Stray

Overview

"In Stray we meet thirty-year-old Kent McKutcheon, a musician who has come to Atlanta with a big heart but very little ambition. After a year of stable existence with his wife, Maggie, he's still unable to quell his longing for Paul, the lover who abandoned him three years earlier. Paul is similarly involved in an unsatisfying relationship, unhappily bound to an older, ailing college professor. A former wild-child, he has grown weary of the excesses of gay nightlife and now craves a sense of family and stability. An accidental meeting reignites Kent and Paul's affair, and as Paul becomes more and more obsessed with Kent's marriage, he pushes a bit too close--and the ensuing tragedy will haunt Kent, Paul, and Maggie for the rest of their lives. "

Editorial Reviews

Short story writer Joseph's first novel begins with a weekend tryst in Florida in which barely-out-of-college Paul Foster wants his lover, Kent McKutcheon (who is nearly a decade older and married), to acknowledge his feelings and homosexuality. Kent, however, is annoyed with Paul for pressuring him and with himself for his infidelity. The feelings fester as, back in Atlanta where both men live, Paul returns to his cancer-stricken former professor and jealous sugar daddy, Bernard Falk, while Kent goes home to his saintlike Mennonite public defender wife, Maggie. Kent and Paul continue their affair, and Paul, wanting to get closer to Kent, befriends Maggie. After an awkward dinner for three at Kent and Maggie's, Kent, furious with Paul, reveals their relationship to Bernard, which provokes a violent confrontation between Paul and Bernard. The next day, Bernard is found murdered and Paul is the main suspect. Maggie, who has an inexplicable crush on Paul, takes him on as a client. Unfortunately, the murder mystery plot lacks urgency, and Joseph's portrayal of homosexuality hinges on the bedroom, while homophobes--cops, especially--rarely rise above stereotype. The aftermath of the imploding love triangle may surprise. (Feb.)
Copyright (c) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Author Information

Bio of Sheri Joseph

No bio available for Sheri Joseph.

Customer Reviews

There are no customer reviews available at this time. To add your review, Register or Sign In to your account using our free eBook Library Software.

Additional Info

Imprint

M P Publishing

Filesize

1.72 MB

Number of Pages

464

eBook ISBN

9781596928855

Awards

• Lambda Literary Awards
• Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Book Awards