Jack Ketchum's "Stranglehold" might scare the hell out of you if you're a divorced mom with elementary school-aged kids, so be forewarned. Lydia Danse was a victim of sexual sadism at the hands of her husband, Arthur. While the violent sodomy ends, his emotional abuse continues. One night, after a dinner party, Arthur got physical, beating Lydia bloody, then calmly strolling out of their house. Lydia took off for her friend Cindy's house, knowing that from then on, it was just her and the couple's son, Robert. In the divorce, Lydia didn't object to Arthur having reasonable visitation with Robert; despite his violence toward her, she reasoned, he always seemed to be a good and loving father. But there was something a bit off about Robert. He'd been a happy little kid, and did well in school. All at once, though, he started stammering. He became clumsy, falling down frequently, and he began wetting the bed. Then losing bowel control in the night. It got so bad, that Robert had to wear a diaper to bed--seven years old, and wearing a diaper. Once, after an afternoon visit with his father, Robert came home in tears. He'd soiled himself. Lydia followed him into the bathroom to help clean him up, and...she discovered just what had caused Robert's change in behavior, something beyond the worst thing she'd have expected from her ex-husband, something that had been going on for years.Finally Lydia realizes what has been causing Robert's odd behaviors. She does what any good mother would do. She takes her son to a doctor, to his therapist, and her lawyer-arranged Guardian Ad Litem, essentially an attorney who represents only the child's interests. She gets a restraining order against Arthur, and takes him to court to have all of his parental rights severed. The hearings and trials are tense, and what Lydia thinks should be a simple case to win ends up being a confounding legal nightmare-circus.And all this time, a serial killer is committing horrible torture murders all across New England. "Stranglehold" has Jack Ketchum's wonderfully frantic pacing throughout, and he damned sure knows how to tell a story. By the time I first checked my progress in the Kindle version, I was stunned to see I'd already zoomed through 70% of it. This is not a book to start at 10pm if you have to be at work the next day. (Thank God I'm off)Writing a first-rate thriller is laudable, but no matter how good your story, if your ending sucks, your awesome 95% is for naught. Particularly egregious in many thrillers is the deus ex machina denouement, where, after somebody does something drastic--say Timmy burns down half the village to get rid of the bad guys--there's an epilogue, and the mean townsfolk see the error of their ways; the misunderstood protagonists' problems are solved, people rejoice, and everyone goes home happy and consequence free, with healed wounds, and, hell, maybe winning Lottery tickets and cute puppies.I respect the hell out of Jack Ketchum for NOT doing this. Seriously, if a main character has been brutalized for years, setting off events that build to an explosive climax, it defies reason that five months later, in an epilogue, the victim is happy, well-adjusted, and ranked third in his or her class at Harvard Law. Actions have consequences, no matter how nobly inspired they may be. In "Stranglehold," Jack Ketchum gets it right: the perfect ending to a powerhouse novel. Other thriller writers should take notes.
Ketchum throws you down into the muck that is the worst of humanity, pins you there and rubs your face in it. If you haven’t read him before you should know this before jumping in. Stranglehold takes an unflinching look at the kind of real life horror that occurs every day. The kind of horror that trickles down, creating a legacy of pain and torment.Lydia meets Arthur and falls in love. He’s decent and kind and a respectable business owner. But Arthur is a good actor. He’s a sociopath who believes he’s been put on earth to make people realize the world is an ugly pain-filled place. He has done some terrible things in his past and though he fools Lydia for a while, he can’t hide his true self forever. After they have a baby they name Robert, the cracks begin to show and Arthur’s behavior becomes increasingly abusive towards Lydia. Lydia sticks it out until he crosses a line and she realizes she’s been living with a madman and files for divorce. She allows him visitation for Robert’s sake. He loves Robert after all and even after her own abuse at his hands, she believes he is a good father who would never hurt their son . . . What happens next is just grueling but it wouldn’t be a Ketchum book if it was all unicorns and rainbows. The book follows Lydia through the injustices of the legal system. Lydia assumes she is doing the right thing by following all the rules but playing by the rules isn’t enough. A nasty, ugly and unfair trial begins. It’s infuriating and sad and the innocents, unfortunately, are the ones who suffer the most. It really makes you understand why some people take their kids and run.I really felt for Lydia and Robert. Lydia’s own past was one filled with abuse and that was the last thing she wanted for her child. She feels guilty and bravely stands up to Arthur once she realizes what a deranged beast he truly was beneath the respectable façade. But sadly she was helpless once she entered the courtroom and had to depend on other people to do right by her. This book was suspenseful but it will more than likely make you angry. It was horribly grim and unpleasant but it’s one of those books that you have to see through to the end regardless of the fact that you know you’ll probably be sorry. Narration Notes: Chet Williamson reads with an intense, serious tone well suited to the bleak material. I think he would do an amazing job with a gumshoe noir type of hero because he has that type of voice. He brings Arthur to life; his voice is menacing, mean and calculated and just what this piece demands. Much of this story is told from Lydia’s point of view, however, and I always think it strange when a male is chosen to read a female character Williamson does a decent enough job with Lydia, forgoing the silly cringe-worthy falsetto that some male narrators use, but I would’ve preferred a woman to voice her thoughts, if I’m being completely honest. He’s not bad by any means, but a woman (at least for Lydia’s parts), would’ve been a better choice. When it comes to Robert I have no complaints. He sounded like the confused, scared kid that he was supposed to be and the other male character were easily discernible from one another. Audiobook received for review for Audiobook Jukebox
What do You think about Stranglehold (1995)?
Nobody can make me so angry reading a book that I want to flip through the pages to see the end just to be done with it because of severe uneasiness the story is causing me. Only Child is a realistic portrayal of the price women pay when they choose a violent sociopath as a partner, knowingly or otherwise, and then bring a child into the mess. It's also about how parents cover and make excuses for their little sociopaths. I thought the ending was a bummer, though, because I came to care for Lydia and Robert, and was heartbroken at the abuse Robert was subjected to by his violent father. Although I was bummed about the ending, there have been true life cases where justice wasn't fairly dealt and the victim became the punished.
—Tressa
Caution! I gave this book 4 Stars, but that does not mean that this book is for you. Stephen King called Jack Ketchum "the scariest guy in America" and with good reason. In this book (also titled "Only Child") Ketchum delves into the lowest sect of humanity: a child molester. He doesn't beat around the bush, he jumps right in and tells it like it is. The scariest thing about it is that this story is something I wouldn't be surprised to see on my local news. We live in a sick world and Jack Ketchum's story will bring you right into the worst of it.
—Charity
I just finished reading Stranglehold by Jack Ketchum and I was absolutely floored by the strong writing, great plot, and Ketchum’s ability to just suck the reader into the world he created and have each chapter end with a feeling of dread and despair that forces the reader to read “just one more chapter” before they take a break.Ketchum has created Arthur Danse, a true sociopath who likes to prove his superiority of everyone else in his world and actively seeks to bring people into his world just so he can prove to them that he is better than them. When he meets Lydia McCloud, a beautiful confident woman, he decides he must marry her, not because he loves her or needs her, but because he wants to prove to her she will not always be sheltered and protected.After they are married, they have a child and that is when Arthur decides that he “owns” Lydia and he begins to ratchet up his controlling and dominating behaviors. He starts slowly and is soon attempting to control everything in his wife’s life and also his son’s life.When Lydia begins to suspect Arthur’s dominating behavior has gone too far, she seeks to get her son and herself out of Arthur’s sphere of influence. Her only problem is Arthur is not going to let them go without a fight.Ketchum mixes in some really great subplots and the way he allows Arthur to come to life on the page is a wonder to behold. I loved how Arthur was portrayed as a sociopath who only went further and further off the deep end as the novel unfolded.This was an outstanding read and serves as my wakeup call that I need to be reading more Ketchum. Whether you are new to Ketchum or an avid fan of his, you will love this book. Grab a copy ASAP and get to reading this thrilling book.Highly recommended.
—Derrick
