REVIEW: M.J. Lance's Ligature Marks

She might as well be wearing a dress of the same material as the wallpaper, that girl in your office who hardly ever speaks, that girl who is never wooed, that girl who is passed over for promotion and attention, even though she is very good at her work.  No one ever notices her.

   How does that shrinking violet spend her weekends?  Surely some nights are spent watching cult television programs—she seems to know a lot about Doctor Who.  But how else does she spend her time?  Probably with an apartment full of cats, but who really cares?  She’s boring and uninteresting, right?

   That is the impression we first get of Sarah, the protagonist of M.J. Lance’s short story, Ligature Marks.  And I might have been one of the many who strolled by without ever taking any heed of Sarah, but for Mr. Lance’s well-told tale.

   Mr. Lance’s writing is smoky and rich, and despite the story’s brevity, he manages to verbally saunter through it and take his time in the telling in a way that titillates Sarah, and titillated me, too.

   We first meet Sarah as she waits for a midnight train on a bone-cold night, wearing a short skirt and tee, her plump bottom mottled with bruises.  The mousy secretary has spent her Friday at a Fetish Swinger’s Club, and after enjoying some consensual carnal revels, she is heading home for the night.  Oh, we never really know what goes on inside a quiet girl’s head, do we?

   Sarah never counted on running into the Englishman, whose name we never learn, but whose nature is made perfectly clear.  The Englishman is the most engaging kind of sadist—the knowledgeable kind, with a firm, expert hand.  Sarah learns, and we learn, the difference between playtime in a recreational social club and the nerve crunching edge-play of the real deal.  Speaking from experience, I suspect Sarah will find playtime less satisfying in the future.

  M.J. Lance artfully escorts us through Sarah’s short jaunt, and I found the read well worth the time.  For an atmospheric and entertaining staycay, check out Ligature Marks by M.J. Lance.  I recommend it!  Click here.

PS This is the start of a collection, and the author includes links to contact him.  Much like Sarah, this story might be the start of a special, intimate relationship for all.