Acutely observed, and often comic, Martin Malone's stories chart the hidden and darker currents beneath everyday, seemingly ordinary, family life. An Irish soldier who brings his Middle-East tour of duty home with him, a car-park attendant who ponders all that he witnesses, two sisters who have always shared everything, and a father and son trapped in a tragic aftermath are some of the deftly realised characters who memorably people these powerful tales of love, loss and betrayal. Cleanly written, and displaying a true gift for dialogue, "The Mango War and Other Stories" is a collection to reckon with.