The Appeal of Stalking

Billy Freeman is a pompous jerk and a stalker.

This 202-page novel by financial advisor turned author, Stan Talbott, centres around Billy Freeman’s acrimonious relationship with his ex-wife, Diane Downer. Diane is the mother of his three grown children and grandmother of his six-year-old grandson, Tristan.

Despite the fact that they’ve been divorced for over 10 years and Diane has remarried twice, Billy can’t seem to resist finding reasons to contact her. He’s either trying to protect his son’s business, trying to get his grandson (who’s temporary in Downer’s custody) placed in kindergarten instead of grade one or trying to prove crimes that Diane allegedly committed in the past. His involvement in all of these scenarios seem designed to allow him to continue his negative relationship with Diane.

Told via a mainly first person narrative (Billy occasionally turns the narration over to his youngest daughter, Faith. Faith is a recovering substance abuser, and the only one of Billy’s children who still maintains contact with him.).

If this story is meant to be a satirical take on stalking, Stan Talbott has done an excellent job! Billy Freeman fits the profile of a stalker completely, despite his attempts to prove otherwise. He comes across as delusional about his relationships. Everyone, except is ex-wife, two of his kids and law enforcement, thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread. Women can’t help but throw themselves at him. I didn’t believe most of the conversations retold in Billy’s narrative. I think when people say one thing, he hears something completely different.

Sadly, I don’t think the author intended this book as satire, as it appears to be Stan Talbott’s own story loosely veiled.

I can’t in good conscious recommend The Appeal of Stalking. It made me want to throw up on several occasions. It’s like reading a very poorly written male fantasy.

1.5/5

About the book:

The Appeal of Stalking by Stan Talbott

ISBN:978-1457506369

Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing

Date of publish: November 2011

Pages: 202

S.R.P.: $14.99

The Murder at the Vicarage

From the book cover
When Colonel Protheroe is found dead from a single gun-shot wound to the head, none of his neighbours in the village of St. Mary’s Mead is much surprised. So many people wished this local official would say farewell – if not quite so permanently. Murder at the Vicarage marks the debut of Agatha Christie’s unflappable and much beloved female detective, Miss Jane Marple, who’s keen insight into human nature and intricate knowledge of the goings on in St. Mary’s Mead land her at the very center of the investigation. Scandal lurks just under the quiet surface of this English village, and suspects abound, including the vicar, his young and flirtatious wife, and Mrs. Protheroe and her lover, the artist Lawrence Redding. Everyone, it seems, has something to hide. With the local police stymied, it is up to Miss Marple to root out the killer.

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My review
It took me almost two weeks to get to the end of this mystery. I’m usually able to get through Agatha Christie’s novels in two or three days (keep in mind I work full-time and have a husband and two young kids). Anyways, I think the reason it took me so long to get through this book is the choice of narrators. I found the vicar extremely boring with a very flat way of telling the story. I would have much rather had Miss Marple narrate the story, but I guess Agatha Christie just doesn’t roll like that – her detectives always have a sidekick who narrators, with the exception of Tommy and Tuppence.

Anyways, back to Murder at the Vicarage, it follows much of the same plot twists as The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The most obvious suspects are cleared early on in the investigation and then later proven guilty. This murder mystery left me feeling rather indifferent.

2.5/5

Sofia's Rainbow

Set in Istanbul, Sofia's Rainbow by Lina Simoli is the story of six-year-old Sofia's quest to relieve her loneliness. Geared towards children 5 years and older, it attempts to teach a message of tolerance and acceptance.

Sofia considers a rainbow her only friend and spends hours on a terrace waiting for a rainbow to appear so she can climb it. One day she comes across a stray cat who's just had babies, and with her father's permission takes one home. As Sofia gets to know Incir (pronounced In-jir) she learns that he's not like most cats - he's afraid of heights and likes to eat figs. Sofia bullies and shuns him when he refuses to wait on the terrace with her for a rainbow to appear.

When a rainbow does appear, Sofia finds herself in unexpected danger. Incir conquers his fears to her rescue.

I read Sofia's Rainbow to my two daughters (ages 3 and 7 years old). The three-year-old didn't really get much of what was going on but she did enjoyed Laura's Furlan's illustrations. My seven-year-old got the plot but found it a bit too rambling. When asked if she'd recommend it to a friend she was very hesitant. For my part, I think Sofia's Rainbow has a lot to offer children. Because it's set in Istanbul, North American kids learn not only about tolerance and acceptance but they get a tiny snap shot of life in another country.

3/5

How to find this book:
Sofia's Rainbow by Lina Simoni , Illustrated by Laura Furlan
ISBN: 978-1-937700-00-3
Publisher: Moonleaf Publishing, LLC
Date of publication: December 5, 2011 (Paperback); February 20, 2012 (ebook)
Pages: 48
Paperback price: $14.99

Transgression

From the book cover:

In 1946, a little girl finds a severed finger in a Canadian field. It points to a grisly crime that occurred nearby. It also points to the past, to the harrowing events in the life of a young French woman, Adele Georges, in war-torn Rouen.

When Adele's beloved father is captured by the German forces, she makes inquiries at the local authorities. A German soldier, 19 years old and far from home, tries to help her navigate the bureaucracy. Love grows across enemy lines, with devastating consequences.

Adele, a seamstress in a factory, is exposed as a "horizontal collaborator" and tortured by other women in the town square. Her lover, Manfred, has been transferred and Adele, abandoned by her family, her head shaven, is alone.

Despairing that Manfred has been killed, Adele yields to the protective embrace of a Canadian soldier who marries her and brings her home as a war bride to his small town. He too is scarred by war and twisted by turmoil upon his return. Adele, stranded on foreign shores, harbouring her shameful secret of consorting with the enemy is terrified of being unmasked.

My Review:
James W. Nichol's Transgression is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It is going on my 5ers List and Mr. Nichol's first novel Midnight Cab is going on my list of books to read and review.

Here's why I love this book:

The writing is straightforward and compelling. From almost the first page, I was interested in Adele Georges. She the type of protagonist you can get behind - she's young, she's strong, she's resourceful and she's an optimist despite the dismal world around here.

The characters are real people. I just know people like them existed back than and still exist today. From Adele's weak and delusional mother and her self-righteous brother to war-harden Lucille and Johnny. I know Mr. Nichol has done a great job of building his characters because my opinions differ from the opinions provided through Adele's first-person narrative. She falls in love with Manfred and sees him as a good person - I couldn't stand him! I think she would have been better off without him. To me, he's a useless coward.

Mr. Nichol's does a great job of illustrating how war damages people and societies. Being labeled as a 'collaborator' or 'sympathizer' can be fatal, and with everyone in such a fervor there is very little threat of legal repercussions. Adele's brother murders her best friend's father who was thought to be cooperating with the Germans, and ends up being rewarded after the war with a plum job in government. Adele suffers scorn and physical abuse for her involvement with Manfred, and it's viewed by almost everyone as being what she deserves.

This story is told via  three first-person narrators, Adele Georges, Jenny Broome and Jack Cullen. I really like the way Mr. Nichol's chose to structure this story. It's starts in France in 1941 with Adele sharing her story. Then in the next chapter skips to Canada in 1946, where Jenny is discovering the finger in the field, and then finally Jenny is eliminated as a narrator and Adele and Jack continue until the end of the novel. Eventually, Adele and Jack end up in the same time and place.

Well, I hope I haven't spoil this novel for you. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you give it a shot!

5/5