Title: Nockers Up
Author: Ronald Talney
Publisher: Inkwater Press
ISBN: 13 978-1-59299-652-0
Pages: 222, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Thriller/Humor
Reviewed by: Lisa Brown-Gilbert, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Dockers’ Up-town Bar and Grill, located in scenic Oregon City offers watered down drinks, microwave eats and semi-thrilling entertainment – that is except for the star entertainer- Candi. Candi as the star attraction puts on a show like no other dancer in the place as she undulates- she titillates and captivates all the bar’s employees and patrons. Candi is also the star attraction of the book – Nockers Up by well- established author/poet Ronald Talney. Nockers Up! is an amusing escapade through the lives of several intertwined characters that comes to an odd but pleasantly surprising end.Candi aka Candice Summers, is twenty- two years young, built with all the right parts in the right proportions and she is a beguiling creature to the men that she meets. Her skills draw men from all lifestyles to the bar and when they can afford it, they especially love her Lap Dances. However, for poor Candi, the life of a stripper is not what she wants, she is tired of the roving hands, that reach to get their dollar’s worth from her body. Candi has much bigger aspirations in mind; she wants a successful career as a Christian romance writer. She spends her days an English major at East Hills Liberty College, where she attends school working hard as a determined student and her nights spent dancing in the tawdry bar that earns her just enough to survive.
As she pursues her goals, (unbeknownst to Candice) the men that are closest to her, seem to have their own plans for a life with her, such as her ex-boyfriend, Jesse Irwin Zafarelli aka Red Hawk. He is a drug head, alcoholic, habitual criminal and bizarrely maintains the delusional belief that he is a Nez Perce descended Indian, (although he is really the son of Italian immigrants). He thinks Candi needs him and concocts a bumbling plan for a get rich quick scheme that he believes will make Candi want to be with him again. Then there is Cal the 350 pound, bar bouncer who regularly dreams of a life with Candi and her private lap dances just for him. Also included with this motley crew of suitors is her English Literature teacher, professor Kees he sees Candi as his best student and then some.
This is an engaging, character driven story populated with a cast of assorted, self-serving deviants, whose antics keep you amused from beginning to end. I found Nockers Up! to be an enjoyable read that offers an amusing look at the nature of men, the pursuit of happiness and money and the chaos that can erupt in between. I recommend this book to adult readers that are looking for an engaging, adult themed read.
