The revenge of a betrayed spouse is a terrible thing, and in Fat Chance it is more terrible than most. What made this book really special to me is that, while most 'revenge' books deal with evil revenge, fantasies such as hiding prawns in the curtain pelmets and sugar in the petrol tank, Spencer's hero brings about his revenge by using the qualities that made him a first class husband - his skill in the kitchen, his skill at home repairs, his kindness, generosity and friendliness. They are the skills of a good man rather than the fantasies of an evil one, and the punishment of his erring wife is effective, complete and dreadful, even including remediation of the other marriages she has damaged with her infidelity, although a twist at the end leaves the reader wondering if he is not about to be taken down with the sinking ship.
The narrative style is rather flat, but this works well with the first-person voice of the betrayed man - he's a plain-spoken man, not over-educated but thoughtful, and his voice comes through clearly and authentically, making the book work in a way that otherwise it might not have.
The narrative style is rather flat, but this works well with the first-person voice of the betrayed man - he's a plain-spoken man, not over-educated but thoughtful, and his voice comes through clearly and authentically, making the book work in a way that otherwise it might not have.
Fat Chance is available from SMASHWORDS.
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