This weekend, I’m stepping into the imaginative world of Sally Cronin with Flights of Fancy, an entertaining collection of eleven stories where murder can raise a smile, love survives beyond loss, and even a parrot can change someone’s life!
This weekend, I’m stepping into the imaginative world of Sally Cronin with Flights of Fancy, an entertaining collection of eleven stories where murder can raise a smile, love survives beyond loss, and even a parrot can change someone’s life!
Reading Over the Weekend: Flights of Fancy by Sally Cronin
Sally Cronin’s Flights of Fancy is a lively collection of stories blending mystery, romance, crime, humour, and heartbreak, with a few wonderfully unexpected animal characters adding to the fun. Each story has its own flavour, from the poignant Trust and the spirited women of The Sewing Circle to the moving The Other Side of Heaven and the particularly entertaining tale of a psychic parrot.
Why I enjoyed Flights of Fancy by Sally Cronin
A lively blend of mystery, romance, crime, humour, and heartbreak, this collection offers a little of everything.
The opening story catches the reader off guard with its deliciously dark premise, raising uncomfortable questions about guilt, justice, and how far we might go under certain circumstances.
Other tales explore grief, marriage, wartime love, and the unexpected wisdom of a remarkably persuasive parrot.
I particularly enjoyed the variety of characters and the way humour often sits alongside life’s more painful truths. The final, longer story, featuring a group of elderly women confronting a deeply unpleasant family, is especially entertaining, with its mischievous take on justice and revenge.
Cronin’s writing is clear, engaging, and rich in human observation. Her characters feel recognisable because they reflect the contradictions, weaknesses, disappointments, and unexpected courage we encounter in everyday life. She moves comfortably between the poignant and the outrageous, giving each story its own personality while leaving room for both laughter and tears.
I would recommended Flights of Fancy by Sally Cronin to:
Readers who enjoy short fiction with memorable characters, unexpected twists, dark humour, and a generous helping of heart.
Whether you’re looking for a little escapism between daily chores or a bedtime read that might make you laugh, wince, or pause for thought, Flights of Fancy is a delightful companion.
A collection that entertains while reminding us that life is rarely simple—and that sometimes the most satisfying justice is best enjoyed from the safety of a good book!
Sally Cronin is the author of nineteen books including her memoir Size Always Matters in 2024. This was an updated version of her first book, Size Matters published in 2001 which followed her weight loss of 150lbs and the programme she designed to regain her health. A programme she shared with her clients over her 27 year career as a nutritional therapist and on her blog. This has been followed by another eighteen books both fiction and non-fiction including multi-genre collections of short stories and poetry.
Her latest book is part of a three book series set in a garden in Spain and then in Ireland. Tales from the Irish Garden: The Missing Pieces brings together creatures and people in need of a sanctuary, where they can spend their lives in peace.
As an author she understands how important it is to have support in marketing books and offers a number of FREE promotional opportunities on her blog Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and across her social media.
After leading a nomadic existence exploring the world, she now lives with her husband on the coast of Southern Ireland enjoying the seasonal fluctuations in the temperature of the rain.
You can discover Sally’s books on Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sally-Cronin/author/B003B7O0T6 – visit her Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – or read my other reviews of Sally’s books: Tales From the Irish Garden: The Missing Pieces by Sally Cronin OR Size Always Matters: Don’t be part of a statistic, start losing weight today by Sally Cronin OR Life’s Rich Tapestry: Woven in Words by Sally Cronin OR Just an Odd Job Girl by Sally Georgina Cronin.
Thank you, dear Sally, for being such a great friend and an inspiration to the Indie Community. Be strong and feel better soon!
Thank you, Pat, for featuring this one. I can’t believe I missed it!
My pleasure, Joy. That’s why we love to share our reading experiences 🙂 Thank you! Have a lovely weekend.
I also loved this book by Sally, Patricia; I’m so glad that you enjoyed it too. Many thanks for sharing your review, which is well-deserved, and I know Sally will be pleased with it.
Hugs, Laura. Yes, a quick read that’s full of unforgettable stories and especially characters- and right before Halloween, if anyone is in the mood. We don’t celebrate in our family, bit October (and November in Romania) have a special spooky zing 😉
I bet they have that ‘special spooky zing’ in Romania. Lots of vampires doing the rounds, I’ll wager. We don’t particularly celebrate Halloween, Patricia, but there’s some fun in seeing others doing so. 🙂
I’ve read a couple of books by Sally Cronin, a great author, but I did not even know about this one. It sounds like a very interesting book. Thank you for bringing it to my attention and you wrote a great review for it.
My pleasure, Thomas. I enjoy Sally’s stories, always something to love, be it the setting, the character or simply the storytelling. Thank you for stopping by.
Fantastic read, Patricia:) I loved it too and can add my recommendation! Xo
I hope we could make Sally smile. ♡
A most beautiful review for Sally’s beautiful book, Patricia. Sally has such a wondrous imagination. Congrats to Sally!!
It is a beautiful book and, yes, Congrats to Sally for her magical and thoughtful stories. ♡
Great review of Sally’s book. Each tale packs the punch of a book and I’m always impressed with her range of topics and moods and the ‘twist’ endings that are perfect for each.
You said it so well, Trish Sally always finds the most surprisingly fitting ending 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful autumn further.
Hi Patricia, this is an insightful review of Sally’s book. I’ve read this one twice and The Seeing circle is very memorable for me.
Sally’s stories are certainly unforgettable. I’m sure she will be pleased to learn that they resonated with you 🙂 Thank you, Roberta.
I have read and enjoyed all of Sally’s books.