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Imperfect Strangers
How well do you know the people you see every day? Sally hardly knows Keith. They're practically strangers until the day she smiles at him. Would you smile so readily if you risked losing your friends? Would you smile so readily if you risked losing your life? Unfortunately, you can’t begin to know a person until you let them in. Imperfect Strangers: A psychological thriller that simmers to a dark and dramatic climax.
Available as both paperback and ebook.
Available as both paperback and ebook.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2014
38 people are currently reading
1042 people want to read
About the author
David Staniforth
8 books221 followersI’ve been inventing stories as far back as I can remember (mostly to keep me out of trouble), but began writing seriously after finishing an English studies BA as a mature student. My writing is influenced by so many things: a love of reading all genres; films; music; raising my two daughters; hill walking; and much, much more. I tend to take all I know, throw it into a setting and see what comes out.
My first four books were all fantasy, but then a new story entered my mind that insisted on being a psychological thriller. Just like raising children, a story insists on being what it was always meant to be: Characters will behave as they want, and plots will demand to go in a certain direction. All I do as an author is transfer their antics into writing and then release them into the world to see what readers make of them.
I have more fantasy tales to tell and more thrillers too. I can’t promise all readers that they will like my stories, but I can promise one thing: I will never publish anything that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed myself.
My first four books were all fantasy, but then a new story entered my mind that insisted on being a psychological thriller. Just like raising children, a story insists on being what it was always meant to be: Characters will behave as they want, and plots will demand to go in a certain direction. All I do as an author is transfer their antics into writing and then release them into the world to see what readers make of them.
I have more fantasy tales to tell and more thrillers too. I can’t promise all readers that they will like my stories, but I can promise one thing: I will never publish anything that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed myself.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
June 10, 2017
'The liar, the bitch and the wardrobe' - just one of the quotes from this intriguing psychological thriller, and if you want to discover how this little cameo fits into the picture as a whole, then you really need to read it!
Keith is a night watchman, but he watches more than the building he works in - he also watches Sally!
Keith is a socially inept young man, but as the story continues we come to understand that he's also mentally ill. Sally is his universe, the object of his affection, he however, doesn't figure at all in her world, but after she smiles at him he sees that as a green light. That innocent smile will bring abject fear right to her front door.
Keith had a terrible childhood, mainly due to his sadistic mother - the mother from hell. Not surprisingly this has flavoured the way he views life, and he finds it difficult to relate to others. He's really creepy, but yet there's something very childlike about him, he has a really vulnerable side. But in Sally he sees salvation, a chance to have a normal relationship, if only his mother would stop interfering, stop taunting him. His mother however has been dead for some years!
Gosh this was a really well written, compelling read. The seemingly simple act of smiling at a colleague transforms into a gripping storyline. The character portrayal was brilliant. There are many Keith's in the world - sometimes it's difficult to decide just what makes them tick, are they a bit strange or just painfully shy? After reading this, you'll want to be absolutely certain before you make the mistake of being friendly with them!
* Thank you to David Staniforth for my free copy in exchange for an honest review*
Keith is a night watchman, but he watches more than the building he works in - he also watches Sally!
Keith is a socially inept young man, but as the story continues we come to understand that he's also mentally ill. Sally is his universe, the object of his affection, he however, doesn't figure at all in her world, but after she smiles at him he sees that as a green light. That innocent smile will bring abject fear right to her front door.
Keith had a terrible childhood, mainly due to his sadistic mother - the mother from hell. Not surprisingly this has flavoured the way he views life, and he finds it difficult to relate to others. He's really creepy, but yet there's something very childlike about him, he has a really vulnerable side. But in Sally he sees salvation, a chance to have a normal relationship, if only his mother would stop interfering, stop taunting him. His mother however has been dead for some years!
Gosh this was a really well written, compelling read. The seemingly simple act of smiling at a colleague transforms into a gripping storyline. The character portrayal was brilliant. There are many Keith's in the world - sometimes it's difficult to decide just what makes them tick, are they a bit strange or just painfully shy? After reading this, you'll want to be absolutely certain before you make the mistake of being friendly with them!
* Thank you to David Staniforth for my free copy in exchange for an honest review*
August 23, 2016
The thing that really impressed me about this book was the writing. Now, all books have writing in them, all books are written. But not all books have GOOD writing in them. This one did and I really like David Staniforth's style. A lot. Yep. A lot.
The genre of the psychological thriller is ever popular, I think it goes hand in hand with a fascination to get inside people's heads, especially if those heads are slightly warped somewhat. You will get all that with Imperfect Strangers should you read it.
How well do you know the people you see every day?
Sally hardly knows Keith. They're practically strangers until the day she smiles at him.
Would you smile so readily if you risked losing your friends?
Would you smile so readily if you risked losing your life?
Unfortunately, you can’t begin to know a person until you let them in.
Keith is a strange cookie, not made from the same mould as other men his age, he stands out like a sore thumb. He is awkward, stammers, has very little dress sense, his hygiene has a lot to be desired, he lives alone with his cat (hey, what's wrong with cats? nothing...phew). He just isn't Mr. Cool or Mr. Savvy or Mr. Sexy he is just...Keith, the Night Security Guy.
He's got a really screwed up childhood behind him that really has helped shape him into the man he is today, let's just say he did not have Mother of the Year for dear old mummy. He lucked out badly.
Sally works in the building where Keith is the night watch guy, she hardly notices him, but Keith sure does notice her. Keith watches her a LOT. Nothing much goes between them until, as the blurb states, one day she smiles at him. A match is struck within Keith that becomes an all consuming raging fire by the end of the book. It's one hell of a journey and it's good, very good reading.
Remember, her journey, his journey began with her smile.
Switching between Sally and Keith's point of view is essential to this book and it's done really well, to see the same event from different angles makes ALL the difference, because the way Keith sees things may not always be how Sally sees things. Their relationship "dance" starts to look like a train going so fast that you, the reader just know it's going to come off the rails and crash and someone is going to get hurt really badly.
But wait! I hear you say, what relationship? Ah-ha, that is one of the mysteries of this book! What exactly is THE relationship between them. Ask Keith? Ask Sally? Ask an outsider. See what you come up with.
Placed strategically throughout this book are some really funny moments that caught me off guard and made me laugh out loud. But don't me wrong, this is no comedy, this is a taut mind messing thriller that builds up the tension from a simmer to a scalding boil from start to finish ending in a grand finale to have you yelling at the characters (or is that just me?).
The characters of Keith and Sally are written really well, I got both of them, it wasn't complicated getting to know them, but the author did a good job of keeping a few surprises up his sleeve for me. Even things I saw coming, were better than what I knew was coming from the characters when it was all delivered up. (That makes sense to me, you?). I like the fact that Keith and Sally and even the peripheral cast of characters all have their flaws, there is no perfect popcorn people in this book.
I had quite a few edge of my seat moments in the last few chapters of the book, just brilliant! Obsessional stalkers freak me out okay?
By the time the book ends you are so freaking glad to get out of Keith's head, because it's not safe in there, nope. Not a good place to be. I had so many mixed feelings about him by the end of the book and even throughout reading it I swung between emotions about him. Sally? Well I am not talking to her because she did not listen to any of my advice I was giving her as we went along.
A very well written psychological thriller that takes you with it and holds your interest until the very last word in the book, so subtle, yet also so obvious at times, it's hard to explain. I was surprised by this book, I just really liked it, I liked the way it made me think and feel. 5 stars from me.
For more reviews from me, come see me:
https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
Follow me on Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
I received a copy of this book thanks to the author, David Staniforth in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks David.
The genre of the psychological thriller is ever popular, I think it goes hand in hand with a fascination to get inside people's heads, especially if those heads are slightly warped somewhat. You will get all that with Imperfect Strangers should you read it.
How well do you know the people you see every day?
Sally hardly knows Keith. They're practically strangers until the day she smiles at him.
Would you smile so readily if you risked losing your friends?
Would you smile so readily if you risked losing your life?
Unfortunately, you can’t begin to know a person until you let them in.
Keith is a strange cookie, not made from the same mould as other men his age, he stands out like a sore thumb. He is awkward, stammers, has very little dress sense, his hygiene has a lot to be desired, he lives alone with his cat (hey, what's wrong with cats? nothing...phew). He just isn't Mr. Cool or Mr. Savvy or Mr. Sexy he is just...Keith, the Night Security Guy.
He's got a really screwed up childhood behind him that really has helped shape him into the man he is today, let's just say he did not have Mother of the Year for dear old mummy. He lucked out badly.
Sally works in the building where Keith is the night watch guy, she hardly notices him, but Keith sure does notice her. Keith watches her a LOT. Nothing much goes between them until, as the blurb states, one day she smiles at him. A match is struck within Keith that becomes an all consuming raging fire by the end of the book. It's one hell of a journey and it's good, very good reading.
Remember, her journey, his journey began with her smile.
Switching between Sally and Keith's point of view is essential to this book and it's done really well, to see the same event from different angles makes ALL the difference, because the way Keith sees things may not always be how Sally sees things. Their relationship "dance" starts to look like a train going so fast that you, the reader just know it's going to come off the rails and crash and someone is going to get hurt really badly.
But wait! I hear you say, what relationship? Ah-ha, that is one of the mysteries of this book! What exactly is THE relationship between them. Ask Keith? Ask Sally? Ask an outsider. See what you come up with.
Placed strategically throughout this book are some really funny moments that caught me off guard and made me laugh out loud. But don't me wrong, this is no comedy, this is a taut mind messing thriller that builds up the tension from a simmer to a scalding boil from start to finish ending in a grand finale to have you yelling at the characters (or is that just me?).
The characters of Keith and Sally are written really well, I got both of them, it wasn't complicated getting to know them, but the author did a good job of keeping a few surprises up his sleeve for me. Even things I saw coming, were better than what I knew was coming from the characters when it was all delivered up. (That makes sense to me, you?). I like the fact that Keith and Sally and even the peripheral cast of characters all have their flaws, there is no perfect popcorn people in this book.
I had quite a few edge of my seat moments in the last few chapters of the book, just brilliant! Obsessional stalkers freak me out okay?
By the time the book ends you are so freaking glad to get out of Keith's head, because it's not safe in there, nope. Not a good place to be. I had so many mixed feelings about him by the end of the book and even throughout reading it I swung between emotions about him. Sally? Well I am not talking to her because she did not listen to any of my advice I was giving her as we went along.
A very well written psychological thriller that takes you with it and holds your interest until the very last word in the book, so subtle, yet also so obvious at times, it's hard to explain. I was surprised by this book, I just really liked it, I liked the way it made me think and feel. 5 stars from me.
For more reviews from me, come see me:
https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
Follow me on Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
I received a copy of this book thanks to the author, David Staniforth in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks David.
October 19, 2014
I understand Imperfect Stangers is Mr. Staniforth's first foray into the psychological suspense arena. He is to be commended for a very good first effort. I enjoyed the story.
The protagonist of Imperfect Strangers is a rather pitiful, socially-awkward man named Keith. Keith is also mentally ill, which was exacerbated mightily by his cruel and unloving mother who was almost assuredly also mentally ill. Keith, totally inexperienced with romance has become enamored with a beautiful woman in his work place named Sally. The story revolves around Keith's efforts to woo, in his inept way, Sally, and Sally's desire to be kindly but not romantic, with this good-hearted, but pathetic soul. The first half of the book is the setup. The character development of Keith is simply superb, and the reader gets a really good idea of why he is the way he is. I found myself really liking Keith and hoping for him to somehow achieve a modicum of happiness. During this part of the book a few other mostly interesting characters were introduced, but again, the meat of the story belonged to Keith and Sally.
The scenes with Keith and his mother and Keith's memories of his mother were heartbreaking and at times hard to read. Poor Keith! Despite these very dark passages, I have to admit I was laughing out loud not infrequently while reading this novel, responding to Mr. Staniforth's choices of words and phrasing. British colloquialism plus what I suspect was some original Staniforthisms delighted me, a citizen of the United States, and made for some great comic relief.
The major part of the suspense came in the last 20% of the book. This section got my heart beating and I couldn't put the book down for one second. I thought this was well done.
There were a couple things I did not like. The set up was a bit too long for me, especially the depiction of the relationship between Keith and his mother. The second issue is that I was disappointed that there was no epilogue. I think it is possible that the majority of readers will be satisfied with the ending as is, but I wanted more on what subsequently happened to Keith. I am still thinking about that a day and a half later. How did Keith make out? How about an epilogue in the 2nd edition, Mr. Staniforth.
Overall, I was certainly entertained by Imperfect Strangers. I recommend it to those interested in a very good character study with suspenseful undertones.
The protagonist of Imperfect Strangers is a rather pitiful, socially-awkward man named Keith. Keith is also mentally ill, which was exacerbated mightily by his cruel and unloving mother who was almost assuredly also mentally ill. Keith, totally inexperienced with romance has become enamored with a beautiful woman in his work place named Sally. The story revolves around Keith's efforts to woo, in his inept way, Sally, and Sally's desire to be kindly but not romantic, with this good-hearted, but pathetic soul. The first half of the book is the setup. The character development of Keith is simply superb, and the reader gets a really good idea of why he is the way he is. I found myself really liking Keith and hoping for him to somehow achieve a modicum of happiness. During this part of the book a few other mostly interesting characters were introduced, but again, the meat of the story belonged to Keith and Sally.
The scenes with Keith and his mother and Keith's memories of his mother were heartbreaking and at times hard to read. Poor Keith! Despite these very dark passages, I have to admit I was laughing out loud not infrequently while reading this novel, responding to Mr. Staniforth's choices of words and phrasing. British colloquialism plus what I suspect was some original Staniforthisms delighted me, a citizen of the United States, and made for some great comic relief.
The major part of the suspense came in the last 20% of the book. This section got my heart beating and I couldn't put the book down for one second. I thought this was well done.
There were a couple things I did not like. The set up was a bit too long for me, especially the depiction of the relationship between Keith and his mother. The second issue is that I was disappointed that there was no epilogue. I think it is possible that the majority of readers will be satisfied with the ending as is, but I wanted more on what subsequently happened to Keith. I am still thinking about that a day and a half later. How did Keith make out? How about an epilogue in the 2nd edition, Mr. Staniforth.
Overall, I was certainly entertained by Imperfect Strangers. I recommend it to those interested in a very good character study with suspenseful undertones.
September 11, 2015
I really enjoyed this one. I always love a good thriller!
Imperfect Strangers focuses on two characters, Keith and Sally. Keith, is in no uncertain terms, a stalker. And Sally, his victim. However this isn’t your usual stalker-victim story, as the author delves deep into Keith’s life and thoughts and gives us glimpses of WHY he behaves the way he does. And Sally, just trying to be nice, finds herself in deep trouble.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the different perspectives of the same situations. I loved how Keith and Sally would have an encounter together, in the street for example, and take TOTALLY different things away from it. It really made me think that we all do this. We all make assumptions based on a persons perceived behaviour. I may have a totally wonderful encounter with a person, yet their perception could be completely different. Human relationships man… They are so freaking complicated!!
It also made me reflect on people’s behaviour when they are attracted to someone. Behaviour is in the eye of the beholder. And all in the delivery. Say a man came up to me and sleazily brushed something off my shoulder. I would probably think it was a bit weird, a bit of an invasion of personal space, and I probably wouldn’t be too happy about it. But if it was someone I was physically attracted to, I would be much more less likely to have a problem with it. Might even be happy about it. This is Keith’s main problem. He doesn’t get appropriateness. He has an extremely child-like innocence about him. In his mind all the things he is doing are sweet and lovely. But his delivery is all wrong. And very creepy.
I pretty much hated every character in this book. But it wasn’t a bad thing. I absolutely hated Sally, I thought she was a HUGE bitch. A self absorbed STUPID woman. And Steve, what a tool! Although Keith was incredibly creepy, I really enjoyed that you have empathy for him. It was certainly a different take on the stalker story. The voices he heard in his head, his mother and himself as a child were well done and gave an indication of just how messed up he was.
There wasn’t too much action in the book until the final scenes, and they were done really well and were really enjoyable. Otherwise it was mainly about Keith and the way his mind worked.
Would I recommend it?
Yes it was a very different take on the mind of a stalker, and overall a very enjoyable novel. Even though all the characters annoyed me, I think they were supposed to!
For more reviews visit my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
Find me on Twitter
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
Imperfect Strangers focuses on two characters, Keith and Sally. Keith, is in no uncertain terms, a stalker. And Sally, his victim. However this isn’t your usual stalker-victim story, as the author delves deep into Keith’s life and thoughts and gives us glimpses of WHY he behaves the way he does. And Sally, just trying to be nice, finds herself in deep trouble.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the different perspectives of the same situations. I loved how Keith and Sally would have an encounter together, in the street for example, and take TOTALLY different things away from it. It really made me think that we all do this. We all make assumptions based on a persons perceived behaviour. I may have a totally wonderful encounter with a person, yet their perception could be completely different. Human relationships man… They are so freaking complicated!!
It also made me reflect on people’s behaviour when they are attracted to someone. Behaviour is in the eye of the beholder. And all in the delivery. Say a man came up to me and sleazily brushed something off my shoulder. I would probably think it was a bit weird, a bit of an invasion of personal space, and I probably wouldn’t be too happy about it. But if it was someone I was physically attracted to, I would be much more less likely to have a problem with it. Might even be happy about it. This is Keith’s main problem. He doesn’t get appropriateness. He has an extremely child-like innocence about him. In his mind all the things he is doing are sweet and lovely. But his delivery is all wrong. And very creepy.
I pretty much hated every character in this book. But it wasn’t a bad thing. I absolutely hated Sally, I thought she was a HUGE bitch. A self absorbed STUPID woman. And Steve, what a tool! Although Keith was incredibly creepy, I really enjoyed that you have empathy for him. It was certainly a different take on the stalker story. The voices he heard in his head, his mother and himself as a child were well done and gave an indication of just how messed up he was.
There wasn’t too much action in the book until the final scenes, and they were done really well and were really enjoyable. Otherwise it was mainly about Keith and the way his mind worked.
Would I recommend it?
Yes it was a very different take on the mind of a stalker, and overall a very enjoyable novel. Even though all the characters annoyed me, I think they were supposed to!
For more reviews visit my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
Find me on Twitter
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
September 15, 2014
I was given a free download of "Imperfect Strangers" by David Staniforth, in exchange for a honest review. All I can say is Wow...what a writer! This is a fast-paced psychological thriller that will not let go, until you have read the last page.
This is the story of Keith, an awkward & socially inept night shift security guard in Sheffield, who is obsessed with a girl named Sally, from work. Sally was perfect...Keith was strange. But Keith has no friends, dresses like a homeless person and has a noticeable stammer that everyone makes fun of. He lives in his dead mom's dark, dirty gloomy house, with a cat called Mrs. Seaton. He had suffered emotional abuse at the hands of his mom, and the horrid memories.
I liked a quote from Keith," I had hoped that being an adult would be easier than being a child. I now realize that age alone does not bring respect."
I found myself being sorry for the childlike innocence of Keith and what he had gone through. Unfortunately for Sally, this is the exact same response he provoked from her, and it landed her in a very dangerous position. Sally feels that Keith is misunderstood, and literally feels sorry for him. Through good intentions, she had crossed the boundary for dangerous actions.
This novel is told through two POV's, through Keith and Sally. This allows the reader to gain a better appreciation of both their thought processes.
A stranger is a stranger...so beware!
December 13, 2015
**Whilst I never reveal the outcome, some have commented below that they think my review might contain spoilers. So let me warn you that it mentions specific incidents that occur in the book. Personally I want reviews that provide specific details (like those guides for parents that accompany movie reviews) & that warn me about things that might upset me. But we all read differently So please don't read this review if you'd prefer to encounter Imperfect Strangers with no prior revealations of what happens in the story.**
Getting a Like on your review from the author of a book is a huge honour, & even a greater honour is the author’s asking you to read the author's book & write a review. Unfortunately the honour comes with a price sometimes. What happens if the reviewer not only doesn’t enjoy the book, but finds it definitely offensive? There’s only one answer - tell the truth. I’ll not accuse David Staniforth of cruelty, but the stark insensibility of Imperfect Strangers is manifest.
There are two narrators: Keith, a security guard, & Sally, an office worker who’s just broken up with her boyfriend Steve. Other minor characters are Sally’s co-workers, including Kerry, a Lesbian, & Pete, Steve’s best mate. There is one major character who never appears in person but constantly intrudes into Keith’s consciousness - Keith’s dead mother. There is also Keith’s cat, Mrs. Seaton, who’s given to crapping behind the sofa, which leads to a tediously repeated & very unfunny misunderstanding between Keith & Sally, who thinks he’s talking about the (un)sanitary habits of an incontinent old lady who shares his flat.
Tho’ the label’s never used, Keith quite clearly suffers from Asperger Syndrome, which makes him socially extremely awkward, totally lacking in common sense, prey to obsessions - in Keith’s case prime numbers - & completely literally minded. (If you say to someone with Asperger’s, ‘It’s cold in this room,’ instead of your remark being taken as a request to turn up the thermostat, you may hear in reply ‘Yes it is. Ten celsius actually.’) But I have friends with an Asperger’s diagnosis who are perfectly lovely people. There’s nothing about the condition that disposes them to violence or creepy behaviour. But Keith is not only presented as a pitiable & obsessive stalker & fantasist, but as a potential rapist & killer as well. Additionally, he suffered horrible abuse from a mother who was clearly insane, which seems to have left him with Dissociative Identity Disorder (which used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder). Keith often thinks he’s his childhood self & hears the voice of his mother screaming threats in illiterate dialect. In sum, Keith is one sick puppy.
Sally, out of pity, seems to befriend him, & Keith fantasises that she’s in love with him & would like to move in with him. So he has snuck into her flat & has his own place totally redecorated match all Sally’s possessions (including the ‘£38 a sq metre' carpet, which seemed awfully extravagant for a fairly lowly office worker), including her scents & underwear. Keith says he has ‘forty thousand in stocks & shares’ tho’ we’re not told how he got them & I couldn’t imagine someone so helpless managing a stock portfolio. much less able to arrange the redecoration & obtain a complete line of women’s dress & accessories. Sally’s narration is very out of character as well; @ one point she quotes the 16th century poet Edmund Spenser (whose name is misspelled ‘Spencer’ tho’ I don’t know if the spelling is hers or the author’s: ‘My love is like to ice, and I to fire’ - otherwise Sally shows no interest in Elizabethan literature, but when Keith threatens her & Steve with a broken champagne bottle, Sally tells us, that a ‘serration of green glass fills my vision’ - seemed an awfully literary way for her to refer to the jagged edges of a broken bottle that looks about to stab her in the face.
I am grateful & relieved that this story & its characters were quite incredible because it was so distasteful & unpleasant, & I’d not like to think of anyone as miserable as Keith existing in real life. It was painful to read the fantasies of such a pitiable & pathetic creature & even worse to endure the flashbacks to his wretched childhood. but then I hated to have to watch him morphing into Norman Bates from Psycho. I would not have finished this book or reviewed it except that I’d promised the author. Next time I’ll be more circumspect before making a commitment to read & write about a book.
Getting a Like on your review from the author of a book is a huge honour, & even a greater honour is the author’s asking you to read the author's book & write a review. Unfortunately the honour comes with a price sometimes. What happens if the reviewer not only doesn’t enjoy the book, but finds it definitely offensive? There’s only one answer - tell the truth. I’ll not accuse David Staniforth of cruelty, but the stark insensibility of Imperfect Strangers is manifest.
There are two narrators: Keith, a security guard, & Sally, an office worker who’s just broken up with her boyfriend Steve. Other minor characters are Sally’s co-workers, including Kerry, a Lesbian, & Pete, Steve’s best mate. There is one major character who never appears in person but constantly intrudes into Keith’s consciousness - Keith’s dead mother. There is also Keith’s cat, Mrs. Seaton, who’s given to crapping behind the sofa, which leads to a tediously repeated & very unfunny misunderstanding between Keith & Sally, who thinks he’s talking about the (un)sanitary habits of an incontinent old lady who shares his flat.
Tho’ the label’s never used, Keith quite clearly suffers from Asperger Syndrome, which makes him socially extremely awkward, totally lacking in common sense, prey to obsessions - in Keith’s case prime numbers - & completely literally minded. (If you say to someone with Asperger’s, ‘It’s cold in this room,’ instead of your remark being taken as a request to turn up the thermostat, you may hear in reply ‘Yes it is. Ten celsius actually.’) But I have friends with an Asperger’s diagnosis who are perfectly lovely people. There’s nothing about the condition that disposes them to violence or creepy behaviour. But Keith is not only presented as a pitiable & obsessive stalker & fantasist, but as a potential rapist & killer as well. Additionally, he suffered horrible abuse from a mother who was clearly insane, which seems to have left him with Dissociative Identity Disorder (which used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder). Keith often thinks he’s his childhood self & hears the voice of his mother screaming threats in illiterate dialect. In sum, Keith is one sick puppy.
Sally, out of pity, seems to befriend him, & Keith fantasises that she’s in love with him & would like to move in with him. So he has snuck into her flat & has his own place totally redecorated match all Sally’s possessions (including the ‘£38 a sq metre' carpet, which seemed awfully extravagant for a fairly lowly office worker), including her scents & underwear. Keith says he has ‘forty thousand in stocks & shares’ tho’ we’re not told how he got them & I couldn’t imagine someone so helpless managing a stock portfolio. much less able to arrange the redecoration & obtain a complete line of women’s dress & accessories. Sally’s narration is very out of character as well; @ one point she quotes the 16th century poet Edmund Spenser (whose name is misspelled ‘Spencer’ tho’ I don’t know if the spelling is hers or the author’s: ‘My love is like to ice, and I to fire’ - otherwise Sally shows no interest in Elizabethan literature, but when Keith threatens her & Steve with a broken champagne bottle, Sally tells us, that a ‘serration of green glass fills my vision’ - seemed an awfully literary way for her to refer to the jagged edges of a broken bottle that looks about to stab her in the face.
I am grateful & relieved that this story & its characters were quite incredible because it was so distasteful & unpleasant, & I’d not like to think of anyone as miserable as Keith existing in real life. It was painful to read the fantasies of such a pitiable & pathetic creature & even worse to endure the flashbacks to his wretched childhood. but then I hated to have to watch him morphing into Norman Bates from Psycho. I would not have finished this book or reviewed it except that I’d promised the author. Next time I’ll be more circumspect before making a commitment to read & write about a book.
January 27, 2015
Sally’s mother probably told her never to talk to strangers. Perhaps Sally should have heeded that advice. But when Sally talked to Keith, she was just trying to be polite, and she had no idea, no clue whatsoever, just how strange he really was.
Keith, on the other hand, did listen to his mother. He listened to her all the time. Even though she had been dead for three years, he still heard her voice in his head. It was a cruel voice, a voice that belittled him, punished him, and tortured him. “I’ll giyersommatercryfer.” ” I loved the voice Staniforth uses for the sadistic mother, who made me think of Sybil’s mother in the 1976 TV movie. Keith lives in the house where he grew up, which only exacerbates the pain the memories cause him.
David Staniforth has done a marvelous job creating his two main characters, Sally and Keith. Sally is a pretty young woman who looks for the good in people. She is willing to overlook their faults, at least up to a point. Thus, when she finds out that her boyfriend Steve has kissed one of the bridesmaids at a friend’s wedding, she feels betrayed and breaks up with him.
This gives Keith, a stammering, socially inept, mentally ill man with a huge crush on Sally, a reason to think that he might have a chance for a relationship with her. Staniforth’s descriptive language is wonderful. I felt that I really knew these characters. No one was really likable, not Steve, Sally’s co-worker friend Kerry, Keith, and not really even Sally, although I suppose that my feelings toward her were rather neutral. By trying to be “nice,” she leads him on, unaware or unwilling to admit to herself that he is incapable of reading any signals she may be giving off that she is interested only in a platonic relationship.
To say that I “enjoyed” this book, however, might be an overstatement. Keith is so realistically creepy that I sometimes found myself avoiding the book the way that I might have avoided running into him had he been a real person whom I might have occasion to encounter in my life. Yet, he fascinated me too, as details of his childhood were revealed and in the way his obsessive-compulsive behavior controlled his every aspect of his life. I felt that the voices of little Keith and of his mother were very well written, although I think that we could have gotten the idea of Keith’s background and state of mind with fewer of those details.
The most exciting part of the book is the final twenty percent, when Keith’s plans are revealed and the action begins. I do feel that the ending seemed rushed and that the reader is left wondering what happens to Keith. By and large, Imperfect Strangers is an excellent novel that made me feel like I was watching Sally being stalked. The suspense builds very slowly, but it does build eventually. There is humor, too. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Sally’s niece and some of the interactions between Sally and Kerry, which were great fun. I will gladly read another thriller by David Staniforth.
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Keith, on the other hand, did listen to his mother. He listened to her all the time. Even though she had been dead for three years, he still heard her voice in his head. It was a cruel voice, a voice that belittled him, punished him, and tortured him. “I’ll giyersommatercryfer.” ” I loved the voice Staniforth uses for the sadistic mother, who made me think of Sybil’s mother in the 1976 TV movie. Keith lives in the house where he grew up, which only exacerbates the pain the memories cause him.
David Staniforth has done a marvelous job creating his two main characters, Sally and Keith. Sally is a pretty young woman who looks for the good in people. She is willing to overlook their faults, at least up to a point. Thus, when she finds out that her boyfriend Steve has kissed one of the bridesmaids at a friend’s wedding, she feels betrayed and breaks up with him.
This gives Keith, a stammering, socially inept, mentally ill man with a huge crush on Sally, a reason to think that he might have a chance for a relationship with her. Staniforth’s descriptive language is wonderful. I felt that I really knew these characters. No one was really likable, not Steve, Sally’s co-worker friend Kerry, Keith, and not really even Sally, although I suppose that my feelings toward her were rather neutral. By trying to be “nice,” she leads him on, unaware or unwilling to admit to herself that he is incapable of reading any signals she may be giving off that she is interested only in a platonic relationship.
To say that I “enjoyed” this book, however, might be an overstatement. Keith is so realistically creepy that I sometimes found myself avoiding the book the way that I might have avoided running into him had he been a real person whom I might have occasion to encounter in my life. Yet, he fascinated me too, as details of his childhood were revealed and in the way his obsessive-compulsive behavior controlled his every aspect of his life. I felt that the voices of little Keith and of his mother were very well written, although I think that we could have gotten the idea of Keith’s background and state of mind with fewer of those details.
The most exciting part of the book is the final twenty percent, when Keith’s plans are revealed and the action begins. I do feel that the ending seemed rushed and that the reader is left wondering what happens to Keith. By and large, Imperfect Strangers is an excellent novel that made me feel like I was watching Sally being stalked. The suspense builds very slowly, but it does build eventually. There is humor, too. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Sally’s niece and some of the interactions between Sally and Kerry, which were great fun. I will gladly read another thriller by David Staniforth.
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 9, 2015
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Imperfect Strangers was a solid first effort into the suspense/thriller genre by author David Staniforth. The book was really well written. I read a statement by another reviewer that said something to the effect "all books are written but not all books are written well." This book was undoubtedly penned by a talented hand.
The story revolved around nighttime security guard Keith, who has developed an obsession with Sally, a girl who works in the building.
Keith was severely abused as a child by a domineering and likely, mentally ill mother. The abuse has damaged Keith beyond repair, and he still hears her voice in his head, commenting on his every thought and mood. Keith also is socially inept, to say the least. I love how the author would show us the same scene from Keith's and then Sally's point of view. For example, early in the story Sally smiles at Keith. In her mind, she does so because she feels bad that her friends are loudly making fun of him. Keith sees that smile and believes that Sally must be interested in him to have smiled at him that way.
The story unfurls from there, with Sally eventually befriending Keith and Keith viewing her every action as more evidence of her interest in him. Sally's girlfriends and her boyfriend, whom recently became her ex, make for great supporting characters.
I've heard the book described as fast-paced. I disagree with the assessment, although that is not an negative thing. The author takes the time getting us into Keith's mind. We get a deep understanding of why he is the way he is.
My only criticisms would be that more time than was perhaps necessary was used as the "set-up"; the eventual climax unfolded in the last 20% of the book. Also the ending left me wanting a bit more. Not necessarily a "what happened next" but perhaps something a bit more unpredictable.
All in the all the book was a good read. I continued reading late into the night, wanting to find out what was going to happen to Keith and Sally, as I became very invested in both characters.
I would recommend this book to readers that like character driven suspense novels.
Imperfect Strangers was a solid first effort into the suspense/thriller genre by author David Staniforth. The book was really well written. I read a statement by another reviewer that said something to the effect "all books are written but not all books are written well." This book was undoubtedly penned by a talented hand.
The story revolved around nighttime security guard Keith, who has developed an obsession with Sally, a girl who works in the building.
Keith was severely abused as a child by a domineering and likely, mentally ill mother. The abuse has damaged Keith beyond repair, and he still hears her voice in his head, commenting on his every thought and mood. Keith also is socially inept, to say the least. I love how the author would show us the same scene from Keith's and then Sally's point of view. For example, early in the story Sally smiles at Keith. In her mind, she does so because she feels bad that her friends are loudly making fun of him. Keith sees that smile and believes that Sally must be interested in him to have smiled at him that way.
The story unfurls from there, with Sally eventually befriending Keith and Keith viewing her every action as more evidence of her interest in him. Sally's girlfriends and her boyfriend, whom recently became her ex, make for great supporting characters.
I've heard the book described as fast-paced. I disagree with the assessment, although that is not an negative thing. The author takes the time getting us into Keith's mind. We get a deep understanding of why he is the way he is.
My only criticisms would be that more time than was perhaps necessary was used as the "set-up"; the eventual climax unfolded in the last 20% of the book. Also the ending left me wanting a bit more. Not necessarily a "what happened next" but perhaps something a bit more unpredictable.
All in the all the book was a good read. I continued reading late into the night, wanting to find out what was going to happen to Keith and Sally, as I became very invested in both characters.
I would recommend this book to readers that like character driven suspense novels.
February 16, 2016
I've been waffling between 3.5 and 4 stars, so 3.75 it is!!!
Imperfect Strangers is a story we've all heard or read about before at some point. Shy, damaged boy/man becomes infatuated with a girl who works in his building. She smiles at him, he takes that as a sign, and the story unfolds from there....
While there was a lot of predictability here, I think where the author really shines is through his character development and writing style. Told from both Sally and Keith's points of view, it was fun to read how each character reacted to the same scene! A simple pause or sympathitic pat would put Keith in a tail spin without so much as a single thought from Sally. Both characters were flawed in their own way, which helped you to either love them or hate them...sometimes both in the same chapter! Keith with his horribly scarred childhood and Sally with her gullibility and 'stand up for the little guy' mentality are perfectly matched. The majority of the time I was team Keith, as I found Sally to be selfish and a bit self absorbed at times. (kudos to the author for allowing Sally to have that insightful moment where she questions why she allowed Keith in her life...very insightful!)
As I mentioned earlier, I did find a lot of the storyline predictable and felt the story flatlined a bit in the middle. I wondered how is this the first tine Keith has displayed this type of obsessive behavior? Maybe some signs that he had behaved this way in the past, all leading up to his escalating behavior with Sally?
But with 2 strong characters you won't soon forget there is a lot to love about this book and I strongly recommend! If you are like me, this will get you thinking about the last time you innocently touched someone on the shoulder, or smiled at someone you recognize from your office building or neighborhood...did they read more into it????
Imperfect Strangers is a story we've all heard or read about before at some point. Shy, damaged boy/man becomes infatuated with a girl who works in his building. She smiles at him, he takes that as a sign, and the story unfolds from there....
While there was a lot of predictability here, I think where the author really shines is through his character development and writing style. Told from both Sally and Keith's points of view, it was fun to read how each character reacted to the same scene! A simple pause or sympathitic pat would put Keith in a tail spin without so much as a single thought from Sally. Both characters were flawed in their own way, which helped you to either love them or hate them...sometimes both in the same chapter! Keith with his horribly scarred childhood and Sally with her gullibility and 'stand up for the little guy' mentality are perfectly matched. The majority of the time I was team Keith, as I found Sally to be selfish and a bit self absorbed at times. (kudos to the author for allowing Sally to have that insightful moment where she questions why she allowed Keith in her life...very insightful!)
As I mentioned earlier, I did find a lot of the storyline predictable and felt the story flatlined a bit in the middle. I wondered how is this the first tine Keith has displayed this type of obsessive behavior? Maybe some signs that he had behaved this way in the past, all leading up to his escalating behavior with Sally?
But with 2 strong characters you won't soon forget there is a lot to love about this book and I strongly recommend! If you are like me, this will get you thinking about the last time you innocently touched someone on the shoulder, or smiled at someone you recognize from your office building or neighborhood...did they read more into it????
February 20, 2015
Imperfect Strangers by David M. Staniforth is a riveting psychological thriller and my first book by this author.
The story begins with us meeting Keith, a socially awkward security guard employed at an office building as the night watchman.
Keith watches, befriends and then becomes obsessed with Sally who works in the building.
Superb character development of Keith with heart-breaking flashbacks of his childhood and the abuse inflicted upon him by his mother leads us to quickly realize why Keith is the way he is and understand his yearning for love with Sally who has been kind to him.
As the story progresses the suspense builds, the pace quickens and then we are given an earth shattering conclusion.
I highly recommend this psychological thriller.
The story begins with us meeting Keith, a socially awkward security guard employed at an office building as the night watchman.
Keith watches, befriends and then becomes obsessed with Sally who works in the building.
Superb character development of Keith with heart-breaking flashbacks of his childhood and the abuse inflicted upon him by his mother leads us to quickly realize why Keith is the way he is and understand his yearning for love with Sally who has been kind to him.
As the story progresses the suspense builds, the pace quickens and then we are given an earth shattering conclusion.
I highly recommend this psychological thriller.
August 27, 2015
Any book that can make me sit and read it in one sitting is worth the five stars. I could not put this book down. It was very captivating. Keith is the night watchman whom is a tad bit (alot) crazy but I felt kind of sorry for him, given his past and the traumatic experiences he has gone through living with a very abusive mentally and physically mother. The scars haunt him day and night. The voices in his head.
He has a major crush on an office day girl named Sally. More like an obsession.They do become friends and she tries to break him out of his shell but that only increases the obsession and the voices in his head.
I don't want to say to much but this book was an exploration of a mentally unstable person and i was rooting for him to get better.....
My only complaint is i wish there was more action and less dialogue with his dead mother in his head. But I will read more books by this author for sure.
He has a major crush on an office day girl named Sally. More like an obsession.They do become friends and she tries to break him out of his shell but that only increases the obsession and the voices in his head.
I don't want to say to much but this book was an exploration of a mentally unstable person and i was rooting for him to get better.....
My only complaint is i wish there was more action and less dialogue with his dead mother in his head. But I will read more books by this author for sure.
March 13, 2015
Tell me you've never had someone have a crush on you. Giving you unwanted attention and making you feel uncomfortable. It's really creepy. You've been raised to be polite, but you eventually need to be rude to get rid of them. Keith was very likeable, but then he didn't have a crush on me. I felt sorry for him, though, much like Sally did, but even she didn't know Keith as well as I did. I was really guessing at times whether Keith was getting better or worse, especially when he did something "normal." Fantastic characters and a chilling story. Loved it!
April 26, 2014
When it comes down to it, do we know those we are close to any better than we know perfect strangers? What faults do they have? What vices and peculiaraities of which we are totally unaware?
Have you ever heard the tale of the scorpian and the frog? Let me tell you about it. There was once a scorpian and a frog. The scorpian asked the frog to carry him on his back across the river. When the frog expresses concern that the scorpian may harm him on the way over the scorpian assures him that it will not happen because then he would perish as well. So the frog agrees to take him. But right when they are in the middle of the river, the scorpian stings the frog right in the back. As they both drown the frog asks the scorpian how he could do such a thing, when it would cause them both to die, to which the scorpian replies that he did it simply because it is in his nature. This book reminds me of this story for a few different reasons. When a person is bad, or commits an evil act, is it because they are born that way or is it something in their life experiances that made them that way? When Sally takes the awkward and socially inept Keith under her wing, she doesn't realize how deep his imperfections run. She is the frog in this story, when she chooses to trust someone and let them in her life even when it is against her better judgement.
Imperfect Strangers is a tale of fear and obsession. Of desire, both thwarted and subdued. It is a tale of opposites. Of compassion. Of kindness and cruelty. And it is a tale of people; imperfect, flawed, people.
This book was such a roller coaster ride of emotions. I thought I was used to the way that David Staniforth wrote novels, but this one was so unlike anything that I have read by him and yet just as engaging and intriguing to read. Maybe even more so. This is a psychological thriller to end all thrillers. The characters were all so interesting in their vulnerabilities and the cracks that hide their imperfections.There is a subtle tremor of danger that underlines this story. Just how much do we really know each other? Can we ever know what is completely in another persons heart? When we let someone in, we run the risk of them not only hurting us emotionally if they let us down, but there is always the possiblitiy of physical harm as well. You really never know the traumas and difficulites a person has to deal with, internally, day in and day out. And while I am a person who always seeks to promote kindness and compassion, you have to be aware that when you reach your hand out to someone, there is a chance you may get bit.
I had such a huge love/hate relationship with so many characters in this book, which makes me give major props to Mr. Staniforth for creating such complex characters. There were so many times I hated Sally for being a bit of a petty bitch, and then two seconds later I would love her for being so compassionate. I would at one moment hate Keith for being a crazy stalker/creeper, then very quickly change back to feeling so badly for him because of all the trauma he endured at the hands of his abusive mother. This type of character development and growth was just spectacular and fascinating. It was another aspect of this book that drew me in and kept me hooked the while time.
If you are a fan of creepy, intense, pshycological thrillers then I would highly reccomend this book. It was wonderful!
Have you ever heard the tale of the scorpian and the frog? Let me tell you about it. There was once a scorpian and a frog. The scorpian asked the frog to carry him on his back across the river. When the frog expresses concern that the scorpian may harm him on the way over the scorpian assures him that it will not happen because then he would perish as well. So the frog agrees to take him. But right when they are in the middle of the river, the scorpian stings the frog right in the back. As they both drown the frog asks the scorpian how he could do such a thing, when it would cause them both to die, to which the scorpian replies that he did it simply because it is in his nature. This book reminds me of this story for a few different reasons. When a person is bad, or commits an evil act, is it because they are born that way or is it something in their life experiances that made them that way? When Sally takes the awkward and socially inept Keith under her wing, she doesn't realize how deep his imperfections run. She is the frog in this story, when she chooses to trust someone and let them in her life even when it is against her better judgement.
Imperfect Strangers is a tale of fear and obsession. Of desire, both thwarted and subdued. It is a tale of opposites. Of compassion. Of kindness and cruelty. And it is a tale of people; imperfect, flawed, people.
This book was such a roller coaster ride of emotions. I thought I was used to the way that David Staniforth wrote novels, but this one was so unlike anything that I have read by him and yet just as engaging and intriguing to read. Maybe even more so. This is a psychological thriller to end all thrillers. The characters were all so interesting in their vulnerabilities and the cracks that hide their imperfections.There is a subtle tremor of danger that underlines this story. Just how much do we really know each other? Can we ever know what is completely in another persons heart? When we let someone in, we run the risk of them not only hurting us emotionally if they let us down, but there is always the possiblitiy of physical harm as well. You really never know the traumas and difficulites a person has to deal with, internally, day in and day out. And while I am a person who always seeks to promote kindness and compassion, you have to be aware that when you reach your hand out to someone, there is a chance you may get bit.
I had such a huge love/hate relationship with so many characters in this book, which makes me give major props to Mr. Staniforth for creating such complex characters. There were so many times I hated Sally for being a bit of a petty bitch, and then two seconds later I would love her for being so compassionate. I would at one moment hate Keith for being a crazy stalker/creeper, then very quickly change back to feeling so badly for him because of all the trauma he endured at the hands of his abusive mother. This type of character development and growth was just spectacular and fascinating. It was another aspect of this book that drew me in and kept me hooked the while time.
If you are a fan of creepy, intense, pshycological thrillers then I would highly reccomend this book. It was wonderful!
December 26, 2014
Sally has friends who are bitches.
When they are being cruel to the night-watchman in their workplace, Sally smiles at him in sympathy.
It is probably the biggest mistake she is ever going to make....
I was hooked on this book from the opening paragraphs.
David Staniforth has done a great job of writing this psychological thriller.
It is a fast paced, but easy read. The author obviously has a sense of humour which he unleashes every now and then, and has researched his subject well.
I am looking forward to further books from this author.
When they are being cruel to the night-watchman in their workplace, Sally smiles at him in sympathy.
It is probably the biggest mistake she is ever going to make....
I was hooked on this book from the opening paragraphs.
David Staniforth has done a great job of writing this psychological thriller.
It is a fast paced, but easy read. The author obviously has a sense of humour which he unleashes every now and then, and has researched his subject well.
I am looking forward to further books from this author.
September 9, 2015
In this book two worlds collide, Keith the night watchman who has some major mental health issues and is socially inept and Sally who becomes his obsession. This is a good psychological thriller with a strong plot and I thoroughly enjoyed the book,I would read more from this author.
February 17, 2015
This book has been a most gripping, unique, read for me.
Right at the start we meet Keith the night watchman. But he watches more than just the building and making sure its locked up safe and monitored. He is a real weirdo.
We meet Sally and her colleagues in the work place. Sally becomes his main love interest. his obsession.
Let me tell you how Kieth made me feel.
When learning of his upbringing with his Mother I felt so sorry for him. THEN I met two Keith's! I was like....what's going on.
What a cleverly written piece of work this was!
The author allowed up to get right inside Keith's life, but, not only that, but inside his mind too. I'm not sure being in his head was as comfortable a ride as the story developed I wanted to LEAP out of his head and hide myself in a nice warm blanket or disappear under the duvet!
Then my reactions changed, I found him creepy, but also a vulnerability about him. I was left wondering how this was going to play out. He didn't seem to have an awful lot of 'worldly' awareness, or knowledge in a lot of day to day things. He was DEFINITELY ODD.
On his birthday when he decided to make conversation with Sally made me anxious in several areas.
Have you ever worked somewhere and there is this person in the background? You see them most days, you know who they are but you've never spoken to them? They seem a bit weird or shy, you can't decide which. They dress a bit scruffy and unkept? They smell of body odour. But they seem kind.
Well, that's Kieth.
I'm not saying anymore, apart from I didn't expect this! It kept me guessing until towards the end on how this was played out.
A superbly crafted piece of work
I am hoping to read more from this author in the thriller genre
I have to thank the author for gifting me this superbly written book in exchange for my honest review
Added to my blog also
http://sueandherbooks.blogspot.co.uk/...
Right at the start we meet Keith the night watchman. But he watches more than just the building and making sure its locked up safe and monitored. He is a real weirdo.
We meet Sally and her colleagues in the work place. Sally becomes his main love interest. his obsession.
Let me tell you how Kieth made me feel.
When learning of his upbringing with his Mother I felt so sorry for him. THEN I met two Keith's! I was like....what's going on.
What a cleverly written piece of work this was!
The author allowed up to get right inside Keith's life, but, not only that, but inside his mind too. I'm not sure being in his head was as comfortable a ride as the story developed I wanted to LEAP out of his head and hide myself in a nice warm blanket or disappear under the duvet!
Then my reactions changed, I found him creepy, but also a vulnerability about him. I was left wondering how this was going to play out. He didn't seem to have an awful lot of 'worldly' awareness, or knowledge in a lot of day to day things. He was DEFINITELY ODD.
On his birthday when he decided to make conversation with Sally made me anxious in several areas.
Have you ever worked somewhere and there is this person in the background? You see them most days, you know who they are but you've never spoken to them? They seem a bit weird or shy, you can't decide which. They dress a bit scruffy and unkept? They smell of body odour. But they seem kind.
Well, that's Kieth.
I'm not saying anymore, apart from I didn't expect this! It kept me guessing until towards the end on how this was played out.
A superbly crafted piece of work
I am hoping to read more from this author in the thriller genre
I have to thank the author for gifting me this superbly written book in exchange for my honest review
Added to my blog also
http://sueandherbooks.blogspot.co.uk/...
September 17, 2015
David Staniforth’s previous writing has been in the fantasy genre, but with Imperfect Strangers, Staniforth has written a psychological thriller with a strong emphasis on psychological. Staniforth has presented us with a very good albeit very unique novel. Imperfect Strangers is a really good first endeavor into the psychological thriller genre.
By David’s own admission, writing style is the imperative thing with his novels. David needs the book to flow well and to be able to identify with the characters. Saniforth set out to write a character study and it developed into a thriller. David wrote the book in the first person, present tense from the perspective of the two main characters. Character development is the key to this book and David nailed this. I love character-driven stories. The character development in this book is strong enough to not only carry, but assist in developing the plot. The reader becomes totally engrossed in the story of the two characters and is involved to the point that they do not even realize what is happening to them (the reader). (Special thanks to Kath Middleton and her blog interview for some of the material above in this paragraph) And Stanforth crosses all of his t’s and dots all of his i’s so that the pages keep turning without any questions being asked by the reader. This is outstanding, too.
Staniforth has said, “I’ve read quite a few books more than once, and the reason to return has been for the characters more than for the plot. The books that really speak to me have strong characters, ones that draw me to spend time in their company again, just like visiting old friends.” This further illustrates just how important character study is to David.
As I have said, this is an unique book. I really did like the book quite a bit. However, I can honestly say this. I did not like one, single character in the book. Now, in real life, there is virtually no one that I dislike and there is no energy wasted there. But, in books and in the movies, or in the pictures as they say in England, we can dislike characters, or books, or movies. There is not one character in this book that I would want to go out with, spend the evening with, go to a cook-out with, or do anything with. I would avoid them all. Nevertheless, the characters were so strongly developed, even in their weaknesses, that the reader is totally engrossed in the book. It is a foible. One cannot explain this. Kudos to David on this.
I participate in a thriller group on the GoodReads website, www.goodreads.com. We read Imperfect Strangers as a group read like a Book of the Month. The comments varied across the spectrum, but it appeared to me that almost everyone thoroughly enjoyed David Staniforth’s psychological thriller immensely. I liked it and was in deep admiration of the writing in this book. It was just a strange experience when I did not like any of the characters but I liked the book. I would have no trouble recommending this book to readers of this genre. The writing style is definitely a 5 out of 5. The characters brought it down a bit for me and you can see the ending coming way too soon distracted a bit - this was a 3 out of 5 with averages out to a 4-star book. Great job David!
Cam
By David’s own admission, writing style is the imperative thing with his novels. David needs the book to flow well and to be able to identify with the characters. Saniforth set out to write a character study and it developed into a thriller. David wrote the book in the first person, present tense from the perspective of the two main characters. Character development is the key to this book and David nailed this. I love character-driven stories. The character development in this book is strong enough to not only carry, but assist in developing the plot. The reader becomes totally engrossed in the story of the two characters and is involved to the point that they do not even realize what is happening to them (the reader). (Special thanks to Kath Middleton and her blog interview for some of the material above in this paragraph) And Stanforth crosses all of his t’s and dots all of his i’s so that the pages keep turning without any questions being asked by the reader. This is outstanding, too.
Staniforth has said, “I’ve read quite a few books more than once, and the reason to return has been for the characters more than for the plot. The books that really speak to me have strong characters, ones that draw me to spend time in their company again, just like visiting old friends.” This further illustrates just how important character study is to David.
As I have said, this is an unique book. I really did like the book quite a bit. However, I can honestly say this. I did not like one, single character in the book. Now, in real life, there is virtually no one that I dislike and there is no energy wasted there. But, in books and in the movies, or in the pictures as they say in England, we can dislike characters, or books, or movies. There is not one character in this book that I would want to go out with, spend the evening with, go to a cook-out with, or do anything with. I would avoid them all. Nevertheless, the characters were so strongly developed, even in their weaknesses, that the reader is totally engrossed in the book. It is a foible. One cannot explain this. Kudos to David on this.
I participate in a thriller group on the GoodReads website, www.goodreads.com. We read Imperfect Strangers as a group read like a Book of the Month. The comments varied across the spectrum, but it appeared to me that almost everyone thoroughly enjoyed David Staniforth’s psychological thriller immensely. I liked it and was in deep admiration of the writing in this book. It was just a strange experience when I did not like any of the characters but I liked the book. I would have no trouble recommending this book to readers of this genre. The writing style is definitely a 5 out of 5. The characters brought it down a bit for me and you can see the ending coming way too soon distracted a bit - this was a 3 out of 5 with averages out to a 4-star book. Great job David!
Cam
March 27, 2015
Emotions - they can be so very understood and misunderstood in the same go.
Imperfect Strangers
- The title is apt. When does a person change from Stranger to somebody you know? How do you know that the person you think you know is the same all the time? Do you ever know a person completely? So many questions that David Staniforth made me ask myself while reading his debut novel.
The story of Keith is heartbreaking. What strikes you most in the book once you really get started is the bleakness of Keith's surroundings. Keith wants to be normal desperately, but does not know how. He tries hard, he really does, but years of being bullied has left him so socially awkward that he just does not know how to be in company of people.
Imperfect Strangers is the story of emotions. You can live through envy, greed, jealousy, anger, love, hatred with the characters in the book. There is literally a plethora of emotions running riot in the book. Staniforth does not talk or write about heros or do gooders, he writes about people, regular everyday people with their own hopes and aspirations about what their life should be. You can see the need in Keith, the hope for a good life and love in Sally.
It is an explosive debut from a great author. I know of David Staniforth from our common GoodReads group. Our interactions have always been funny, Imperfect Strangers came to me highly recommended from the other members of the group. Reading through the book has been a amazing experience, it takes you through a gamut of emotions. Once I finished the book, it was as if I had undergone a roller coaster ride of emotions. It was a emotional journey. Keith has some serious psychological problems, his childhood chaffing under a brutal parent has left some deep, very deep scars on him which he has been struggling to overcome all his life. Sally is a breath of fresh air in his life. He wants to give her a life she aspires to but him by her side.
Slowly she becomes his all consuming obsession, he wants to give her the perfect life. Even when his actions start becoming creepy you can feel his emotions, his almost desperate desire for Sally and his need to put his past to rest. Staniforth with his portrayal of Keith manages to keep you feeling sorry for him all through the book. Even when the book ends you feel sorry for Keith at the end.
Sally I have mixed thoughts about how I feel for her. While I liked her trying to bring Keith out of his shell and seeing him for more than the bumbling loser, I did not like the way she behaved with him around her peers or that she did it for him out of pity. She was always out there giving mixed signals about what she wanted from Keith.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for something very emotional and thrilling, it is a roller coaster experience of emotions and a must read in your library. My only peeve is there are some supporting characters whom I would have liked to see more of like Keith's elderly neighbor, Steve and Sally's niece who was the only person who could connect to Keith unconditionally.
A full 5 stars.
The story of Keith is heartbreaking. What strikes you most in the book once you really get started is the bleakness of Keith's surroundings. Keith wants to be normal desperately, but does not know how. He tries hard, he really does, but years of being bullied has left him so socially awkward that he just does not know how to be in company of people.
Imperfect Strangers is the story of emotions. You can live through envy, greed, jealousy, anger, love, hatred with the characters in the book. There is literally a plethora of emotions running riot in the book. Staniforth does not talk or write about heros or do gooders, he writes about people, regular everyday people with their own hopes and aspirations about what their life should be. You can see the need in Keith, the hope for a good life and love in Sally.
It is an explosive debut from a great author. I know of David Staniforth from our common GoodReads group. Our interactions have always been funny, Imperfect Strangers came to me highly recommended from the other members of the group. Reading through the book has been a amazing experience, it takes you through a gamut of emotions. Once I finished the book, it was as if I had undergone a roller coaster ride of emotions. It was a emotional journey. Keith has some serious psychological problems, his childhood chaffing under a brutal parent has left some deep, very deep scars on him which he has been struggling to overcome all his life. Sally is a breath of fresh air in his life. He wants to give her a life she aspires to but him by her side.
Slowly she becomes his all consuming obsession, he wants to give her the perfect life. Even when his actions start becoming creepy you can feel his emotions, his almost desperate desire for Sally and his need to put his past to rest. Staniforth with his portrayal of Keith manages to keep you feeling sorry for him all through the book. Even when the book ends you feel sorry for Keith at the end.
Sally I have mixed thoughts about how I feel for her. While I liked her trying to bring Keith out of his shell and seeing him for more than the bumbling loser, I did not like the way she behaved with him around her peers or that she did it for him out of pity. She was always out there giving mixed signals about what she wanted from Keith.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for something very emotional and thrilling, it is a roller coaster experience of emotions and a must read in your library. My only peeve is there are some supporting characters whom I would have liked to see more of like Keith's elderly neighbor, Steve and Sally's niece who was the only person who could connect to Keith unconditionally.
A full 5 stars.
March 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this gripping psychological thriller told from two points of views. First we are introduced to Keith, a lonely socially awkward night security guard working in the same building as Sally, the object of his obsession. Next we meet Sally. Recently single after kicking out her boyfriend yet again,she befriends the socially inept Keith despite her own misgivings and the misgivings of her friends.
This story was fast paced, creepy and chilling, and one I definitely recommend!
This story was fast paced, creepy and chilling, and one I definitely recommend!
November 12, 2014
A pyschological thriller with a difference, with very strong great main characters in Sally and especially the socially akward, childlike and simple Keith. In my own head I had a clear picture of the look of Keith as David Staniforth gave up such a clear picture of the mental and physical look of this character.
Do you know the people you work with !
Should you smile at people you do not know so well.
These are the questions maybe Sally had to ask herself.
Enjoyed the style of writing as we follow the story from Sally's point of view and Keith's point of view, and how different they are.
The last few chapters built up to a fast paced, suspenseful and chilling conclusion, and as you read the book you are not sure what is going to happen.
I hope David does more of these books, as I do not enjoy fantasy books at all, but this I do recommend, as quite different from anything I have read before.
Now starting on one of my two November group reads, with Richard Montanari's The Violet Hour, and then The Hunter by Tom Wood, then Ty Patterson The Warrior.
Do you know the people you work with !
Should you smile at people you do not know so well.
These are the questions maybe Sally had to ask herself.
Enjoyed the style of writing as we follow the story from Sally's point of view and Keith's point of view, and how different they are.
The last few chapters built up to a fast paced, suspenseful and chilling conclusion, and as you read the book you are not sure what is going to happen.
I hope David does more of these books, as I do not enjoy fantasy books at all, but this I do recommend, as quite different from anything I have read before.
Now starting on one of my two November group reads, with Richard Montanari's The Violet Hour, and then The Hunter by Tom Wood, then Ty Patterson The Warrior.
October 9, 2014
Not a bad performance from an author that is new to this genre. The book blurb pretty much speaks for itself so I won't elaborate there.
The book reads well, a few grammatical mistakes here and there but for a self published book it didn't put me off. I have seen a lot worse!!
It's a story about a socially inept man that has 'mummy issues' nothing really new but more of a close insight into the character and how he dealt with everyday situations. Everyday situations that most of us take for granted but tears Keith into pieces. A clever man intellectually, sees things in a logical way, but socially struggles with interaction and relationships. It was well done in a very realistic way, no real exaggeration or softening of the corners here. Sally, Keith's object of desire, was a character I couldn't really take to, I found her a bit shallow and selfish. I didn't really feel that sorry for Keith, more that I just hoped he could get the help he desperately needed. It was quite clear where the story was going to go but wasn't quite expecting the abruptness at the end. On a personal note I would have liked something happier for Keith, even as an epilogue, makes sense if you read. Characterisations, settings were good and some good descriptiveness at times. As for Kerry!!!! Hhmmm...!! Would have happily sorted her out!
On the whole, for a first foray, this is a good solid read and I don't doubt many will love this. I liked it, I didn't love it, but I do recommend it.
Enjoy!
The book reads well, a few grammatical mistakes here and there but for a self published book it didn't put me off. I have seen a lot worse!!
It's a story about a socially inept man that has 'mummy issues' nothing really new but more of a close insight into the character and how he dealt with everyday situations. Everyday situations that most of us take for granted but tears Keith into pieces. A clever man intellectually, sees things in a logical way, but socially struggles with interaction and relationships. It was well done in a very realistic way, no real exaggeration or softening of the corners here. Sally, Keith's object of desire, was a character I couldn't really take to, I found her a bit shallow and selfish. I didn't really feel that sorry for Keith, more that I just hoped he could get the help he desperately needed. It was quite clear where the story was going to go but wasn't quite expecting the abruptness at the end. On a personal note I would have liked something happier for Keith, even as an epilogue, makes sense if you read. Characterisations, settings were good and some good descriptiveness at times. As for Kerry!!!! Hhmmm...!! Would have happily sorted her out!
On the whole, for a first foray, this is a good solid read and I don't doubt many will love this. I liked it, I didn't love it, but I do recommend it.
Enjoy!
September 4, 2015
I read this book as a BOTM group read and really enjoyed discussing this book with the author.
This was a very good book that delves into the mental health issues of the main character Keith. Overall Keith is a good guy but he has some serious demons from his mother and his upbringing. He becomes obsessed with his co worker Sally. She befriends him and the story progresses from there. It was a good story with some very strong characters.
I was afraid this would be similar to another book called "You" but thankfully it is not. Imperfect Strangers is much better and the characters are much more likable even though they are flawed.
This was a very good book that delves into the mental health issues of the main character Keith. Overall Keith is a good guy but he has some serious demons from his mother and his upbringing. He becomes obsessed with his co worker Sally. She befriends him and the story progresses from there. It was a good story with some very strong characters.
I was afraid this would be similar to another book called "You" but thankfully it is not. Imperfect Strangers is much better and the characters are much more likable even though they are flawed.
May 29, 2015
Thank you very much David M.Staniforth for giving me another of your great books to read :)
This is my second book by Mr Staniforth and surely it won't be the last, i gave it 5 well-deserved stars :)
The story is very simple and very interesting, it can be resumed in one question "How well do you know a person you meet everysay??" and the answer is really creepy :)
The story started a bit slow peaced but really captured me from the beginning, i loved discovering the inner emotions and thoughts of the character and kept speculating what will happen next!!
I loved it how the story was told from two points of view : Keith and Sally, and it's really amazing to see how one simple event can be interpreted by two very different people!
The characters are great and made me experience a great deal of emotions: pity, surprise, disgust, sometimes anger and i felt that i'm actually interacting with them!!
Keith is really one of a kind, at first i pitied him, especially with his hidden memories!! but then i started to dislike him a bit, it became obvious that he's totally disturbed!!
As the end drew close, i held my breath waiting to see how all that mess will end and finally it was a kind of kliffhanger
The end kept me thinking all day long, i even dreamt of Keith when i took a nap!!!
and That's why i gave it 5 stars, i love it when a book touch me this much! So great job Mr Staniforth :)
This is my second book by Mr Staniforth and surely it won't be the last, i gave it 5 well-deserved stars :)
The story is very simple and very interesting, it can be resumed in one question "How well do you know a person you meet everysay??" and the answer is really creepy :)
The story started a bit slow peaced but really captured me from the beginning, i loved discovering the inner emotions and thoughts of the character and kept speculating what will happen next!!
I loved it how the story was told from two points of view : Keith and Sally, and it's really amazing to see how one simple event can be interpreted by two very different people!
The characters are great and made me experience a great deal of emotions: pity, surprise, disgust, sometimes anger and i felt that i'm actually interacting with them!!
Keith is really one of a kind, at first i pitied him, especially with his hidden memories!! but then i started to dislike him a bit, it became obvious that he's totally disturbed!!
As the end drew close, i held my breath waiting to see how all that mess will end and finally it was a kind of kliffhanger
The end kept me thinking all day long, i even dreamt of Keith when i took a nap!!!
and That's why i gave it 5 stars, i love it when a book touch me this much! So great job Mr Staniforth :)
May 11, 2015
Imperfect Strangers by David Staniforth
Rarely do I read a book where it’s pull on me has been as strong as this one. I found the whole thing engrossing from the start to the end, and wondered as I read it, how many different ways this story could have gone. It must have been great fun for David to keep me guessing as he did. The ending was quite stunning; it drew together the whole story so superbly, bringing together answers to all the little questions I’d gathered along the way.
For me, the best thing about this book was the near-saturation by incredible detail. That might sound like a criticism, but it was bliss, and I tipped my hat to the author frequently at his uncanny ability to express those details in such an unobtrusive way.
Written in first person, Imperfect Strangers has two protagonists: the socially inept Keith, and a woman far out of his reach, Sally. Each one sees the same event in different ways but both viewpoints are equally valid, and usually at odds with each other. My particular favourite was Keith, and I marvelled at his unconventional trains of thought, his awkwardness, his desire to do right, but his inability to shake off a horrifying past that ultimately makes him do wrong, leading to disaster.
Lock the door and take the phone off the hook for the final 10%.
Rarely do I read a book where it’s pull on me has been as strong as this one. I found the whole thing engrossing from the start to the end, and wondered as I read it, how many different ways this story could have gone. It must have been great fun for David to keep me guessing as he did. The ending was quite stunning; it drew together the whole story so superbly, bringing together answers to all the little questions I’d gathered along the way.
For me, the best thing about this book was the near-saturation by incredible detail. That might sound like a criticism, but it was bliss, and I tipped my hat to the author frequently at his uncanny ability to express those details in such an unobtrusive way.
Written in first person, Imperfect Strangers has two protagonists: the socially inept Keith, and a woman far out of his reach, Sally. Each one sees the same event in different ways but both viewpoints are equally valid, and usually at odds with each other. My particular favourite was Keith, and I marvelled at his unconventional trains of thought, his awkwardness, his desire to do right, but his inability to shake off a horrifying past that ultimately makes him do wrong, leading to disaster.
Lock the door and take the phone off the hook for the final 10%.
February 7, 2018
Keith hides in plain sight, a night watchman that sees people come and go to work in the building where he works but they have no need to see him. He blends and if possible avoids speaking to people to hide his stammer. Then one day she smiles and he knows that she is the one. It is a sign, he saw it in her eyes, Sally would love him and he would love her.
Now let this be a bit of a warning to any girls that want to jar their boyfriend off after finding evidence that he has kissed another girl. Don’t play with other men’s feelings, you may see it as flirting but they may see it as, OMG I am going to marry you one day!
Keith wasn’t just your run of the mill normal shy kind of bloke, he lived a lot of his life with his dead mother still going strong in his head and as the story of Keith and Sally moved forward, each with their own agendas playing out. The horrendous childhood of Keith was relived as everyday objects where triggers that sent him hurtling back in time, in his mind to experience her punishments again. Keith really freaked me out but his mother was a new breed of off the scale mentally disturbed certifiable nut jobs.
David Staniforth delivers a real heart in your mouth and something else in your pants kind of read! I have read a lot of books and looked inside a lot of minds but Keith’s was one of the saddest, as there was no where to hide in there. Just how far will this damaged man go to eventually find someone to love him? Just superb!
Now let this be a bit of a warning to any girls that want to jar their boyfriend off after finding evidence that he has kissed another girl. Don’t play with other men’s feelings, you may see it as flirting but they may see it as, OMG I am going to marry you one day!
Keith wasn’t just your run of the mill normal shy kind of bloke, he lived a lot of his life with his dead mother still going strong in his head and as the story of Keith and Sally moved forward, each with their own agendas playing out. The horrendous childhood of Keith was relived as everyday objects where triggers that sent him hurtling back in time, in his mind to experience her punishments again. Keith really freaked me out but his mother was a new breed of off the scale mentally disturbed certifiable nut jobs.
David Staniforth delivers a real heart in your mouth and something else in your pants kind of read! I have read a lot of books and looked inside a lot of minds but Keith’s was one of the saddest, as there was no where to hide in there. Just how far will this damaged man go to eventually find someone to love him? Just superb!
October 25, 2016
Dear reader,
Where do I begin??
Keith,the main protagonist in this story is a man of many parts. Abused verbally, physically and psychologically as a child,by the one person he assumed would always be there for him, Keith,at the outset,appears to have put his past behind him.
Holding down the position of night watch man and residing in the house that's still psychologically haunted by his mother,he has now happily made the acquaintance of Sally,whose brief smile to him has captured his heart and provided him with a new lease of life.
Yes,you've guessed it! Keith is a man on a mission- to become Sally's latest paramour, and Fate happily seems to be applauding his efforts,as she has currently broken up with Steve.....leaving his way clear to woo fair Sally and eventually pledge his troth....
Sally,taking pity on this semi reclusive,and,in her mind,tender hearted,sensitive individual,a man who actually takes the time to listen to her when she speaks,who is happy to place her in the centre of his universe,reluctantly befriends him,agreeing to cinema trips with him,after their numerous 'accidental' meetings in the park.
Handing him the keys to her house as he has agreed to walk her dog,little does she realise the seemingly inconsequential steps that she has taken to further their relationship....
.....in his mind,if not in hers....
Alas,dear reader,as you may have guessed, all is not as it seems!
Keith,an intelligent if somewhat socially inept man,possibly displaying autistic tendencies in his obsession with prime and composite numbers,one who fails to decipher social cues,is really the face behind the abused, frightened and angry child,and their co-existence serves to ratchet up the tension and suspense in this seemingly tragic story.
Can Keith,still being systematically shadowed by his domineering and abusive mother,the victim of spasmodic 'episodes' which force him to relive the violence from his past,finally shake off the 'aloneness' of being a single prime number and join,as a couple,the composite number of society?
Together Keith,the man-child,stumble towards a future that one of them earnestly yearns for,yet the other is simply unprepared for,unwilling and simply unable to accept.
Absorbed with dreams of his future with Sally,Keith,the man,sets himself on the road of self improvement,seeking to alter not only himself but his house, and in particular the living room,that for too long now has languished sorrowfully as merely a front room.
Thus do we see Keith's outer appearance change with the addition of new glad rags, and his hatching of a strangely innocent but scarily troubling scenario for his spare room and the much anticipated new occupants of such.
How does Sally react to this new scenario and what if any will the consequences of such be?
This was a very compelling,slightly scary, psychological story that left me wavering between deep empathy for Keith and his hopes and dreams for a 'normal' life and sheer disbelief at the pace which saw him and his behaviour change to such a traumatic and dramatic degree.
A beautifully crafted story with carefully chosen and highly descriptive phrases, I recommended it to all who love a psychological tale centred around a seemingly innocent and naive young man, and his obsession with an equally naive if socially savvy young woman.
The end,when it comes,will take your breath away and leave you feeling slightly bereft, yet oddly accepting of the realistic and apt fates that somehow,sadly,always felt predestined.
Where do I begin??
Keith,the main protagonist in this story is a man of many parts. Abused verbally, physically and psychologically as a child,by the one person he assumed would always be there for him, Keith,at the outset,appears to have put his past behind him.
Holding down the position of night watch man and residing in the house that's still psychologically haunted by his mother,he has now happily made the acquaintance of Sally,whose brief smile to him has captured his heart and provided him with a new lease of life.
Yes,you've guessed it! Keith is a man on a mission- to become Sally's latest paramour, and Fate happily seems to be applauding his efforts,as she has currently broken up with Steve.....leaving his way clear to woo fair Sally and eventually pledge his troth....
Sally,taking pity on this semi reclusive,and,in her mind,tender hearted,sensitive individual,a man who actually takes the time to listen to her when she speaks,who is happy to place her in the centre of his universe,reluctantly befriends him,agreeing to cinema trips with him,after their numerous 'accidental' meetings in the park.
Handing him the keys to her house as he has agreed to walk her dog,little does she realise the seemingly inconsequential steps that she has taken to further their relationship....
.....in his mind,if not in hers....
Alas,dear reader,as you may have guessed, all is not as it seems!
Keith,an intelligent if somewhat socially inept man,possibly displaying autistic tendencies in his obsession with prime and composite numbers,one who fails to decipher social cues,is really the face behind the abused, frightened and angry child,and their co-existence serves to ratchet up the tension and suspense in this seemingly tragic story.
Can Keith,still being systematically shadowed by his domineering and abusive mother,the victim of spasmodic 'episodes' which force him to relive the violence from his past,finally shake off the 'aloneness' of being a single prime number and join,as a couple,the composite number of society?
Together Keith,the man-child,stumble towards a future that one of them earnestly yearns for,yet the other is simply unprepared for,unwilling and simply unable to accept.
Absorbed with dreams of his future with Sally,Keith,the man,sets himself on the road of self improvement,seeking to alter not only himself but his house, and in particular the living room,that for too long now has languished sorrowfully as merely a front room.
Thus do we see Keith's outer appearance change with the addition of new glad rags, and his hatching of a strangely innocent but scarily troubling scenario for his spare room and the much anticipated new occupants of such.
How does Sally react to this new scenario and what if any will the consequences of such be?
This was a very compelling,slightly scary, psychological story that left me wavering between deep empathy for Keith and his hopes and dreams for a 'normal' life and sheer disbelief at the pace which saw him and his behaviour change to such a traumatic and dramatic degree.
A beautifully crafted story with carefully chosen and highly descriptive phrases, I recommended it to all who love a psychological tale centred around a seemingly innocent and naive young man, and his obsession with an equally naive if socially savvy young woman.
The end,when it comes,will take your breath away and leave you feeling slightly bereft, yet oddly accepting of the realistic and apt fates that somehow,sadly,always felt predestined.
September 12, 2016
Simply Brilliant! This is such an interesting and unique story. David Staniforth has done a great job with not only the storyline, but the Characters as well. I already knew that I liked David’s writing style, as I really enjoyed another book he wrote “Void” which was also a great story and well worth a read. Maybe if your mother told everyone you were strange you would start to believe it. Growing up Keith heard this constantly, so it’s no surprise he still hears his mother’s annoying voice in his head. However he knows he has to be careful, as he has episodes where he temporarily blanks out, and finds himself back in the horrors of growing up with a spiteful and abusive mother. After his father died, his mother changed and put him through hell. Problem being that he could be in public when one of his episodes hit, and he would stand there like a ridged statue. For someone that is a bit of a loner with no girlfriend, this could be a little bit off putting for any potential new partner. So he is surprised when one day at his work Sally smiles at him in passing. Sally is just a friendly person and to her there was nothing in it, however for Keith he believes she must be interested in him. All the women at work think that Keith is weird, so they are amazed when they find out Sally has given him a key to her house. Even though it’s only for Keith to take her dog for a walk during the day while she’s at work, she really thinks this is all quite innocent and nothing in it. She just doesn’t realise how infatuated Keith is with her. Of course she is lonely after kicking her cheating boyfriend Steve out of the house, but she has no idea how hard it’s going to be, to also get Keith out of her life. The Author has done a brilliant job with Keith, and painting such a vivid picture of why he has grown up the way his has. This really made the story for me. Add this book to your reading list, you won’t be disappointed.
September 7, 2015
Excellent writing!
Obviously the main character has a lot of issues and I am impressed with the detail and how realistic Mr. Staniforth presented him.
In some cases I do not like when the point of view switches back and forth, but in this case I loved it. Both Keith and Sally got to share their thoughts on the exact situation. It gave us a clear picture on how Keith misinterpreted common social norms which in turn really helped to develop the character of Keith.
I do however wish there was an epilogue. I found myself connected to the characters and would like to know what happened to Sally and Steve, and of course where Keith ended up.
I'm looking out for the next release by Mr. Staniforth!
Obviously the main character has a lot of issues and I am impressed with the detail and how realistic Mr. Staniforth presented him.
In some cases I do not like when the point of view switches back and forth, but in this case I loved it. Both Keith and Sally got to share their thoughts on the exact situation. It gave us a clear picture on how Keith misinterpreted common social norms which in turn really helped to develop the character of Keith.
I do however wish there was an epilogue. I found myself connected to the characters and would like to know what happened to Sally and Steve, and of course where Keith ended up.
I'm looking out for the next release by Mr. Staniforth!
September 21, 2015
Funny when I started reading this book if held my interest. There were times while reading it I wanted to put down because I wasn't sure what the story was about. Well I stuck with it and I have to admit that the author does know how to weave a tale. Is the book about child abuse and/or stalking, you be the Judge. Everything comes out at the end and I do believe that the girl made the right choice.
October 5, 2015
I will write a review when I have more time to spend on my assessment, but this book is really a 4.5 star novel, and displays magnificent insight and one of the most brilliant characterizations of a main character named Keith. Very redolent of John Fowles famous novel.
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