Normal

by Scott J. Holliday

From the author of the Stonefly series, a killer circus sideshow act has escaped from prison, and a prison guard—his childhood friend—must apprehend him.
 
South Carolina, 1879. Prison guard Paul Constantine’s quiet world is fractured when convicted murderer, Roy Pellerin—a childhood friend and sideshow performer born with alligator skin—pulls off a seemingly impossible escape.
 
Now Paul must track Roy down before former judge and haunted insomniac, Frank Ledger, delivers Roy to his own brand of shotgun justice.
 
How far can Roy run, and for how long? Whose quest will end when the terrifying past comes roaring into the present? And whose will end in the grave?
 
Drawing on his visionary talent, Scott J. Holliday delivers a gripping historical thriller about the bonds of friendship, the unexpected forms of love, and the stories found in our scars.

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2012

About the author

Scott J. Holliday was born and raised in Detroit. In addition to a lifelong love of books and reading, he’s pursued a range of curiosities and interests, including glassblowing, boxing, and much more. His most recent novel is Machine City, the sequel to Punishment, both in the Detective Barnes series. He loves to cook and create stories for his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Eric Setzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read. Vey insightful.

Good read. Enjoyed the historic coverage. Nice to see a man written as a good father and husband. Worth the price 2nd book of holidays I've read, looking forward to starting the next

[John-mark Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, fast read. Fun characters.

Interesting plot and engaging characters - a fun twist on the western, compiled with a circuit narrative. Never really knew which way it was going to turn out.

[Zenik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story of friendship, family, love and purpose. A small cast tails one another in a chase for justice, revenge, love and redemption. Orphans, sideshow freaks, criminals and ordinary folk all thrown together for a tale twining back and forward decades.

[Don Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humdinger of story.

Well written prose. A joy to read. The story stayed with me after reading. Do yourself a favor and read this tale.

[Michael F. Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining enough read.

[Barbara B. Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

At Times

This book with its dual narrators had my full attention from the get go because of its unusual subject matter.

[Victoria Mannion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected and so much fun.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this book last night. I really like the creativity of this author's plot lines. This is the second book of Scott J. Holliday's that I've read, and I will continue to seek out other books of his.

[WTF Are You Reading? · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a rare gem that reveals new and beautiful facets as the story progresses.
Roy Pellerin is so much more than his scaly skin and weeping eyes could ever convey. As society has proven time and again however, it's all about appearances.

Roy = FREAK

When Roy is labeled a killer for his part in the death of a fellow sideshow performer and sentenced without benefit of judge or jury to "the hole" in Redmine prison; he crosses paths with the one man who knows him as the person he is.

PAUL CONSTANTINE

Paul is a man trapped. Forced to live within the confines of his job as a prison guard where he is forced to witness the debasement of men on a daily basis; and his overbearing, drunkard wife who treats him as little more than an animal.

This is the story of two men: one a freak caged in bars, the other by life. Only the fates know that a chance meeting, a remembered friendship, and a daring escape will give each of these men the freedom and self acceptance that they seek.

This story is a hard one to read due to all of the injustices suffered by Roy. The fact that he us able to not only survive, bu thrive in the face of all of the loss, ridicule, and cruelty that he suffers throughout his life is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. It is very easy, as a reader to look beyond the Roy's outward appearance and see the truly remarkable being inside.

Paul is a man that is hiding, afraid to be who he really is. Cowed by life and hating himself. It is not until he sees Roy, in chains but strong, in prison but still free in spirit, and sentenced to death but refusing to die; that he begins to feel the stirring of the free person he once was.

Roys' escape takes the men on a journey full of sights, sounds, and people that prove both beautiful and horrifying. One toward the truth and a righted wrong. The other toward his future.

This is a book that all should read. A story that encourages one to truly seize the day, love who you love, and not be afraid to be who you are.

Find this review and so much more: http://www.wtfareyoureading.com/2012/...

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't finished yet, but had to write a review because I'm enjoying the book so much! I downloaded the sample on my Kindle and got sucked into the story immediately. I couldn't wait to read more! Holliday is a great storyteller whose words painted a strong mental image of the characters and events as I read. So far, an artful example of the ever-shifting grey that clouds good vs. evil.

[Larose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Holliday is destined for fame in my humble opinion. Normal was an unbelievably well written book, albeit somewhat gross for my minds eye. The story was funny at times and yet tore at my heart strings for the main character who lived his life as an outcast due to his birth defect. Kudo's to Mr. Holliday for his master story telling!