Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published by: Amazon Original Stories
Publication date: 1st November 2026
Content warnings: blood, murder, gore, death, domestic abuse
“If I can’t talk to anyone living, I talk to the dead. And they’re great listeners.”
Well I’ve been umming and ahhing about whether to give this five stars or not. “It’s a short story, do I really rate it the same as some of my favourite full sized novels?” But then I thought, you know what, f*ck it. Yes, it does deserve five stars because it was bloody brilliant and no short story I ever read will give me as much joy and satisfaction as this one has. It has the twists and turns that some 400 page novels would be jealous of. It’s so witty and sharp. The characters are unforgettable. And one thing we must establish first of all is that you do not mess with Brenda… I am SO happy to be sharing my review of Warm Bodies by John Marrs!
About the book
Brenda lives quietly in a picture-perfect English village. She looks after her grandchildren, restores old furniture, and keeps herself to herself. She’s the sort of neighbour people feel comfortable judging.
And judge they do. Because villages notice everything. The shopping. The visitors. The hours kept behind closed doors. And when the local WhatsApp group begins to turn its attention to Brenda, curiosity hardens into suspicion, and gossip becomes a sport.
As scrutiny tightens, Brenda finds herself navigating busybodies, moral crusaders and a community that believes it knows best. What they don’t know is that Brenda has spent a lifetime solving problems discreetly.
Methodically. Permanently.
And she is very good at it.
The village may come to regret not minding its own business.
My thoughts
This is pretty much the most well put together short story I’ve read. It is brilliant! Not only is it so gripping from the start with exceptional characters (not quite sure how he’s made this work so well in 100 pages, quite frankly!) but it’s also bloody hilarious, which I didn’t expect it to be. I feel there is a very specific way to get humour right in a book like this, and John Marrs has nailed it.
Meet Brenda, grandmother to Esme, Jessica and Noah, mother to Lucy. Restorer of old furniture. Doesn’t bother anyone, keeps herself to herself. She also has a very interesting job… in body dismembering and disposal. God, I absolutely loved her. I loved learning how she got into her unusual job, the things she’s done and continues to do for her family to put food on the table, a roof over their heads. But unfortunately, Brenda is the kind of person that other people like to watch. To discuss. She’s judged by others in her neighbourhood, particularly the Village Vibes WhatsApp group. Aside from their bitchy conversations and accusations, they were such a colourful group of characters who – even though I disliked the way they spoke about our Bren – were quite entertaining. Linda, who only types in capital letters, was my absolute favourite, and her messages always made me laugh and Beth in particular has a big grudge for a reason…
“People are always scared of what they don’t know. And perhaps, on this occasion, they’re right.”
Despite learning much more about Brenda’s… activities, I was firmly rooted on her side. She just gets on with her work. Doesn’t really bother socialising. I loved her thought processes, what happened when the door to her shed closed. The research and detail was so impressive and it was such a joy to read from start to finish. The book was much more gory than I expected (which was brilliant) and the contrast between the humour and the darkness of dismembering bodies was just perfectly done. Of course, the only downside to this short story is that it’s not a full-sized book, and I would so love to read more about Brenda in the future, whether through another short story, or a full novel of Bren’s extra curricular activities. And even if this is a one off, I still loved every word.
This is such a clever, entertaining read, but with plenty of tense, shocking moments that make it all the more addictive. If you’re looking for something quick and impactful, this is well worth your time!
So yeah. Don’t f*ck with Brenda, guys.
Warm Bodies is available through Amazon First Reads* (and will be published on 1st November!) Make sure you’re following John on Instagram for all his latest book news!
* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks so much for your support!
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