Normal by Day

Normal by Day by S Ritter

Book Synopsis:
I'm rather leery in the night
Of things that hide from the light
I try to keep those things at bay
Till they become Normal By Day

Normal By Day is a gripping, suspenseful and frightening novel about a seemingly normal guy. His dark side is an entirely different story, and is revealed as his evil acts strain his life and relationships. Join Steve Striker as he becomes an enforcer for the Chicago mob, battling his desire to please both sides of his complicated life.

Shona's review 2 of 5 stars

This was a relatively short book, just 159 pages but it has taken  me 4 days to read it. I would love to say that life has gotten in the way and that really I have been too busy with the children or housework to really dedicate any time to reading. But the truth is Steve Striker didn't appeal to me. There was nothing about his story that really pulled at me and made me want to find out more about him. I really didn't care about the man.

The story is told from Steve's point of view but he is reminiscing on his life so far. The beginning was confusing, I got lost in just the first chapter and had to re-read to fully understand. Honestly the book could do without the entire first chapter, it's just not needed.

Steve remembers when he first started his life of crime at thirteen, then suddenly he's 19 and getting married, then it's almost thirteen years later, his marriage is almost over and we get out first real glimpse of Steve's dark side. Again it jumps and suddenly Steve is in his 50's and being contacted by the Chicago mob because they liked the way he worked. In all this time we really don't get to see a lot of Steve, we don't get a chance to connect with him on a personal level and it was this factor that made reading the book difficult for me. I don't care if the protagonist of your story is a good guy or a bad guy, I want them to have personality. Give me a reason to love or hate them.

I enjoyed reading about Steve's jobs, I liked the fact that when it came to taking someone else's life he wasn't just a hollow shell, I liked that it had an adverse effect on him it made him more human . If Ritter can build on this in the next book in the series I think reading about Steve Striker would be more enjoyable.

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:

S. Ritter grew up in Minnesota and built log homes for many years. He brought portions of his life into creating this book. In 2007, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and was unable to continue the career he loved. Wanting to remain creative, he began writing. His project of completing one book soon developed into a thrilling trilogy.

The artwork on the cover was created by a good friend of the author, Rachel Mann, also known as The Breeze. She lives in England and suffers with Parkinson's disease. Although its effects can be very difficult, her tenacity to create thought-provoking paintings and poems remains. The author is honored that she agreed to design the covers for all three of his books.

Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/sritter/