she is a great writer who is not for me. That said, I think she is stronger with short stories than novels.
5th October 2011 at 2:32 pm
This was the first time I’d read anything by her, but I have heard very good things about her work.