The collection kicks off with the novella “Stars Seen through Stone”. It begins with a man contemplating life on the steps of the town library. A record producer named Vernon, he recalls the events leading him to contemplation—a demo he'd received from a preternaturally talented blues musician. An emotionally immature, overweight teen who expects the world but is unwilling to put in the effort, Jason Stanky is not the most likable guy. But his music is, and Vernon attempts to reconcile his disgust to get a record deal that will earn them both a little cash. But it’s in relating the town’s history to Stanky one day that things begin to take a turn for the weird for Vernon. Escalating alongside the potential for the young man’s success, their small town of Black William, RI finds itself on the map in ways no reader can predict. This is cited as one of Shepard's best stories for a reason.
Despite
the cool title, the next story, “Emerald Street Expansions”, is a
forced effort in which a security contractor installs a home defense
system for a woman obsessed with a dead French poet. Shenanigans,
wholly unbelievable Shenanigans, ensue. Shepard wanted to write a
mystery, which he does, but the reader feels the author's thumb on
the scales of every page. In “Limbo”, an ex-con looks to escape
his criminal past in the wilds of Michigan's upper peninsula where he
runs into a redhead with a loser boyfriend. In typical Shepard
fashion, what seems pretty straight-forward eventually twists
sideways into a Lovecraftian personal nightmare. The horror here is
vanilla, B-level Netflix series horror. Also, the main character
needed more depth to make what is a good, atypical ending a great,
atypical ending. The fantasy elements feel random, spontaneous, like
Shepard on auto-play, sleepwalking.
Fourth work
published in the Griaule sequence is the novella “Liar’s House”.
In this continuation, Shepard expands the dead dragon’s surrounds.
The title refers to the seedy inn which affords a view of the
resting dragon. It is also home to Hoto Kotieb, murderer in hiding.
Not entirely a brute, Kotieb spends his days carving dragons from
wood, and at the outset of the story he sets himself the task of
applying art to the dragon. Hauling a white oak to the top of a hill
where he may observe the beast, things go smoothly until Kotieb sees
something strange flying around the snout of the massive dragon:
another dragon. Kotieb is unable to stop himself from running to see
where it lands, and what unfolds reveals yet another subtle evil of
Griaule. One of the best Griaule stories, “Liar’s House” is a
wonderfully developed story with a moral core that hits multiple
places simultaneously. The denouement spins the reader’s empathy,
proving Shepard still has plenty of room to tell quality tales of the
dragon.
“Dead
Money” is a southern
gambling thriller with a spot of zombie (and spontaneous combustion).
A small town, southern gangster attempts to help a crime lord and
get his cut in the process. The story unravels in unpredictable,
energizing fashion and features Tarantino-esque villains, all leading
to a superb climax. Overall, a nice 80s movie vibe that delivers
unhindered storytelling. “Dinner at Baldassaro's” is a George W.
Bush era story about a group of gods among us assembling in backwater
Italy to decide matters of human fate. It's a wishy-washy story which
ends up doing a fair bit of navel gazing. If only Shepard could have
seen Trump...
Bewitched
the adult version, such is “Abimagique”. An amazing character
portrait, it tells of a goth woman who seduces a chronically injured
professor. A wonderfully crafted piece with a nicely ambiguous
ending. “The Lepidopterist” is a Caribbean tale told in a
lyrical, idiosyncratic voice of a man recalling his island youth when
a storm blew in, bringing with it an odd man with an odd box who may
or may not have the cure for the boy's domestic ills. Subtle on top
of the regional voice.
The title novella,
“Dagger
Key”, closes the collection in style. A pirate-ish tale, Shepard
returns to the Caribbean, but to a modern cafe owned by a man named
Fredo. Despite being descended from pirates, Fredo has a normal
life—wife, kids, job, friends, routine, etc.. But the ghost of
Pirate Annie haunts him. She visits him on the beach or in private
moments, and when German relic hunters come looking for old pirate
treasure, she rears her ugly head. Shepard effectively uses the same
voice of “The Lepidopterist”, but creates a dark, moody tale that
surprises the reader through twists and turns.
In the end, Dagger Key is a fantastic collection from Shepard. As always, different stories will appeal to different readers, but one thing readers will agree on is that Shepard's voice and style do a great job bringing to the forefront three things: unique characters, singular situations, and the subtle-then-wild introduction of the fantastic. It's all going standard human, until... Standouts for me are “Dead Money”, “Stars Seen through Stone”, and “Dagger Key”, but there is enough variety for everyone to have their own preferences. Of the many he produced, I don't have a favorite Shepard collection. They are all of similar quality, meaning the would-be reader can pick up just about anything and get a mix of imminently readable, quality stories, this one included. Uncle Joe's shelf is full of treasures (just don't dig too deep).
The following are the nine stories collected in Dagger Key and Other Stories:
Stars
Seen Through Stone
Emerald Street Expansions
Limbo
Liar's House
Dead Money
Dinner at Baldassaro's
Abimagique
The Lepidopterist
Dagger Key
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