Stephen King - Blaze

My favorite author is Stephen King. During a point in his career he began writing books under the pen name Richard Bachman. According to his website he did this because he could put out more than one book a year in a business that would only allow one book a year. Another of Bachman's novels hit the shelves recently. As soon as I found out I got it and read devoured it. The novel is named Blaze.

Blaze, the main character, is a large man who was left disfigured and mentally challenged after he was physically abused by his father when he was a young boy. After being institutionalized in various foster homes and boy's homes, he grew up enduring his fair share of cruel adults as well as brief moments of happiness with friends and others. Old enough to be on his own, he made his way down the east coast and was drawn to labor that generally required more physical labor than intellectual power. However, for spare pocket money, he ended up being involved with shadier dealings like armed robbery and eventually swinging to con jobs under the guidance of a man named George.

George's aspirations involved one big con that would take care of him and Blaze for life. After George dies Blaze decides to carry out the big job - kidnapping the infant of a rich couple. A suspenseful storyline ensues as the reader follows Blaze ultimately being pursued by the FBI and state police. I couldn't help but develop a liking for Blaze, thanks to King's ability to draw in the reader and paint a portrait that demands constant attention.