Dodge Ball in the Dark
is volume five in the Lynch's Corner series of short stories. This book moves away from the Lynch family and focuses on members of the Carr family, in particular Mike Carr. The stories cover a period of twenty-five years, from the first stirrings of the teen years, to the mature man who marries. Mike deals with the death of his dog, encountering a carnival of Gypsies, first love, temptation, working in a distillery, in the classroom as a teacher. A love theme flows through several stories. We glance over his shoulder as he meets odd characters, attends a most unusual funeral, goes hunting, plays golf with his friends, goes a-caroling in July, deals with the heartbreak and disappointment of his students, and meets unsavory characters. We meet recurring characters Ludlow Carr and Fingers Malone, both World War II spies, and observe their growth. All in all, we get to know Mike Carr, who is the protagonist for Mr. Summers' first novel,
The Amber File
, scheduled for publication next year.