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Savage Lane
EVERY TOWN HAS ITS SECRETS
In Savage Lane, Jason Starr has crafted a searing tale of suspense that proves the Love thy neighbor, but don’t pull down your hedge. Karen Daily, recently divorced, lives with her two kids in a quaint suburb of New York City. She’s teaching at a nearby elementary school, starting to date again, and for the first time in years has found joy in her life. Mark Berman, Karen’s friend and neighbor, wants out of his unhappy marriage, and so does his wife, Deb, but they have stayed together for the sake of their children.
Unbeknownst to Karen, while Mark’s marriage has deteriorated his obsession with her has grown. And as Mark’s rich fantasy life takes on a more sinister edge, rumors begin to spread about Karen and a bigger secret is uncovered. And soon Karen finds that Mark is not the only one who has taken an undesired interest in her…
Jason Starr is one of our most accomplished writers of the darkness that lies within the human heart, and Savage Lane is his most riveting and intimate novel yet—a dark, domestic thriller and an honest, searing satire of a declining marriage, suburban life, and obsessive love.
In Savage Lane, Jason Starr has crafted a searing tale of suspense that proves the Love thy neighbor, but don’t pull down your hedge. Karen Daily, recently divorced, lives with her two kids in a quaint suburb of New York City. She’s teaching at a nearby elementary school, starting to date again, and for the first time in years has found joy in her life. Mark Berman, Karen’s friend and neighbor, wants out of his unhappy marriage, and so does his wife, Deb, but they have stayed together for the sake of their children.
Unbeknownst to Karen, while Mark’s marriage has deteriorated his obsession with her has grown. And as Mark’s rich fantasy life takes on a more sinister edge, rumors begin to spread about Karen and a bigger secret is uncovered. And soon Karen finds that Mark is not the only one who has taken an undesired interest in her…
Jason Starr is one of our most accomplished writers of the darkness that lies within the human heart, and Savage Lane is his most riveting and intimate novel yet—a dark, domestic thriller and an honest, searing satire of a declining marriage, suburban life, and obsessive love.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2015
38 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
About the author
Jason Starr
116 books244 followersJason Starr is the international bestselling author of many crime novels and thrillers, including Cold Caller, The Follower, The Pack and The Next Time I Die. He also writes comics for Marvel (Wolverine, The Punisher) and DC (Batman, The Avenger) and original graphic novels such as Red Border and Casual Fling. In addition, he writes film and TV tie-in novels including an official Ant-Man novel and the Gotham novels based on the hit TV show. His books have been published in sixteen languages and several of his novels are in development for film and TV. He has won the Anthony Award for mystery fiction twice, as well as a Barry Award. Starr lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
November 27, 2019
So refreshing! Just some awful people doing what awful people do.. Add a complete nutball (or 2) & you’ll fly right through this book like I did! It reminds me of a palette cleanser.. Like if you get bogged down in too many rambling, predictable, serious books.. Take a break! Jason Starr obviously says what he wants- & I’m here for it! Reminds me of You in the sense that I found myself literally laughing out loud. Meanwhile it IS a psychological thriller.. & all fun & games aside, I was all in- dying to know what happens! Better then I even expected, & now that I found Jason Starr- this definitely won’t be my last!
March 1, 2018
Jason Starr gets inside the crawl space of the minds of his characters in similar fashion to suburban noir authors James M Cain and Megan Abbott as he weaves a seductively good tale infused with satire, secrets, and murder.
The suburbs are a breeding ground for gossip, and it's this gossip that leads to a very public accusation of murder and a fallout which destroys long time friends and rocks a family to it's everyday middle class core.
Karen is the girl next door - the middle aged mom version that is, while Mark is the love struck boy - circa middle-aged family man. Mark's wife, Deb, knows something is going on between Karen and Mark. The subtle flirting, the texting, the whispered conversations and morning jogs together. She can see her husband drifting off to the arms of another woman. She is certain of this. So much so she confronts Mark and Karen - causing a stir and creating a scene which changes their lives forever.
Sounds like a midday-made-for-TV-movie doesn't it? Think again. Jason Starr has a knack for writing troubled characters who succumb to an all too easy dark persona while making said dark persona shine with normalcy. The blue collar noir of Jason Starr's earlier novels rears its head in the mean streets of suburbia and the end result is a topsy turvey thriller sure to please.
The suburbs are a breeding ground for gossip, and it's this gossip that leads to a very public accusation of murder and a fallout which destroys long time friends and rocks a family to it's everyday middle class core.
Karen is the girl next door - the middle aged mom version that is, while Mark is the love struck boy - circa middle-aged family man. Mark's wife, Deb, knows something is going on between Karen and Mark. The subtle flirting, the texting, the whispered conversations and morning jogs together. She can see her husband drifting off to the arms of another woman. She is certain of this. So much so she confronts Mark and Karen - causing a stir and creating a scene which changes their lives forever.
Sounds like a midday-made-for-TV-movie doesn't it? Think again. Jason Starr has a knack for writing troubled characters who succumb to an all too easy dark persona while making said dark persona shine with normalcy. The blue collar noir of Jason Starr's earlier novels rears its head in the mean streets of suburbia and the end result is a topsy turvey thriller sure to please.
March 15, 2016
If you're anything like me, sometimes you just need a mindless, fast-paced pageturner. I knew more or less what I was getting myself into when I picked this up, but I didn't expect it to be so...bad.
I often enjoy books that examine the dark underside of domestic suburban life - Tom Perrotta comes to mind - but this is like if you took a book like that and stripped it of anything intelligent or thought-provoking. Any semblance of attempted satire is obscured by its utter silliness.
The characters are one-dimensional cliches whose actions are so delusional and unbelievable that it's hard to keep reading. In fact, I'm not even sure why I stuck with it. Maybe for the same reason I'll sometimes get sucked into watching a Lifetime movie.
It's a fast, easy read, so it's hard to feel too resentful toward it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
#jasonstarr #bookreview #bookstagram #igbooks #fiction #currentlyreading #currentread #amreading #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #book
I often enjoy books that examine the dark underside of domestic suburban life - Tom Perrotta comes to mind - but this is like if you took a book like that and stripped it of anything intelligent or thought-provoking. Any semblance of attempted satire is obscured by its utter silliness.
The characters are one-dimensional cliches whose actions are so delusional and unbelievable that it's hard to keep reading. In fact, I'm not even sure why I stuck with it. Maybe for the same reason I'll sometimes get sucked into watching a Lifetime movie.
It's a fast, easy read, so it's hard to feel too resentful toward it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
#jasonstarr #bookreview #bookstagram #igbooks #fiction #currentlyreading #currentread #amreading #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #book
June 23, 2018
I shouldn't have enjoyed this novel as much as I did. It's vile, crass and has little to no faith in human nature.
And yet, I found myself gravitating towards these characters because they're so cartoonish and removed from reality that I didn't feel appalled by the shortcomings of their warped reality. Sure, it suck living in the burbs and everbody is artificial as hell, but in Jason Starr's world, characters assume their artificial nature like they do in a Coen brothers movie.
Greatly enjoyable although I slightly hate myself for it.
And yet, I found myself gravitating towards these characters because they're so cartoonish and removed from reality that I didn't feel appalled by the shortcomings of their warped reality. Sure, it suck living in the burbs and everbody is artificial as hell, but in Jason Starr's world, characters assume their artificial nature like they do in a Coen brothers movie.
Greatly enjoyable although I slightly hate myself for it.
July 21, 2019
I would have given this paperback more than 5 stars if I could have done!
A must buy, must read. I just love reading a domestic thriller. Jason Starr is a star of an author he keeps his readers glued as he put something on every page, he has set no limits, he just takes every thought forward from page to page, to chapter to chapter right to the end. As I enjoyed every single page I just didn't want Savage Lane to end.
With affairs constant there are choices several central characters have to face. Deb Berman, sees her husband Mark holding hands with their best friend Karen at a party. Secretly Mark fancied divorcee Karen. Deb and Mark's teenagers were best friends with Karen's teenagers. Deb is sure her husband is sleeping with Karen. When Deb finds Mark sitting with Karen at the golf country club, Deb and Karen have a fight. Fourty-four-year-old Debbie Berman lives in a four-bedroom house in Westchester with a successful, hard-working husband and two amazing kids. Now Deb wants a divorce as her husband seems over friendly with Karen, and Deb is sure they are having an affair. But for Deb her worst decision had been getting involved with an eighteen-year-old boy. When Deb goes missing the police interview Karen as she had a fight with Deb that witness see and people are talking saying Karen could have murdered Deb to be her husband. Karen thinks the police should look at Mark Berman as his wife wanted to divorce him. Or could there be a serial killer on the loose?
Savage Lane is the first book that Jason Starr has written in six years, I do hope that Jason Starr writes another thriller soon.
A must buy, must read. I just love reading a domestic thriller. Jason Starr is a star of an author he keeps his readers glued as he put something on every page, he has set no limits, he just takes every thought forward from page to page, to chapter to chapter right to the end. As I enjoyed every single page I just didn't want Savage Lane to end.
With affairs constant there are choices several central characters have to face. Deb Berman, sees her husband Mark holding hands with their best friend Karen at a party. Secretly Mark fancied divorcee Karen. Deb and Mark's teenagers were best friends with Karen's teenagers. Deb is sure her husband is sleeping with Karen. When Deb finds Mark sitting with Karen at the golf country club, Deb and Karen have a fight. Fourty-four-year-old Debbie Berman lives in a four-bedroom house in Westchester with a successful, hard-working husband and two amazing kids. Now Deb wants a divorce as her husband seems over friendly with Karen, and Deb is sure they are having an affair. But for Deb her worst decision had been getting involved with an eighteen-year-old boy. When Deb goes missing the police interview Karen as she had a fight with Deb that witness see and people are talking saying Karen could have murdered Deb to be her husband. Karen thinks the police should look at Mark Berman as his wife wanted to divorce him. Or could there be a serial killer on the loose?
Savage Lane is the first book that Jason Starr has written in six years, I do hope that Jason Starr writes another thriller soon.
March 11, 2022
Savage Lane is one of those literary addresses that will stick in your head with it’s all too vivid description of the dirty secrets lying below suburban life. Starr offers the reader a Westchester suburb with professionals who commute into the city, unhappy couples, and of course the country club. As they dress for work and pack the kids off to school, these suburban parents are busy fantasizing about the divorcee with the knockout body across the street, the young Gardner at the country club, any normal guy on a dating site, or another dude on the down low. Between drunken cat fights in the clubhouse, stalker-like persistence by the horny neighbor caught in his fantasy world, and blended families that don’t mix too well, Starr offers us a sardonic twisted suburbia that is as outrageously funny as it is tragic.
December 6, 2015
Absolutely awful. The. Worst. I want my money back.
February 25, 2016
This was probably one of the worst books that I've ever read, and it was an absolute trainwreck to read. The book is about a couple and their various stalkers. Mark is married to Deb but he has eyes for Karen. Deb suspects Mark is having an affair and she flips out..but she's having an affair of her own, with an 18 year old who she met when he was 16. He was underaged when she met him and she acknowledges that she was a serial rapist. The dialogue is outlandish and ridiculous. They use the term "GF" as a an actual part of the dialogue. Every single character in this book is shady and has no moral redeeming factors whatsoever. The plot takes some very bizarre and stupid twists, and I saw them coming a mile away. There are some lines I would have loved to quote but I don't want to ruin it for those who decide to read this. Stay FAR FAR FAR away from this!
July 14, 2020
Wow - what a shocker!
November 26, 2016
I love books about delusional characters, probably because it's a reflection on real life. This novel is like that, but to an extreme that I'm wondering if it isn't meant as satire. Years ago I tried reading the novel Couples by John Updike, but tossed it aside because of the slathered overwritten prose. We get it, the suburbs are dotted versions of purgatory. So you know that already going in to Jason Starr's novel about a cast of delusional jerkoffs in a wealthly New York suburb. It's like they're all still in high school, only with nice homes and money to flaunt. Deb is married to Mark. They're both the perfect asshole self-absorbed couple that deserve each other. Of course, deserving each other doesn't mean they like each other. So they create grand fantasies to fill out each day. Mark's fantasy is Karen, the hot MILF who lives a few houses down the block. Karen is divorced and trying to raise her two children. What with her yoga and jogging, she seems completely oblivious to Mark's attention, which leads to a storm of trouble. Deb, not content to just accuse Mark of infidelity, lives out her own lie with an 18 year old kid who works at the country club. Now you've got the setup. So climb into that Tahoe, plug in that Blue Tooth, put Dave Mathews Band on the playlist and cruise on down to Savage Lane for the fun and games.
November 23, 2015
Starr takes his game to the soulless suburbs of Westchester County in his latest. The thing I like the most about his writing is how his characters are so thoroughly deluded. He also explores miscommunication a lot in this one--every character misinterprets what every other character does almost all of the time. Though in some ways this is more mainstream and less dark than his previous books.
September 24, 2025
3,4 ⭐️ Ich muss sagen, das Jason Starr zu einer meiner Lieblingsautoren gehört. Mir gefällt sein Schreibstil sehr und vor allem wie man als Leser sich immer ein Teil der Geschichte fühlt. Sein Aufbau in seinen Büchern ist immer relativ ähnlich, nur dieses mal fand ich es etwas anders als sonst. Bei Phantasien hat mir jedoch das Ende nicht so gefallen, da ich es etwas merkwürdig fand, dass die Polizei erstmal komplett falsch lag und dann aufeinmal den richtigen Mörder gefunden hat. Ich fand's aber lustig, wie Mark sich die ganze Zeit einredete, dass Karen ihn liebe. Trotzdem war die extreme Spannung wie in den anderen Büchern da.
September 10, 2023
Ein Buch, das irgendwie sehr unangenehm und abstoßend ist, das ich aber trotzdem nicht einfach weglegen konnte. Es trieft vor erzählerischen und sprachlichen Schwächen, hat einen holprigen Plot und entwickelt aber gleichzeitig einen düsteren Sog.
Insgesamt dann aber nicht überzeugend genug. Also solides Mittelfeld.
Insgesamt dann aber nicht überzeugend genug. Also solides Mittelfeld.
July 19, 2024
Random library find. The reviews seem to take it too seriously, it's a camp murder/thriller novel. Like Desperate Housewives meets CSI:Miami. Quick read, able to get it done over a couple days.
November 6, 2015
If there was a prize for being the most deluded and obsessive male, then some of the characters in this book would surely win. I felt quite sorry for Karen Daily. Just by being an attractive divorcee she had become this object of obsession and fantasy by men in her neighbourhood and she unwittingly found that her life was subject to public discussion and comment.
Mark and Deb Berman have gone from a loving relationship to a toxic marriage. Deb is convinced that Mark is having an affair with Karen, after she saw Mark holding her hand during a dinner party. However, whilst berating Mark and publicly attacking Karen, Deb is hiding a secret of her own. In the meantime, Mark is planning his future life with Karen, even deciding where they would live once they were together.
This book is a jumble of genres, being a mixture of a domestic/psychological/crime thriller. Apart from Karen (who wasn’t perfect by any means), I didn’t find the characters particularly ‘likeable’ and I really struggled to find any sympathy for any of them but nevertheless they still evoked strong emotions in me – I’m not normally a violent person but there were one or two, (ok, maybe more than that) that I just wanted to slap however their awfulness adds to the creepy and compelling nature of the story.
At one stage, the plot takes an even darker and more sinister turn but even then there is a comical slant to the story and, like me, you may well find some actions amusing and just downright inept.
There are enough surprises and twists in the story to keep you interested and the characters are frighteningly believable (they could easily live in your neighbourhood, god forbid!). The story is told from different views and Jason Starr has a natural and straightforward style of writing; there are no flowery descriptions to slow the story down and it’s a book that you can read quite quickly. I wasn’t familiar with any of his work before reading Savage Lane but this dark story of suburban obsession will certainly keep you entertained.
Digital copy provided by publisher for review for blog tour
Mark and Deb Berman have gone from a loving relationship to a toxic marriage. Deb is convinced that Mark is having an affair with Karen, after she saw Mark holding her hand during a dinner party. However, whilst berating Mark and publicly attacking Karen, Deb is hiding a secret of her own. In the meantime, Mark is planning his future life with Karen, even deciding where they would live once they were together.
This book is a jumble of genres, being a mixture of a domestic/psychological/crime thriller. Apart from Karen (who wasn’t perfect by any means), I didn’t find the characters particularly ‘likeable’ and I really struggled to find any sympathy for any of them but nevertheless they still evoked strong emotions in me – I’m not normally a violent person but there were one or two, (ok, maybe more than that) that I just wanted to slap however their awfulness adds to the creepy and compelling nature of the story.
At one stage, the plot takes an even darker and more sinister turn but even then there is a comical slant to the story and, like me, you may well find some actions amusing and just downright inept.
There are enough surprises and twists in the story to keep you interested and the characters are frighteningly believable (they could easily live in your neighbourhood, god forbid!). The story is told from different views and Jason Starr has a natural and straightforward style of writing; there are no flowery descriptions to slow the story down and it’s a book that you can read quite quickly. I wasn’t familiar with any of his work before reading Savage Lane but this dark story of suburban obsession will certainly keep you entertained.
Digital copy provided by publisher for review for blog tour
August 24, 2015
I had no idea what to expect with this, but I soon found myself riveted to this gradually escalating tale of obsession in domestic suburbia. Multiple perspectives from all angles give it an all-round look at what ‘love’ can mean to different people.
It all centres on Karen. She’s a divorcee, dating on the internet, an attractive mum and special needs teacher who all the husbands gossip over at their golf game. Her best friend, unbeknown to her is also madly in love with her, and feels sure that Karen reciprocates his attachment. Mark’s marriage is failing already, and his wife Deb can plainly see his feelings and is sure her husband and his ‘friend’ are already having an affair.
At first, we think it is Mark who fantasises and dreams his life into another. But it might not just be him…
To delve further would be to spoil the book. I really was kept glued to the pages by each new revelation. It seems in suburbia, nobody is content. Everybody has dreams that may or may not be grounded in reality, some dangerously so.
A very dark story but also incredibly funny at times, screwball comedy elements appear at moments with several subplots all revolving round our central trio and a few real surprises along the way.
I’ll be recommending this to those who like black comedy, domestic dramas and contemporary satire, because this has elements of them all.
Mark is a fantastic obsessive, you want to smack him in the head and wake him up from his fantasy world, and see the family falling to pieces around him. Karen is, not a blank slate, but an everywoman grounded in reality and a counterpoint to the madness we see in almost everyone around her. Deb, well… you’ll have to see for yourself.
Let’s hope this doesn’t have as much to say about first world modern living as it seems to, it’s much too frightening a prospect – you’ll never trust your neighbours again.
This builds up from early on to be a stonkingly exciting and hilarious read. Would love to see it filmed. A great discussion piece for book groups.
It all centres on Karen. She’s a divorcee, dating on the internet, an attractive mum and special needs teacher who all the husbands gossip over at their golf game. Her best friend, unbeknown to her is also madly in love with her, and feels sure that Karen reciprocates his attachment. Mark’s marriage is failing already, and his wife Deb can plainly see his feelings and is sure her husband and his ‘friend’ are already having an affair.
At first, we think it is Mark who fantasises and dreams his life into another. But it might not just be him…
To delve further would be to spoil the book. I really was kept glued to the pages by each new revelation. It seems in suburbia, nobody is content. Everybody has dreams that may or may not be grounded in reality, some dangerously so.
A very dark story but also incredibly funny at times, screwball comedy elements appear at moments with several subplots all revolving round our central trio and a few real surprises along the way.
I’ll be recommending this to those who like black comedy, domestic dramas and contemporary satire, because this has elements of them all.
Mark is a fantastic obsessive, you want to smack him in the head and wake him up from his fantasy world, and see the family falling to pieces around him. Karen is, not a blank slate, but an everywoman grounded in reality and a counterpoint to the madness we see in almost everyone around her. Deb, well… you’ll have to see for yourself.
Let’s hope this doesn’t have as much to say about first world modern living as it seems to, it’s much too frightening a prospect – you’ll never trust your neighbours again.
This builds up from early on to be a stonkingly exciting and hilarious read. Would love to see it filmed. A great discussion piece for book groups.
November 19, 2015
Yeah, this one didn't work for me. I hated how self involved everyone was. You had Mark, who was in a unhappy marriage, but doesn't want to leave because of the kids. He lusts over neighbor, Karen, in fact imagines that a divorce would happen and he could move in with Karen and everything would be all right. Karen is clueless about Mark's feelings, she believes their friends. While Mark's wife Deb, now she is a piece of work, is a closet drunk, has been screwing an 18 year old kid for the last 2 years. Then Deb has the balls to give Mark crap about his friendship with Karen, screams that she knows he is cheating on her. Lastly we have Deb's boy toy who doesn't want to live at home any more because his stepfather beats him, hopes that Deb's marriage ends so that he could just move in with her and bring their relationship out in the open. It was at this point that I couldn't take it any more, this is a train wreck and I didn't really care. In the end this one just wasn't for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2017
I can't find any faults with it at all. Starr really doesn't miss a beat in this novel. Sometimes I read people's reviews of books, though, and they make comments like: "I didn't find the characters likeable. Two stars." Or some nonsense likes that. It’s shameful. It’s like giving Hee Haw a bad review for having too much country music in it. THAT IS WHAT HEE HAW IS. You’re not supposed to like the characters., so if you read Savage Lane and decide you don’t like the characters in it, that is because you are not supposed to; the author has achieved his goal, and you should commend him for it. Five stars!
October 29, 2015
Ugh. The writing was simplistic, like a high-schooler's creative writing assignment. I enjoyed his earlier book "Hard Feelings" but this author only has one story to tell and he tells it over and over again in his various books. He also comes across as a sex-obsessed sophomoric juvenile. Save your brain cells for something else.
December 27, 2015
Utter drivel! No more needs to be said! The young idiot did it! But then everybody is an idiot in this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2016
This book was so terrible, I'm not sure why I forced myself to finish it. But I did. And it was still terrible.
April 10, 2021
Intriguing and suspenseful
November 5, 2015
3.5
Posted in full http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/2015...
Savage Lane is a dark thriller about a small neighbourhood fuelled by fantasy and obsession, observing how rumours and secrets can lead to grisly consequences. Mark is married to Deb but is put off by her constant boozing and is harbouring a pretty graphic obsession with his neighbour, Karen, who is recently divorced and constantly judged by the people around her. Deb is suspicious of Mark’s intentions towards Karen, and Karen’s intentions towards Mark, but she has her own secret to hide and her secret has their own secret and their secret has more secrets and basically every single difficult to like person of the questionably named Savage Lane has a secret – and I had to know every single one of them. Never have I read a book with such detestable characters and found it so utterly readable and unputdownable – getting through it quickly in less than 24 hours and feeling like I’d been taken on one heck of a seedy journey. No, I didn’t like the characters nor the things they got up to. I could only sympathise with one of them and only just. But liking the characters doesn’t always translate to liking a book because I did find this a very entertaining read.
Savage Lane is very character driven and there were two people in particular who fascinated me the most. One I won’t name to avoid spoilers but the other main one was Mark, who was evidently creepy but interesting to read about all the same. He had a very obsessive personality though we later on discover he’s not the only one. I cringed on Karen’s behalf when he read into her words and body language so much, building up the only reason and picture he wanted in his mind – clearly Karen was in love with him too. I found it equally gross and compelling how far he envisaged things between them in his mind, how quickly the story of their fantasy relationship developed for him – so much so he almost had me convinced at one point. The mental state of most of the characters in this book was very dubious.
We do get a strong insight into each of the main characters, except one who was introduced quite late on, brought into the story almost like we were already meant to know their backstory, when we didn’t. Other than that one, each character felt well defined and developed with very interesting motives and thought-processes (thought-processes from mostly senseless people admittedly). With every chapter, we were back with a different character and the story picked up from when we’d heard from them last which did mean that we got to hear the same story but through the eyes of different characters. Though that made sure not a twist was missed, it did feel a bit disjointed and repetitive to me at times as I would have liked the narrative to always be moving forwards rather than back and forth. Having said that, I did enjoy the mostly surprising twists that cropped up including one shocking twist that caught me off guard early on and changed the whole course of the story I was expecting.
Frankly, most of the characters in this book were ruled by a body part that wasn’t their brain and it became a bit samey when sex appeared to be the only thing on all the characters’ minds. With the narrative relying on its characters to lead it, I wondered how I would feel if I didn’t take to any of the characters and I didn’t – there was nothing good I wanted to see happen to them. But it was the extreme fantasies and lengths they would stretch to that had me immersed in the story and I laughed my way through some of the obscure moments and ideas the characters came up with. There was humour in their absurdity and in their desperation, as well as in the actions of a very closed in town where everybody knew, or thought they knew, everybody else’s business.
Most of the appeal of this book for me was that at the beginning, the characters seemed to be relatively normal people just a little bit carried away with the stories their minds kept on coming up with and then as the book progresses, you see how layer upon layer of fantasy can work its way into a complete comprehensible life in your own mind – how if anybody thinks about something unobtainable for long enough it no longer feels that way, only pure and real and when the characters in this book allowed reality to hit, the consequences were screwed up and horrific. I wasn’t sure any of the characters had it in them to learn from their mistakes, but I had fun finding out. Though it may appear a bit like an over-the-top soap opera, the carnage is very much gripping, disturbing and completely enthralling. It’s impossible to not get caught up in life in Savage Lane as things spiral out of control.
(review copy)
September 3, 2015
Three and a half stars from me!
First of all, a huge thank you to http://www.nudge.com, No Exit Press and New Books Magazine for sending me a copy of this darkly comic thriller. I’m not actually familiar with any of the author’s work but now I’ve read this novel, I’ll definitely be checking out more from Jason Starr. There are a number of surprises and twists in the plot that made me unsure where he was taking the story but I thoroughly enjoyed everything that happened. We have a number of major and minor characters that make the plot-line interesting and made reading just that little bit further on hard to resist. I can’t really say if there was a main character, the reader sees the story from various perspectives – the first, beautiful Karen Daily who has two children and is divorced but is trying to get her dating life back on track, even if she has to kiss a few frogs in the process. She is close friends with a man called Mark Berman who is married himself but has found himself becoming completely obsessed with Karen as his marriage begins to deteriorate from the inside. The only problem with this is that she does not reciprocate his feelings… cue potential awkward moments? Yes, this novel has them in abundance. Furthermore, life for Karen on Savage Lane is about to get a hell of a lot darker.
It is Mark’s wife Deb who is the focus of the story, in the beginning that is. She becomes convinced that Mark is cheating on her with Karen after she believes that she has seen them holding hands at a dinner party. At first, Jason Starr appears to play with the reader a little bit as we become unsure ourselves whether the pair are actually having an affair. It doesn’t really help matters when we find out that Deb is a little bit too fond of a tipple and her alcohol-fuelled arguments with her husband may give Mark the way out of his marriage that he seems to be searching for. What Mark doesn’t know is that Deb has her own dirty little secret, something so dark and incredible that worrying about what her husband is getting up to might not be her worse problem.
I don’t really want to say too much about the plot for fear of spoilers but it was one of the most unique things I have read this year so far. What makes this story all the more intriguing is that not many of the characters are likeable at all and I did struggle at times to feel any sort of sympathy with them. At first glance, you may think that the story resembles your average psychological thriller and there have been comparisons of this book with Gone Girl and Apple Tree Yard, which are both excellent books in their own right. I’m happy to report however, that Savage Lane stands on its own quite confidently in the genre as it seems to have something a bit different, creepy and wacky at points yes, but certainly a book that cannot be compared. It has all those necessary elements of a great read – an exciting plot with twists I did not anticipate that kept me wanting to turn the pages and interesting (occasionally frightening) characters that show real individuals with flaws, warts and all!
Savage Lane is published by No Exit Press in the UK on the 22nd October 2015.
For my full review, please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
First of all, a huge thank you to http://www.nudge.com, No Exit Press and New Books Magazine for sending me a copy of this darkly comic thriller. I’m not actually familiar with any of the author’s work but now I’ve read this novel, I’ll definitely be checking out more from Jason Starr. There are a number of surprises and twists in the plot that made me unsure where he was taking the story but I thoroughly enjoyed everything that happened. We have a number of major and minor characters that make the plot-line interesting and made reading just that little bit further on hard to resist. I can’t really say if there was a main character, the reader sees the story from various perspectives – the first, beautiful Karen Daily who has two children and is divorced but is trying to get her dating life back on track, even if she has to kiss a few frogs in the process. She is close friends with a man called Mark Berman who is married himself but has found himself becoming completely obsessed with Karen as his marriage begins to deteriorate from the inside. The only problem with this is that she does not reciprocate his feelings… cue potential awkward moments? Yes, this novel has them in abundance. Furthermore, life for Karen on Savage Lane is about to get a hell of a lot darker.
It is Mark’s wife Deb who is the focus of the story, in the beginning that is. She becomes convinced that Mark is cheating on her with Karen after she believes that she has seen them holding hands at a dinner party. At first, Jason Starr appears to play with the reader a little bit as we become unsure ourselves whether the pair are actually having an affair. It doesn’t really help matters when we find out that Deb is a little bit too fond of a tipple and her alcohol-fuelled arguments with her husband may give Mark the way out of his marriage that he seems to be searching for. What Mark doesn’t know is that Deb has her own dirty little secret, something so dark and incredible that worrying about what her husband is getting up to might not be her worse problem.
I don’t really want to say too much about the plot for fear of spoilers but it was one of the most unique things I have read this year so far. What makes this story all the more intriguing is that not many of the characters are likeable at all and I did struggle at times to feel any sort of sympathy with them. At first glance, you may think that the story resembles your average psychological thriller and there have been comparisons of this book with Gone Girl and Apple Tree Yard, which are both excellent books in their own right. I’m happy to report however, that Savage Lane stands on its own quite confidently in the genre as it seems to have something a bit different, creepy and wacky at points yes, but certainly a book that cannot be compared. It has all those necessary elements of a great read – an exciting plot with twists I did not anticipate that kept me wanting to turn the pages and interesting (occasionally frightening) characters that show real individuals with flaws, warts and all!
Savage Lane is published by No Exit Press in the UK on the 22nd October 2015.
For my full review, please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
June 13, 2015
In my opinion, Jason Starr is one of the best current day noir writers. His books are usually focused on the “every day man” who gets caught up in a chain of events that spiral out of control and leaves them worse for the wear. His past two books have been outside of the crime genre, so I was very excited when I heard this book was his return to crime fiction.
Savage Lane starts out more like a family drama than a crime novel. Starr lays out the relationships and dynamics between a husband and a wife. The wife believes the husband is having an affair with the divorcee from up the block. The husband does in fact have a desire to have an affair with the neighbor. A twist to this dynamic is the wife is having an affair of her own…with an 18 year old high school drop out that works at the local country club. While fairly entertaining, this beginning seemed a bit of a letdown for the crime novel I thought I was sinking my teeth into. But then the big crime happens and the plot kicks into high gear.
Starr does a wonderful job getting inside the head of each character and lets the reader truly understand their motivations and rationalizations for their actions. Not only are his main characters real and multidimensional, he does a great job on fleshing out the secondary characters in this multi-layered work of art.
While this novel isn’t what I consider noir, I think it is a great novel. It is more than a crime novel and more than a family drama. It is a great look into a marriage that is crumbling due to secrets, secret desires, and Starr pulls back the layers of some strange relationships and gives the reader a peek at the warped and crazy lives of the residents of Savage Lane.
Starr proves that he can write in any genre and produce a page-turner. With the news that he and Ken Bruen have a 4th book in their series coming due soon, I am anticipating a lot of good publicity and reviews coming Starrs way.
Highly recommended.
**review originally published at https://dman4227.wordpress.com
Savage Lane starts out more like a family drama than a crime novel. Starr lays out the relationships and dynamics between a husband and a wife. The wife believes the husband is having an affair with the divorcee from up the block. The husband does in fact have a desire to have an affair with the neighbor. A twist to this dynamic is the wife is having an affair of her own…with an 18 year old high school drop out that works at the local country club. While fairly entertaining, this beginning seemed a bit of a letdown for the crime novel I thought I was sinking my teeth into. But then the big crime happens and the plot kicks into high gear.
Starr does a wonderful job getting inside the head of each character and lets the reader truly understand their motivations and rationalizations for their actions. Not only are his main characters real and multidimensional, he does a great job on fleshing out the secondary characters in this multi-layered work of art.
While this novel isn’t what I consider noir, I think it is a great novel. It is more than a crime novel and more than a family drama. It is a great look into a marriage that is crumbling due to secrets, secret desires, and Starr pulls back the layers of some strange relationships and gives the reader a peek at the warped and crazy lives of the residents of Savage Lane.
Starr proves that he can write in any genre and produce a page-turner. With the news that he and Ken Bruen have a 4th book in their series coming due soon, I am anticipating a lot of good publicity and reviews coming Starrs way.
Highly recommended.
**review originally published at https://dman4227.wordpress.com
January 27, 2016
You don't read books like SAVAGE LANE much anymore. On the surface it seems to be a slightly dark, humorous take on modern life in suburbia, but once you commit fully to the culdesac, you find yourself hip deep in a smartly written little throwback to the days of pulpy suspense noir of the late sixties.
SAVAGE LANE takes place solidly in the modern day – Mark Berman, his wife Deb and their two kids live on the eponymous lane, and aren't happy – both have little obsessions and distractions and they've grown so far apart there's no holding the relationship together. Mark has a not entirely appropriate friendship with the neighbor Karen, a pretty divorcee, and Deb has her own thing too. It's told from the point of view of the couple, Karen and Owen, an 18 year old who works at the club, and has his own dark secrets as well.
If that all seems vaguely defined, it's because I'm hesitant to describe too much of the plot, but frankly, knowing most of it, save a few juicy twists at the end, won't affect your enjoyment of the novel. That's because SAVAGE LANE is such a gleeful 60's/70's suspense homage disguised as a modern satire that you'll either love this book or be turned off within the first few chapters.
I dove headfirst into it and enjoyed every minute. Jason Starr has a wicked sense of humor and is not afraid to shy away from the dirty secrets in people's lives. I think he has a deft hand with characterizations and writes very flawed, messed up people better than virtually any other author writing today. It may help that I'm a huge fan of pulp/noir/crime and have a large collection of old 60's paperbacks, but I think SAVAGE LANE is a great read – give it a try if you are in the mood for a darkly comic roll through a neighborhood in suburbia. NOTE – if you like the book, be sure to check out Starr's Hard Case Crime novels – they're excellent and all have gorgeous covers to go with them.
8/8
deeplydapper.squarespace.com
SAVAGE LANE takes place solidly in the modern day – Mark Berman, his wife Deb and their two kids live on the eponymous lane, and aren't happy – both have little obsessions and distractions and they've grown so far apart there's no holding the relationship together. Mark has a not entirely appropriate friendship with the neighbor Karen, a pretty divorcee, and Deb has her own thing too. It's told from the point of view of the couple, Karen and Owen, an 18 year old who works at the club, and has his own dark secrets as well.
If that all seems vaguely defined, it's because I'm hesitant to describe too much of the plot, but frankly, knowing most of it, save a few juicy twists at the end, won't affect your enjoyment of the novel. That's because SAVAGE LANE is such a gleeful 60's/70's suspense homage disguised as a modern satire that you'll either love this book or be turned off within the first few chapters.
I dove headfirst into it and enjoyed every minute. Jason Starr has a wicked sense of humor and is not afraid to shy away from the dirty secrets in people's lives. I think he has a deft hand with characterizations and writes very flawed, messed up people better than virtually any other author writing today. It may help that I'm a huge fan of pulp/noir/crime and have a large collection of old 60's paperbacks, but I think SAVAGE LANE is a great read – give it a try if you are in the mood for a darkly comic roll through a neighborhood in suburbia. NOTE – if you like the book, be sure to check out Starr's Hard Case Crime novels – they're excellent and all have gorgeous covers to go with them.
8/8
deeplydapper.squarespace.com
June 5, 2020
Selten so ein dummes, unlogisches, schlecht konstruiertes Buch gelesen. Selten wirkten Handlungsabläufe unwahrscheinlicher und Figuren hirnamputierter. Das macht keinen Spaß, den Protagonisten auf 390 Seiten dabei zuzuschauen, wie sie immer wieder sehenden Auges ins Verderben rennen und sich in dämlichen Phantasien verlieren. Und warum sich der arme kleine Justin alle 20 Seiten in die Hosen pinkeln musste, ist mir auch ein Rätsel.
May 16, 2020
Dieses Buch liest sich wie eine Folge von Desperate Housewives. Heimliche Affären, Eifersucht und Missverständnisse Reihen sich aneinander.
Insgesamt war der Roman sehr flüssig zu lesen und ich wollte nach jedem Kapitel wissen, wie es wohl weitergeht!
Die Phantasien, die die einzelnen Personen hatten, waren stellenweise schon beängstigend. Im Prinzip war keiner der Personen 'normal', denn jeder hatte eine mentale Störung oder verheimlicht seine wahren Gefühle und Gedanken. Das war insgesamt vielleicht etwas zu viel auf einmal.
Viele Themen werden abgeschlossen, manche bleiben aber auch offen und man kann sich selbst überlegen, wie es wohl weitergehen wird.
So unterhaltsam das Buch zu lesen ist, so traurig und schockierend sind die einzelnen Schicksale, die leider durchaus realistisch sind.
Insgesamt war der Roman sehr flüssig zu lesen und ich wollte nach jedem Kapitel wissen, wie es wohl weitergeht!
Die Phantasien, die die einzelnen Personen hatten, waren stellenweise schon beängstigend. Im Prinzip war keiner der Personen 'normal', denn jeder hatte eine mentale Störung oder verheimlicht seine wahren Gefühle und Gedanken. Das war insgesamt vielleicht etwas zu viel auf einmal.
Viele Themen werden abgeschlossen, manche bleiben aber auch offen und man kann sich selbst überlegen, wie es wohl weitergehen wird.
So unterhaltsam das Buch zu lesen ist, so traurig und schockierend sind die einzelnen Schicksale, die leider durchaus realistisch sind.
September 22, 2015
In suburban Westchester, Deb and Mark live next door to divorced Karen. Deb suspects Mark and Karen are having an affair as do most of the small town they live in but Deb herself has been seeing Owen. Tragic events lead to Karen being a suspect in Deb's disappearance but the sinister truth is darker than any of them can imagine.
I enjoyed reading this suspense thriller, which read like a mini-series. The characters were all terribly flawed and some immensely deluded. With not a single healthy relationship in sight, this was a malevolent and somewhat satirical look at adult relationships.
A definite page turner for me that I highly recommend.
I enjoyed reading this suspense thriller, which read like a mini-series. The characters were all terribly flawed and some immensely deluded. With not a single healthy relationship in sight, this was a malevolent and somewhat satirical look at adult relationships.
A definite page turner for me that I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews