Do not drink. Do not eat powdery or crumbly things while reading this book. You are forewarned. …Because you will wind up inhaling something down the wrong pipe as you gasp in a fit of hysteria. Now, not all the episodes in this droll tome will have you grasping your sides, but a fair share of them will. That’s sure. The rest? You’ll nod sagely, recognizing, dare I say, yourself, your in-laws, your neighbors and friends, and, yes, even your sworn enemies.

S. Bradley Stoner nails suburban life to the wall, then proceeds to expose all its undersides in hilarious and, sometimes, uncomfortably candid detail.  From the steamed green lady to the gab-gad-about gossip, from the dig-himself-into-the-doghouse dufus to the know-it-all ne’er-do-well, you’ll recognize them all, though the faces you see in your mind’s eye won’t match the faces your neighbor sees when he reads the same lines. But your wife will nod wisely as she quirks a small smile your way when you read her some choice, juicy passage, you seeing yourself in the protagonist’s shoes whilst she’s seeing you . . . never mind.

I give The Square Peg Book a four-star . . . because there are some minor editing issues. S. Bradley Stoner’s a darned fine writer, but, yes, like all of us, he misses some stuff when he knows better.  Still, pound for pound, I found no more faults in this work than I find in something put out by HarperCollins, though I know, anymore, that’s not saying much.

About The Reviewer:

D. L. Keur is an artist, a musician, and an author in her own right. Her titles span multiple genres and include science fiction (Aeros), paranormal mainstream and psychological suspense (E. J. Ruek), and Western Romance/Family Saga (C. J. “Country” James).

You can find her and her novels online at DLKeur.com.