Soundtracks: 12 music-inspired short stories

In 1940s New York, a nurse struggles to survive an abusive, mixed-race relationship. In 1960s San Francisco, the hippy dream begins to sour as a mysterious stranger shadows a young entrepreneur’s life. In contemporary Sicily, a witness to murder complicates his life by falling for the perpetrator. What is strongest, teenage gang culture or ex-army bonding? Tenerife in the Canary Islands is the for a dangerous obssession with fire. And in an imaagined post-Covid-19 England, a collection of strangers are thrown together to decide what to do with their pandemic-blighted lives.These and more short fictional stories were each inspired by a rock, pop or blues song. The music prompted the author’s imagination to create the fictional characters, their lives and adventures in tales set The favourite and inspirational tracks are all included in the Spotify SOUNDTRACKS playlist linked to the book.