A woman granted a superpower discovers it's more trouble than it's worth. A neighbourhood forum becomes the setting for a bizarre ghost story. A children's entertainer wrestles with problems that are nothing to joke about. A harassed dad attempts to meet the challenge of the primary school cake competition.

By turns tender and satirical, witty and bizarre, the stories in this debut collection cast a fresh eye on first-world problems. Funny and humane, they zoom in on the absurdities and poignancies in work, family, love and loss in our frenetic modern lives.

Full UK marketing campaign by the Sandstone Press in-house team.

About the Author

Dan Brotzel's stories have appeared in Pithead Chapel, Ellipsis Zine, Reflex Fiction, Cabinet of Heed, Lucent Dreaming, Bending Genres, The Esthetic Apostle, Spelk, The Ginger Collect and Fiction Pool. He won the 2018 Riptide Journal short story competition, was runner-up in the 2019 Leicester Writes competition, and was highly commended in the Manchester Writing School competition 2018. He is also co-author of a comic novel-in-emails about an eccentric writers' group, Kitten on a Fatberg (Unbound).

He lives in London with his partner Eve and their three children - Isla, Poppy and Huw.

Reviews

[These stories] chart the transformative, vengeful, poignant moments of everyday life with an appealing down-to-earth candour.

* Daily Mail *

An impressive debut.

* The Irish Times *

Brotzel packs each mini escapade with surprise and wit, playing deftly with form and tone and probing what is absurd and poignant in everyday life. Each story can turn on a phrase, and there's a powerful sensation that something sinister is inching towards you with every line.

* The Herald *

Thoughtful and satirical, Alan Bennett meets David Sedaris meets Jasper Fforde. Dan Brotzel's collection turns cliches on their heads.

* Press & Journal *

Alive with humour, wit and subtle observations...and, then, when we're least expecting it, a darkness, a deeper reality,a shadow that creeps up behind and holds up a mirror

This book is unique, original and, most importantly, a joy to read - a masterclass in short story writing.

A bouncy and heartfelt read. Get ordering!

* Storgy Magazine *

Hotel du Jack is funny, sad, excruciating and poignant.

Brotzel's prose style is anarchic and economical. His dialogue fizzes along brilliantly and he's genuinely a laugh-out-loud writer, but with some real pathos and depth to his characters too.

Funny , but also touching,and sometimes a little bit odd. For that I truly enjoyed them.

* NetGalley *

A contemporary collection with 21st century themes. Brexit, Trump, Alexa and other themes abound, but never does the author skimp on the portrayal of characters... A great read.

* NB Magazine *

The kind of collection that gets more interesting and fuller with every subsequent analysis or discussion.

* Superfluous Reading blog *

Hotel du Jack brings together 28 stories, frequently marrying style and substance to pull off a fresh, witty and insightful collection.

* The Short Story *



Book Information
ISBN 9781912240876
Author Dan Brotzel
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Sandstone Press Ltd
Publisher Sandstone Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 177g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 130mm * 15mm