Author: Robert Heylmun

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2009-10-31

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1450001998

Laguna Beach, 1973. Hal’s life as a liberated gay men has not gone all that well, and after a devastating relationship, he sees nothing but gloom, hard work and abuse from his restaurant job. He wallows in self-pity in the darkened rooms of his house, and only reluctantly rents out the spare room to the ebullient Mike whose sunny disposition brings Hal up out of despair. When Mike meets Tom who moves in too, Hal gratefully feels almost like a parent, as if he has a family to care for. Then he meets Simon with whom he falls in love after a steamy, erotic night together, and that phenomenon of gay life, the gay family, becomes a reality. Even the selfish and cruel Denise, owner of the restaurant where they all work, has little effect on their life together, but it is not a life without issues. Who is the Lurker spying on their house? Will Eric’s plan to snatch Jean-Jacques’ restaurant succeed? Can Carl finally figure out his sexuality? Can Norman keep his housewarming party a secret from Dan and why would he want to? Find out who next will drop into the warm and hospitable House on Shadow Lane for a breakfast chat, good food, and genuine friendship. REVIEW of The House on Shadow Lane: Peopled with such interesting and varied characters, the plot of The House on Shadow Lane required a skillful hand to keep events moving at its almost frantic pace while remaining believable. As Robert Heylmun weaves the lives of his characters into the nap of his plot, their connections produce the complicated, even twisted, events that make the novel so intriguing. How, the reader wonders, will the romance developing between Hal and Simon survive the challenges they face? How will Carl, who is "in love two people of different genders" decide? While readers have likely never know such characters or situations, the author ́s ingenious interplay cements the reader ́s interest. As a result, readers will likely share on finishing The House on Shadow Lane, a "joyful sense of loss" that paradoxically occurs whenever I finish a novel I have much enjoyed. Good stories like this leave the reader to ponder what will happen next to those characters. I knew I would like this book. –Michael Dryden