Dark, heartbreaking, funny, twisted, bleak and hopeful in unequal measure.

Salt Water is Sef Hughes’s debut collection of short fiction.

Eleven imaginative short stories that take you to the curious extremities of human relationships. 

Ranging from the mysterious to macabre, Salt Water is a delicious short story collection of astonishing variety. Described as a 'page-turning assault on the senses' and 'the literary fiction equivalent of a deep-tissue massage', the stories unravel, twist and surprise, taking the reader to unexpected depths. 

"Provocative short stories by a writer who has a unique mind and, for my money, a brilliant one." Lawrence Jay Switzer, author

In this debut collection, Hughes merges beautifully crafted lyrical prose, hard-boiled dialogue and gothic imagery to disorientate, disturb and, ultimately, delight readers. 

◆ Tap Tap: When a man's obsession with solitude takes him too far, can he rely on his terrified wife save him?

◆ A Survival Guide for the Unseen: Can a thief who has taken everything from you ever make amends? 

◆ Once a Civil Servant: A 'community-minded' murderer has a theory that will clean up society and save his 'clients' from true death.

◆ Are You Scared? Sometimes revenge has a nasty habit of turning on you.

Fuelled by revenge, loss, death, and love, this unusual collection of intriguing stories is sometimes haunting, at other times bizarre, and always riveting.

"Bloody brilliant read!" Amazon reviewer