Moving Day by Jonathan Stone (Thomas & Mercer, 2014)
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Smokey
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Moving Day by Jonathan Stone (Thomas & Mercer, 2014)
Moving Day develops slowly. It focuses on seventy-two-year-old Stanley Peke, who, with his wife Rose, is moving from the East to Santa Barbara, California. The couple is comfortably off. Peke's son is running the business he built. The Pekes intend to enjoy their last years in the sun.
Both are surprised with the moving company shows up on what seems to be a day early, but Stan is soon convinced by the head mover, Nick, that, perhaps because of his age, Stan has his dates mixed up. The pleasant crew of movers efficiently loads up all of the Peke's belongings, even one of their vehicles and takes off. The next day, when the real movers show up, Stan and Rose realize they've been robbed.
A fighter, Stan develops a long-shot plan to track the thieves. His plan works, and he recovers his possessions, but Nick is a fighter, too, and determined to get back what he thinks of as "his things". At this point, the action moves fast. The ending is tense as well as unexpected.
Stone includes a great deal of introspection on the part of Stanley Peke, who thinks about getting old and about his childhood. He is the center of the book, and his past is the reason for much of what happens. The other characters, even Nick, serve mostly to clarify Stan's life, give definition to his actions.
Stone has written a fascinating character stud in the guise of a thriller that starts out at a measured pace and winds up in a fast paced conclusion.
Both are surprised with the moving company shows up on what seems to be a day early, but Stan is soon convinced by the head mover, Nick, that, perhaps because of his age, Stan has his dates mixed up. The pleasant crew of movers efficiently loads up all of the Peke's belongings, even one of their vehicles and takes off. The next day, when the real movers show up, Stan and Rose realize they've been robbed.
A fighter, Stan develops a long-shot plan to track the thieves. His plan works, and he recovers his possessions, but Nick is a fighter, too, and determined to get back what he thinks of as "his things". At this point, the action moves fast. The ending is tense as well as unexpected.
Stone includes a great deal of introspection on the part of Stanley Peke, who thinks about getting old and about his childhood. He is the center of the book, and his past is the reason for much of what happens. The other characters, even Nick, serve mostly to clarify Stan's life, give definition to his actions.
Stone has written a fascinating character stud in the guise of a thriller that starts out at a measured pace and winds up in a fast paced conclusion.
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Elizabeth Rogers 47
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This sounds like something I would enjoy reading. Smokey: Did you enjoy it well enough to recommend?
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Smokey
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I did enjoy it enough to recommend, although I confess I had a bit of difficulty making myself read about the first 3rd of the book because I was in the mood for an action packed thriller. The plot does, however, become more exciting and moves along more quickly after about the first third. And the reflections of the main character are interesting and address topics, such as aging, what we remember from being children, and how those early life experiences can influence what we do.Elizabeth Rogers 47 wrote:This sounds like something I would enjoy reading. Smokey: Did you enjoy it well enough to recommend?
