If you like your cast of characters to be damaged, you'll find much to absorb here. Not a nice tale, but expertly told.
Extract
Someone in the queue called out to her and then a woman on the counter told her that she needed to go around the other way if she wanted serving. But Lily, her one wrist jammed against her cheek, pushed her other hand flat down onto the counter and stared intently into the man's eyes.
'I've come for Ronny' she said, above all the confusion and disgruntlement, 'about the beast'.
