Another book by an indie author. I have been impressed with the plethora of excellent independently published books; books that may never have been available in the past. As with all of the books I discuss, I'm not saying read this or don't. I'll just leave it up to you.
Wrecker
by Dave Conifer.
The guy doesn't mess around. There is nothing coy in the title. Revenge takes an ugly form. Wrecker is a novel replete with unexpected twists and turns and characters that seem like polar opposites, but essentially are the same.
Stuck in an unsatisfying marriage, Jane Havelock is busy mothering their young daughter, enduring the boorish and wholly unappealing attitude of her husband Steve. Rarely have I readily disliked a character so quickly, but this guy is piece of work. Stuck on himself in numerous areas, he, ever the shark for a bargain, hires a cut rate handy man to complete projects around the house. Now I know what you are thinking. You think that Jane will inevitably fall for the handy man who is always there when her egotistical, power hungry spouse isn't. You think that, as the handy man endears himself to her young daughter, that a relationship will develop. Well, don't think.
From there, the handy man takes them all on a wild ride filled with a case of "Roid Rage", revenge and self loathing that not only put Steve in a position of professional and financial ruin, but also in a position to find appreciation in Jane. Too little too late if you ask me.
Conifer creates some despicable men to be sure, and just when you think the story will go one way, he turns it on a dime. Unexpected. Shocking. Disturbing. What more can I say?
Available through Amazon and on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Wrecker-Dave-Conifer/dp/1456584537/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35959
Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Wrecker/Dave-Conifer/e/2940012049049/?itm=1&USRI=dave+conifer+wrecker
Hi Judi and Nutshell readers,
ReplyDeleteJudi, thanks so much for the spot-on review of Wrecker. You described the story perfectly.
Although I don't like him either, I've been surprised about reader reactions to Steve. Yes, he's one of the worst human beings to ever grace the pages of a book, and that's how I wanted it. But wow, he's hated to a degree I could never have dreamed of!
There are mixed feelings about Manteo. He obviously did some bad things but I find that many people can empathize with him.
The star of the show is definitely Jane. Besides being a sweetie, I wanted a strong woman in the story, somebody who realized she didn't have to put up with...[Better stop now, don't want any spoilers!]
Thanks again, Judi, and I hope people enjoy Wrecker...