1 out of 4 stars
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Stalked by Love by Young Honor follows a group of policemen as they investigate extremely violent and often sexual crimes. These mostly include serial killers and the odd cult, though there are some murders that happen as a result of adultery or cheating. The group includes Erskin, who is plagued by a recurrent nightmare about a strange woman; Mitchell, a man who goes through a divorce; and Resnic (sometimes spelled "Resnick"), Mitchell's partner and a former racist who came to regret his bigoted ways. Overall, this ensemble cast isn't really handled very well - the book lacks any sort of narrative flow, and it doesn't even seem to have a climax.
I do appreciate some of what was done with the characters, like the relationship between Mitchell and Resnic. However, on the whole, none of the characters in the book are particularly compelling or even realistic. They usually speak stiffly, often ending sentences with "bye" even if they were speaking formally or emotionally. It's also rather distracting that every woman in the book is so sexual, often necessitating entire paragraphs about how attractive they are, when the appearances of most male characters were barely touched upon.
On top of that, many aspects of the book simply struck me as odd. There almost seems to be a hyperfixation on oral sex, to the extent that, at one point, an undercover officer has to watch what can only be described as a public cunnilingus competition. Even the word choice is strange, with grammatically incorrect phrases like "the Ian's Flemig novel of James Bond" and "my eleven size shoes." Other grammatical errors abound, from plurality and tense conflicts to missing periods.
I wouldn't say that this book was entirely irredeemable. There's a small part where Resnic is trying to find a serial killer in New York's gay community, and the writing actually manages to convey a sense of tension and intrigue that just isn't present for most of the story. I feel like the focus on many different protagonists would have worked wonderfully as a collection of short stories, especially since the author has his own experiences in the police force to draw on. Unfortunately, whatever potential this book might have had is squandered.
At the end of the day, I rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. While the author manages to create a few compelling scenes and characters, I can't imagine fans of thriller literature, cop narratives, or even just action stories liking it much at all. I suppose it just goes to show that writing what you know only works if you have the skills as a writer to bring your story to life.
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Stalked by Love
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