An expedition to Mars goes terribly wrong. A seaside pier collapses. A thirty-stone man is confined to his living room. One woman is abandoned on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. Another woman is saved from drowning. Two boys discover a gun in a shoebox. A group of explorers find a cave of unimaginable size deep in the Amazon jungle. A man shoots a stranger in the chest on Christmas Eve.

In this first collection of stories by the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon demonstrates two things: first that he is a master of the short form (several of the stories have been longlisted for prizes), second that his imagination is even darker than we had thought.

"Highly anticipated collection." WiredGov "The Pier Falls, published May, is a collection of nine brilliant short stories, perfect for dipping into when you have a spare moment." -- Kerry Potter Glamour "Mark Haddon is a master of haunting detail. This title story is a tour de force and the other eight are diverting reminders of just how transporting a perfectly constructed short story can be." -- Olicia Cole GQ "A sustained set of powerfully told stories." -- Mark Haddon The Pier Falls "A sustained set of powerfully told stories... It's as if Ian McEwan has never turned nice." -- David Sexton Evening Standard