'Thinner' - the old gipsy man barely whispered the word. Billy felt the touch of a withered hand, gentle on his cheek.

Billy Halleck, prosperous if overweight citizen, happily married, shuddered, then turned angrily away. The old woman's death had been none of his fault. The court had cleared him. She'd just stumbled in front of his car. Now he simply wanted to forget the whole messy business.

Later, when the scales told him he was losing weight, it was just what the doctor had ordered. His wife was pleased - as he should have been. But...'Thinner' - the word, the old man's curse, had lodged in is mind like a fattening worm, eating away at his flesh, at his reason. And with his despair, came violence.

RELEASE NOTES:

For the book table

Stephen King writes a good yarn - and this is as good as any. I snatched this at the Unconvention for the OBCZ at South Devon College in Newton Abbot - which was sorely in need of an infusion of new reads. Thanks Lutrus!