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Stone Baby
A dark psycholgical thriller from a brilliant new talent, set in the out-on-the-edge world of alternative comedy. Meet Lenny Bruce in a Dress (aka Jamie Gee), an inspirational stand-up comic with enough cutting edge to rival Boadicea. The punters love her -- they think she's tough and in control, but they don't know the real Jamie. Inside she's lost, vulnerable and desperate for love -- something Lily Carlson finds out when she becomes her best friend and then her manager. And sassy, smart-talking, ambitious Lily soon realizes that looking after Jamie means more than just booking gigs -- it's a lifetime's commitment. Lily's up for it , though, even when she can no longer ignore the fact that Jamie's fatal flaw is men. The victim of a brutal past, she has an unerring ability to pick Mr Wrong, and, as Jamie lurches from one bastard to the next, Lily and beautiful Asian transvestite Mojo do the damage-limitation thing, making a sanctuary of their rundown old house. But they'd all reckoned without Sean Powers, a vicious psychopath with the face and body of a god, who threatens to smash the menage a trois that sustains them.
It's easy to see what makes Jamie fall so hard for Sean, but what's in it for him? And what does he really want from her? Dark, edgy and utterly convincing, Stone Baby is set to become the cult read of the year.
It's easy to see what makes Jamie fall so hard for Sean, but what's in it for him? And what does he really want from her? Dark, edgy and utterly convincing, Stone Baby is set to become the cult read of the year.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
1 person is currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Joolz Denby
13 books76 followersJoolz Denby has been a professional writer of poetry and fiction, spoken-word artist, illustrative artist and photographer for over thirty years.
* Add Joolz as a Friend on Facebook: look for Joolz Denby.
* This year will be Joolz' 25th year as a spoken-word artiste at Glastonbury Festival: with over 100 performances of her writing at the festival, she is one of Glastonbury's most prolific performers.
*Joolz latest spoken word album, Spirit Stories, with music by Justin Sullivan is now available for download/mail order: please visit The Shop @ www.newmodelarmy.org Buyer Reviews: 'Two listens now. Still got gooseflesh. Poetry to touch the soul. And that voice. Hell, Joolz could read the phone book and leave you entranced. The music just provides the backdrop, but Joolz' voice is the main instrument here.' Ifran. '(the track) Boy You Need the Road - WOW.' St Alfonzo. (reviews taken from the Noticeboard at www.newmodelarmy.org). Magazine Reviews: 'Joolz Denby remains one of the real treasures of the British literary scene and "Spirit Stories", her new album, is quite simply an essential listen. . . Mesmerisingly atmospheric throughout. 'Bubblegum Slut Fanzine. Issue 32.
*She is an award-winning, multi-nominated novelist; for her debut novel Stone Baby (HarperCollins) Joolz won the Crime Writer's Association New Crime Writer Of The Year and was shortlisted for the John Creasey Award. She was also awarded the audio book industry's prestigious 'Earphone Award' (USA) for her brilliant unabridged recording of Stone Baby. Her third novel, Billie Morgan (Serpent's Tail) was shortlisted for the 2005 Orange Prize and also the Crime Writer's Association Dagger In The Library award.
*Her last novel Borrowed Light (Serpent's Tail) was released in February 2006 to enormous critical acclaim and her latest collection of poetry and short fiction Pray For Us Sinners (Comma Press), released in late 2005, is already in its second re-print. She has recently finished her new - as yet unpublished - novel, 'Wild Thing' (www.myspace.com/wildthingjoolzdenby) and has started working on another novel (working title) 'Midnight At The Rat N' Roses' and a new collection of poetry and short stories.
*Joolz tours the world giving highly acclaimed dramatic readings of her work (both poetry and prose). She is noted for the emotive, musical quality of her voice and the skill with which she presents the characters she has written about. She won the prestigious US audio book industry Earphone Award for her unabridged recording of her novel 'Stone Baby' and is considered to be the UK's premier woman spoken-word artist ('the Queen Of British Spoken Word'). In Britain she reads throughout the year at venues ranging from The Royal Albert Hall and the House of Commons to rock music festivals (twenty-two years as a performer at Glastonbury) arts centres, Universities, rock clubs and coffee houses. She is highly respected for her work with prison inmates.
* Joolz is an expert in the field of commissioned public poetry, having written poetry for Yorkshire Forward, The Royal Armouries, Alchemy Asian Arts, Yorkshire Museums Service, Bradford Capital Of Culture Bid and The Captain Cook Museum amongst others.
*Joolz is an extremely experienced and valued broadcaster, having worked regularly for radio of all kinds such as BBC Radio Four (including many broadcasts for Woman's Hour) and BBC Radio One. She has also a
* Add Joolz as a Friend on Facebook: look for Joolz Denby.
* This year will be Joolz' 25th year as a spoken-word artiste at Glastonbury Festival: with over 100 performances of her writing at the festival, she is one of Glastonbury's most prolific performers.
*Joolz latest spoken word album, Spirit Stories, with music by Justin Sullivan is now available for download/mail order: please visit The Shop @ www.newmodelarmy.org Buyer Reviews: 'Two listens now. Still got gooseflesh. Poetry to touch the soul. And that voice. Hell, Joolz could read the phone book and leave you entranced. The music just provides the backdrop, but Joolz' voice is the main instrument here.' Ifran. '(the track) Boy You Need the Road - WOW.' St Alfonzo. (reviews taken from the Noticeboard at www.newmodelarmy.org). Magazine Reviews: 'Joolz Denby remains one of the real treasures of the British literary scene and "Spirit Stories", her new album, is quite simply an essential listen. . . Mesmerisingly atmospheric throughout. 'Bubblegum Slut Fanzine. Issue 32.
*She is an award-winning, multi-nominated novelist; for her debut novel Stone Baby (HarperCollins) Joolz won the Crime Writer's Association New Crime Writer Of The Year and was shortlisted for the John Creasey Award. She was also awarded the audio book industry's prestigious 'Earphone Award' (USA) for her brilliant unabridged recording of Stone Baby. Her third novel, Billie Morgan (Serpent's Tail) was shortlisted for the 2005 Orange Prize and also the Crime Writer's Association Dagger In The Library award.
*Her last novel Borrowed Light (Serpent's Tail) was released in February 2006 to enormous critical acclaim and her latest collection of poetry and short fiction Pray For Us Sinners (Comma Press), released in late 2005, is already in its second re-print. She has recently finished her new - as yet unpublished - novel, 'Wild Thing' (www.myspace.com/wildthingjoolzdenby) and has started working on another novel (working title) 'Midnight At The Rat N' Roses' and a new collection of poetry and short stories.
*Joolz tours the world giving highly acclaimed dramatic readings of her work (both poetry and prose). She is noted for the emotive, musical quality of her voice and the skill with which she presents the characters she has written about. She won the prestigious US audio book industry Earphone Award for her unabridged recording of her novel 'Stone Baby' and is considered to be the UK's premier woman spoken-word artist ('the Queen Of British Spoken Word'). In Britain she reads throughout the year at venues ranging from The Royal Albert Hall and the House of Commons to rock music festivals (twenty-two years as a performer at Glastonbury) arts centres, Universities, rock clubs and coffee houses. She is highly respected for her work with prison inmates.
* Joolz is an expert in the field of commissioned public poetry, having written poetry for Yorkshire Forward, The Royal Armouries, Alchemy Asian Arts, Yorkshire Museums Service, Bradford Capital Of Culture Bid and The Captain Cook Museum amongst others.
*Joolz is an extremely experienced and valued broadcaster, having worked regularly for radio of all kinds such as BBC Radio Four (including many broadcasts for Woman's Hour) and BBC Radio One. She has also a
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 29, 2010
Written in a style that is reminiscent of Joolz Denby's spoken word performances this tells a tale of female infatuation and the horrors it can lead to. Saying anymore about the plot would spoil the enjoyment of the read but this is a well plotted thriller which if you feel yourself to be slightly outside society's norms (aren't we all?) you will instantly identify with. It neatly illustrates how the true horror of society lurks not within its subcultures and ethnicitiy but within what most people accept as normal.
October 25, 2012
Poor Joolz - would have given it 4 stars but I seem to do that to everything, so she got marked down.
As always Joolz has written a page-turner with lovely characters. I'm not sure the structure worked - first chapter in 'present', then rest of the book is flashback, but we never quite caught up with the first chapter again. I'd like to know more about the aftermath, and perhaps a hint of possible redemption? (like we had in Billie Morgan).
In the end I couldn't love Jamie like Lily did. Perhaps if I'd seen her act? But the clear and awful damage caused by abuse was illustrated with 2 possible 'outcomes' and the message needs repeating (especially now with Savile and others being revealed).
As always Joolz has written a page-turner with lovely characters. I'm not sure the structure worked - first chapter in 'present', then rest of the book is flashback, but we never quite caught up with the first chapter again. I'd like to know more about the aftermath, and perhaps a hint of possible redemption? (like we had in Billie Morgan).
In the end I couldn't love Jamie like Lily did. Perhaps if I'd seen her act? But the clear and awful damage caused by abuse was illustrated with 2 possible 'outcomes' and the message needs repeating (especially now with Savile and others being revealed).
September 24, 2009
A bit previsible, but who can resist a northener story...
I liked it, it's quiet well written and enterteining,though (again) no need to sqweeze your brain to guess the development of the story.Still, the characters are good,and the story line credible...
I m not sure I would ve picked this book if I saw it with the cover shown here....(me an' my covers again)
Mine is a hard cover, great one as art work.
I liked it, it's quiet well written and enterteining,though (again) no need to sqweeze your brain to guess the development of the story.Still, the characters are good,and the story line credible...
I m not sure I would ve picked this book if I saw it with the cover shown here....(me an' my covers again)
Mine is a hard cover, great one as art work.
to-finish
May 3, 2012Got about halfway through this, greatly enjoying the narrative voice and the characters, then a cat popped up, and given who the heroine's best friend gets involved with, I figure he's going to kill the cat, and that's a dealbreaker for me. sigh. (Yeah, I'll happily read gory P.D. James books and trashy true crime paperbacks, but I draw the line at kitty death, okay?)
October 19, 2023
Read this in my early 20s & just read it again in my 40s.. just read it 🖤
August 5, 2024
Read this back when it first came out and decided to give it another go... Wasn't disappointed and maybe better than the last time I read it
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews