Excellent stories--something sharp in every one. ( )

Really nice collection of stories all hinging on a decision and its aftermath. I liked that the collection contained a range of voices and tones without feeling forced. ( )

Debut collection. In most of the 11 stories characters make brief contact with another before receding back into their isolation. Bleaks worlds but with far more range than American Salvage. One a couple on a vacation away from the severely deformed child, another a Finnish mail bride and daughter, a lawyer, her son and insufferable grandfather, a couple that collects dogs to sell for medical use, in each case the person finds a moment where the veer closer to someone - even if it is only in their thoughts - only to realize or sense the futility. There is little redemption in Horrock's world but she gives us these characters whose bravery stems from recognition that there aren't any other good choices, anyway. Often we are in Michigan or thereabouts but we could be on a vacation in Greece or with a couple in Estonia or on a cruise so it would be unfair to set her down as a regional writer. Strong work. ( )

This Is Not Your City is an itty little book, but packs a punch. I have been having trouble getting into the modern short story of late, but Ms. Horrocks offerings certainly stood their own. Each story gives us a glimpse of a woman lost in her own life. Some are quite conventional in form, while others delve into magical realism and experiment with format in surprisingly moving ways. A couple, such as the title entry, lose themselves in contrivance, but as a whole we have here some beautiful, dark, and very funny writing. ( )