Edward the Conqueror (A Roald Dahl Short Story)

Book excerpt: Edward the Conqueror is a brilliant gem of a short story from Roald Dahl, the master of the sting in the tail. In Edward the Conqueror, Roald Dahl, one of the world's favourite authors, tells a sinister story about the darker side of human nature. Here, a cat's curious behaviour comes between a husband and his wife . . . Edward the Conqueror is taken from the short story collection Kiss Kiss, which includes ten other devious and shocking stories, featuring the wife who pawns the mink coat from her lover with unexpected results; the priceless piece of furniture that is the subject of a deceitful bargain; a wronged woman taking revenge on her dead husband, and others. 'Unnerving bedtime stories, subtle, proficient, hair-raising and done to a turn.' (San Francisco Chronicle ) This story is also available as a Penguin digital audio download read by Juliet Stevenson. Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.