E****very Picture Inspires A Story is a collection of twenty-one short stories, all of which have been inspired by (but are not based on) a particular painting. From David Hockney’s Pool And Steps to Van Gogh’s Two Peasant Women Digging Potatoes, the stories are as diverse as the artists’ brush strokes. Most of the tales have been set within the time frame of when the individual painting was created. Whilst the featured paintings are fundamental as they have triggered the author’s imagination, they are by no means necessary for the reader’s understanding or enjoyment of these varied and colourful tales depicting contemporaneous adventures ranging from the 16th to the 21st century. This is H A Howe’s third collection of short stories and lacks none of her unique style that always manages to captivate, and often surprises the reader with unexpected twists