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A Jolly Good Fellow

Stephen V. Masse
Good Harbor Press (2008)
ISBN 9780979963803
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (5/08)

Two weeks before Christmas, Duncan Wagner sets out to kidnap the son of State Representative Win Booker.  Coincidentally, as he is driving up West Border Parkway to do so, he sees eleven-year-old Gabriel Booker out hitchhiking.  Due to the fact that Gabriel willingly gets into Duncan’s car and rides back to his house, the kidnapping attempt goes much easier than planned.

Once back at Duncan’s home, Duncan reveals to Gabriel that he has been kidnapped and that he is going to try to obtain one-hundred-thousand dollars in ransom money from Gabriel’s father.  Gabriel tells Duncan that his father is not going to pay anything.  He says that he ran away from home once and no one even bothered to look for him.  Duncan, however, believes that he can get Win Booker to pay and moves forward with his plan.  Being that Duncan supports himself by dressing up as Santa and collecting money for the “needy” (meaning himself) he needs this extra money to be able to make it through the winter. 

Gabriel is not the typical kidnapped victim.  He is actually a very willing participant and despite numerous opportunities to escape he chooses to remain with Duncan.   He eventually develops a close relationship with Duncan, and in many ways assists him in the kidnapping process. 

Stephen Masse does an excellent job of creating memorable, likeable characters.  He takes a man and a boy from very different backgrounds and creates a tight bond of friendship between them.  The story itself is full of numerous twists and turns and is an extremely fast read.  The 203 pages really fly by, and I finished the book in one morning. 

Masse was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts and chose that locale for the setting of his book.  He does an excellent job of portraying the feel of the city in the winter, making “A Jolly Good Fellow” the perfect book to read for the holiday season.  This unique novel is both humorous and heartwarming.  Anyone who enjoys an entertaining, fast-paced read will definitely enjoy this book!

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