For a child heading to school the first time, fear of the unknown
makes everything seem frightening. When they meet that special friend for the
first time, the one who seems to be a mirror image, the true meaning of
friendship begins to unfold. Many of those budding friendships last a lifetime,
building memories and backgrounds that hold far longer than many friendships
cemented later in life.
In The Foiled Knight by John C. Stipa, we are introduced to
Stan Palmer, a regular kind of guy, the kind who will do anything for his
friends, reliable to a fault and extremely well liked yet he has those who do
not care for him as well. As a child he was often bullied. That is how he first met Tanya Davis. On the
first day of school when Stan was knocked to the ground and made fun of, a
fierce young girl made her way to the front of the room demanding the perpetrator
to knock it off. When Ernie McFadden, the youngster responsible began taunting
her, Stan immediately moved to his feet and punched Ernie in the nose. As a
fight ensued, Tanya leapt back into the fray and before long the teachers arrived
and the fight ended. But it was enough to cement a lifelong friendship between
Stan and Tanya, and make an enemy of Ernie McFadden.
As they grew older and moved through school their friendship
continued often of the verge of just a bit more. Yet something always happened.
They dated others sporadically and were
always the sounding board for one another as a broken heart mended. Their
parents often thought they would get together, and yet what continued was a
rock solid no holds barred friendship.
When Stan is almost killed in an accident and ends up on
life support, Tanya is the first person his parents call. There is something
very strange about the accident and the 911 call made at the scene. A young
girl also goes missing the same night, and the police have somehow tied the two
together. Tanya knows something is wrong, and she is determined to find the
answer. Part of the story is missing and she will find it.
As she begins digging, she is led on a trail of deceit and treachery.
Her own life is at stake as she finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together.
Can she get herself out of trouble
before further damage happens to Stan, and his parents make a terrible mistake?
Stipa has hit a homerun on this heart wrenching story about
friendship and loss. You fall in love with Stan from the beginning he is such
an amazing person, humorous, upstanding and kind. As he fades away on life
support you are there breathing with him, holding him to the present realm. He
cannot move on, he is the hero. Tanya gains your admiration and gratification
as she fights to keep Stan alive, while at the same time fighting for his
reputation. The tension is tightly wound, causing tendrils of fission that move
between the families.
If you enjoy humor, romance and good plain fun you will
enjoy this story. There is danger and distrust that thrusts into the heart of
the prose, taking you into a sinister mind set, introducing both mystery and
suspense as you weave through the lives of these two friends. This is one of my favorite books of the year.
Rating 5/5
This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
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