Today’s team review is from Frank. Find out more about him here https://franklparker.com/
Frank has been reading Stalking Gideon Cain by Kerry Alan Denney
At first I thought the set up for this psychological thriller was unrealistic. Perhaps it would turn out to be one of those tongue in cheek spoofs. I am not sure at what point I became hooked, but I did. I surrendered completely, suspending disbelief and settling back to enjoy the ride. And what a ride it was!
The principle protagonist is a successful writer, recklessly pursuing a playboy lifestyle. It does not take long, however, to realise that he is still wracked by grief resulting from the tragic loss of his wife and daughter a decade before.
As I became engaged in the increasingly complicated plot; as new, well rounded characters were introduced, I thought of one of my favourite British writers, Kate Atkinson. But Denney is an American author, writing for an American audience, so there is far more violence than you would find in any of Atkinson’s novels. In addition to the violent scenes, there is some clever technology deployed in the campaign against Gideon and by his helpers in retaliation. This made me think that the book is much closer to Stieg Larson than to Kate Atkinson. But interspersed with the violent scenes are some beautifully described periods of respite during which Gideon’s relationships with his parents and his closest friends are explored, complete with interesting back stories. The settings, interior and exterior, in Georgia, are exquisitely described without over embellishment.
Among the characters are animals, children and mentally handicapped youngsters, all brought vividly to life. A number of different points of view are utilised. Two extraordinarily well realised scenes come to mind in particular: a dog running away from one of the villains, written entirely from the dog’s point of view; a mentally handicapped youth in captivity describing his situation and his captors. Both are completely believable without falling into the trap of becoming over sentimentalised. They demonstrate the range of skills Denney is able to deploy and that raise this book way above the high tech, high body count, bloodfest it might otherwise have become.
Gideon’s parents, too, are sympathetically drawn and play a significant, if minor, role in the plot’s resolution. Along the way we are introduced to several characters whose talents make them candidates for inclusion in future novels from this author. Indeed, it is quite possible that one or more have already appeared in previous novels. Whether they have or have not, I intend to delve deeper into Denney’s oeuvre in the future.
As already indicated, this is a book for you if you enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. If too much gore and an escalating body count put you off, you might want to avoid it. But I would urge you not to. You might discover, as I did, that you will be captivated by the sheer skill of this writer as he takes you on a roller coaster ride in the company of a cast of memorable characters.
I unhesitatingly give it five stars.
Bestselling author Gideon Cain is losing his mind. Everywhere he turns lately, the femme fatales from his psychological thrillers show up—live and in person. Are they actresses playing a cruel joke on him, figments of his increasingly terrifying delusions, or fantastical vigilantes sprung to life from the pages of his books? All he knows for certain is if he doesn’t find answers soon, he’s bound for the psych ward.
When one of his fictional antagonists poisons him on a flight home from a book-signing tour, he realizes that someone isn’t just messing with his mind—they’re trying to kill him.
Now he’s running for his life from an enemy with a weapon so deadly it can kill with the touch of a button. Only an enigmatic woman from his tragic past can help him discover the truth behind his adversary’s vendetta. And time is running out to stop the madman who is stalking Gideon Cain.
AmazonUk | AmazonUS (publication May 21st)
Rosie Amber 
Thanks, Frank, I had a slightly different point of view – I wonder if it’s a male/female thing?
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