Review - "Stranglehold" by Jack Ketchum

[CactusSmasher]

A decidedly middle-of-the-road effort from Ketchum. That's not to say that Stranglehold is a bad book, far from it. The book opens and ends very strongly, with slices of life that illustrate the separation of genders with a cruel, occasionally horrifying hand, and that theme is largely carried throughout the novel, lending the somewhat perfunctory events a deeper meaning. Likewise, Ketchum's prose, as always, is razor sharp, and never fails to remain fast and exciting. What left me cold was all the stuff in between. Arthur Danse is a potentially fascinating character, what with his relationship with his mother, his need for control, and his pathological manipulation of his son. Yet Ketchum never really explores him, never really gets under his skin, and by the time Arthur is raving like a psychotic madman, the whole thing just kind of feels like a generic thriller with the "crazy husband" and "devoted wife". Similarly, the rest of the characters feel like one-note Ketchum retreads: the determined cop, the tough-as-nails best friend, etc. But though it may be disappointing, it's still a fun ride, and this probably wouldn't be a bad introduction to Ketchum for new readers, as it mostly eschews the graphic violence of his other work and tends to read like a more mainstream thriller. But if you're a fan, like me, you may find yourself wanting.