Not Before Sundown

Johanna Sinisalo

Angel, a gay photographer, befriends Pessi an injured troll, and the consequences have a profound effect on all the people Angel later comes in contact with. A bizarre but compelling book, with short chapters that set the pace for a quick and easy read. The heady mix of lust, pheromones, hedonism and strange folklore has you racing through the book until you finish gasping for breath. Set time aside, as this is best read at one sitting or over a weekend break.

Extract

Pessi keeps growling, letting out strangled throaty sounds, as he dances an angry little ballet around me, his tail horizontal and stiff. His nostrils widen and twitch. I try to touch him, but he bounces back like a sprung spring. 'Pessi.' My voice coaxing and soothing, even a little apologetic. I've been away as long as this before, haven't I? His nostrils: his nostrils are twitching, his ears are flattened against his skull. The smell. Ecke's smell is on me. The smell of a strange male.

Parallels