What can I say? I wrote it when I was 29 and rewrote it when I was forty seven. I think it still holds up and is as good as anything I've written since or might write in the future.
A Wicked Twist of Fate is a page turning exploration into the life of a man whose lust for power turns him into a tormented derelict. There is a fury and a passion in its pages that is seldom met with in today's fiction. It is a film noir inspired drama that has been well received by many readers.
Excerpt
Preface: Strange that I should have to begin my story at the end. I have the lighting of my room turned down low; the room itself smells of the effusive odor of poverty. It is dusty and decayed, and the smallness of it dwarfs the human spirit. Yet in this dimness the light of my mind's eye is turned on a strange, foreboding figure, a riddle with sphinx-like eyes and a wrinkled face that chills my soul as I contemplate its brutal aspect. Also, as I think about him a question arises. Why? And the reply is always the same. Man is the measure of creation, its crowning glory, and he will stop at nothing to get at the core of life, to find his purpose, his reason for being. It is precisely this search for purpose, for unity beneath life's chaos that is now my own reason for living. This I owe to the old man and his story, a story that perhaps might have been my own had I not heeded its warning.
Professional Reviews
A Wicked Twist Of Fate by Jen Oliver of MyShelf.com
This novella incorporates suspense, revenge, and love. Mr. Dondiego does a fantastic job telling this story about a young man named Jerry who falls in love with a woman, Lydia, who is in a different class than himself. Lydia is from the elite class while Jerry is from the working class. He ends up being a waiter in a fancy restaurant that Lydia patronizes.
There is some foreshadowing in the story that adds to the plot line in a positive way. The story is very fast paced and makes you want to quickly turn the pages to see what happens next to Jerry.
As the reader reads the story, they become involved in wanting Jerry to get the woman that he wants and in seeking revenge when he does not get her. Since the reader becomes Jerry, it becomes suspenseful, wondering what extreme would Jerry go to get the revenge that he wants so badly. The ending was excellent and had a very interesting twist that makes the title fit the story.
Jen Oliver
MyShelf.com
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Reviews for "A Wicked Twist Of Fate"
Reviewed by Jimmy Cadillac
12/26/2002
I'm a big fan of Roman Noir and dark literature in general. I must say that after having read this book I was quite amazed by its sudden twists and turns and stunning descriptions, and also utterly enthralled by its harrowing ending. However, I think the title might be a little misleading as the wicked twists really seemed to evolve around its character's frailties and not merely out of a contrived plot. It was a quick read, but then again so is "The Postman Always Rings Twice." I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something different. It held my interest from beginning to end. And really, what more could a reader ask for?
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