Meet Lukas a famer who develops an obsession for a scarecrow on his dead fathers fields. Meet Mr Hare a bitter piano teacher outmatched by a schoolboy prodigy. Then theres Paul Giggs the autistic kid whos fantastic at his college coursework but it looks like he might fail his oral presentation at the end of term. An elderly veteran remembers a battle in Holland 1944 still plagued by the ghost of the man he killed there. A wealthy model has his face freakishly scarred in a car crash and the injury ends his career. A foreign correspondent meets a famous dictator for the first time naively thinking she has the verve to take him on. Alongside 94 other little tales. One Hundred Ticks is a collection of skilfully crafted vignettes. I couldnt stop reading as each story left me wanting more. Abbott transports the reader through a myriad of situations with well observed characters. Theres something in here for everyone. Spike Munro.