The Landlady- Roald Dahl
This first choice may surprise some readers, as you would associate the name with some of the most beloved children’s books of all time. But as well as his impressive catalogue of children’s books, Roald Dahl also wrote many short stories for adults that mainly fit the horror, suspense, and science genre. ‘The Landlady’ is perhaps his most famous short story and was first featured in the magazine The New Yorker in November 1959, before being reprinted in his 1960 short story anthology ‘Kiss, Kiss.’
Fun fact: Roald Dahl wrote the script along with director Ken Hughes for the film adaptation of Ian Fleming’s ( Yes James Bond guy) children’s book ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.’
Synopsis of ‘The Landlady’: A young boy arrives in Bath for his new job role and finds himself staying in a boarding-house run by a middle aged woman but there is more to the seemingly sweet Landlady than first meets the eye.
Brief review: The Landlady is a good introduction to the short story with it being easy to read and not overly complex. Unfortunately the story didn’t have me on the edge of my seat and didn’t have me second guessing, as I felt the two main characters became predictable. Despite this I found it to be a clear and well written story that I enjoyed reading and would read again.
A solid 7.5/10
Megan Layley 
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