Revenge is theme of new short story collection

Revenge, according to the proverb, is a dish best served cold. In his new book, Philip Marshall serves up a collation of 36 short stories dealing with payback.

Of the collection, Marshall says: “Some of the stories are light-hearted and end with a comic twist. Others are darker with 'kick-in-the-guts’ endings. It’s a pretty diverse collection. Some are based on things I’ve seen or heard over the years but with details changed to protect the innocent — or perhaps more correctly the guilty — parties.”

Marshall was born in Wellington and worked as a publications editor in the Department of Labour's head office. Since leaving New Zealand in 2005, he has lived in Thailand, Japan and the Philippines, which provide settings for some of the stories.

He has also published two comic novels, a short story collection, and a humorous memoir of growing up in Wainuiomata.