There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Quirky stories are so much fun! I love tales with a supernatural bent to them. And Griffin sees bent very well! These were a fun read!

David John Griffin - Two Dogs at the One Dog Inn

This is a book of two parts - the first half of it is the re-release, but Urbane Publications, of the previously self-published novella Two Dogs at the One Dog Inn; whilst the 2nd half consists of a number of short stories.
David John Griffin, the author of the book at hand, has published two novels now, and I would think the publisher’s decision to re-publish this book is both timely, and well deserved from the contents.
Griffin describes himself as a “writer, graphic designer and app designer, who lives in a small town by the Thames in Kent, UK with his wife Susan and two dogs called Bullseye and Jimbo.“

Two Dogs at the One Dog Inn is, in first approximation, the story of Audrey Ackermann, an animal welfare volunteer, who investigates a report of interminable barking of dogs at the historic Coaching Inn of the title. Or, rather, it’s the story of what she found, and of her working through the trauma of what she found.
The actual story is told, exclusively, as an exchange of email between Audrey (who comes across as rather overwrought at times) and her artificially cheerful supervisor Stella. This is interspersed (and, to quite an extent, enlivened) by diary entries and notes for a novel from a memory stick which Audrey found at the Inn; purportedly belonging to an SF writer named Gideon Hadley.
This way of storytelling is, by its very nature, rather repetitive, and so is the personal content in the exchange which frames the telling of the actual story. The attachments from the found memory stick I considered fascinating, not just for their content, but also for the protagonists utter disregards for any kind of privacy, and lack of any attempt to return something which should have been precious, if not even valuable, to its owner.
Of course, having a writer (Griffin) writing about a writer (Audrey) going through the notes of a writer (Hadley) for a novel is every so slightly meta, but writing seems to be a favourite topic of writers, somehow. And to be fair, the language here changes depending of which writer things are purportedly from - especially Hadley is overly descriptive, and flowery.
The email based structure is not new, either, and has in my opinion been executed better, or at least more entertaining and less repetitive in Matt Beaumont's novel 'e', for example. We also get overdone local placenames (“Legatemead”??? really?) and unnecessarily obfuscated terms (Cyclowiki? To boogle information?).
But despite these weaknesses this is a fascinating, and well executed story, with an ending which surprised me (there had to be a twist, but I didn’t expect it to turn the way it did. neat).
This is Magic Realism, mostly, but can read differently, too. A contemporary and kindred spirit to the likes of Claude Lalumière, or Karin Tidbeck


The 2nd half of the book consists of short stories. There is no indication if all of them were previously published, or where/when. Below is a run-through of these, with a capsule review (or at least a few comments) on each.

Henrietta
A man, his relationship (!) with a spider, and his wife’s jealousy.

Return to the Sea
A story of loss, and of letting go. Harrowing, and one of the better treatments I’ve seen on this tricky topic.

A Crouching Man
Not sure what to make of this. It comes across like a mix of Fredric Brown and Franz Kafka. Odd.

The conversion of Roscoe Robinson
A longer, slightly surreal tale of a depressive city dweller getting lost in a forest - to be transformed. Somewhere between Duerrenmatt’s The Tunnel, and Grey Owl.

The Hidden Libraries of Doctor Dancer
A story worthy of being printed on a Moebius Strip. More Fredric Brown than D. Hofstaedter, though.

Mobile
The future of mobile technology - the launch of a new, neurally interfacing device, highly coveted. Dependency, despondency, suicides, Technology Cults. Looking at today’s technology/mobile zombies then we’re not that far off already…

The Ultimate Secret
Family secrets, secret islands, top secret rejuvenating spas (fountain of youth?) all in one strange mix. This did not really work for me, I have to say.

Angeline
A doddering old art professor who has lot the love of his life, and a slightly unhinged hair stylist - it’s all a bit shrill, and didn’t really hang together for me.

The Benefactor and the Ghost
Yes, a proper ghost story. Set in another inn. With added time travel…

Daisy 8122
Short, sharp take on AI with emotions.

The Extraordinary Tale of Kassara
A yarn, from the diary of a lost sailor, told in fragments; telling of the unbelievable discoveries he’s made. Rather neat, I would love to hear more! This was shortlisted for the HG Wells Short Story Competition 2012.

Overall a neat and entertaining package, and well worth obtaining and reading for fans of slightly left-field Magic Realism and other oddities.

More David John Griffin

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

Title: Two Dogs at the One Dog Inn
Author: David John Griffin
Reviewer: Markus
Reviewer URL: http://thierstein.net
Publisher: Urbane Publications
Publisher URL: http://www.urbanepublications.com
Publication Date: 2017
Review Date: 170209
ISBN:9781911331155
Pages: 256
Format: ePub
Topic: Magic Realism
Topic: Writing

After Audrey Ackerman, an employee of the Animal Welfare Union, is asked to check out reports of constant barking, she emails her boss Stella Bridgeport to let her know she is far too shaken up to return to work. What follows is a series of emails about the frightening paranormal sightings Audrey has encountered at the One Dog Inn. Frightened, Audrey tells the story of encountering giant swans and other things that should not exist at a local tourist spot. She discovers a thumbdrive full of materials written by a science fiction writer, including his journal and notes for a book. Despite Stella's suggestions to Audrey that perhaps these are just notes for an upcoming novel, it becomes obvious that there is far more at stake than just a few pages of fiction.

It isn't immediately apparent that this is a collection of stories. The first feels so overarching that my brain began to assume everything could, and must, be tied together. The various incidents are surreal, often including shapeshifting women, ghosts that run the premises, and a whole wealth of magical realism. Audrey and Stella's emails truly are just the beginning, setting the stage for several tales that are bizarre enough to be creepy, but complete page turners. I adored Two Dogs at the One Dog in and found myself reading the pages way longer into the night than I would have expected from the small blurb used to describe the book.

Two Dogs at the One Dog in is now available from David John Griffin.

I like different stories or should I say stories that are different, the impossible or improbable, that  spikes the mind that you can’t second guess, it just makes sense when you read it and this novel covers all that. This book is made up of the story which is sort of the main event with an additional 12 stories that are quick reads in their own right, some  macabre others with a meaning to take heed of. When I was reading this novella  I could sort of imagine sitting around a camp fire while taking it in turn to tell stories while everyone listens until it is their turn to top it.
The first story, from where the title originates, is told via emails between a volunteer animal welfare and rescue worker Audrey and her friend and boss at the centre Stella, after a very distressing phone call has already occurred ending with Audrey resigning. An unusual way to tell a story but it works very well. Stella gradually coaxes what has happened at the One Dog Inn, which is a fascinating and disturbing tale.  I wasn’t too sure just how much was genuine friendship from Stella’s side though or just the need not to let a volunteer walk away from a position that will be hard to fill. I thought the play on places names worked well, still recognisable but fun. This story is the longest taking about 41% of the novel size.
The 12 remaining stories are of various sizes with each one having it’s own uniqueness. My favourites being the future of mobile phones, which did send quite a shiver as you could imagine technology eventually going this way. Though perhaps not with the same conclusion, I hope. The other being the story of Henry Sims. From stories about being eco friendly to the noise upstairs is just the house settling noise isn’t it kind of story it is a very entertaining novel.
I wish to thank Netgalley, Urbane Publishers and particularly David John Griffin whom invited me to read his new novel to be published on the 26th January.