Back in the days of dial-up internet, when a web page would load in the time it took to make a decent sandwich, Howard Feck-a thirty-three-year-old receiving clerk and self-avowed dork-joins a chat room for singles in hopes of getting laid.
Enter: Lonely hearts chatroom queen Deborah Fairchild. Vivacious, sophisticated, and-best of all-absolutely delighted by Howard's clumsy advances. She just might be the woman of his dreams. However, behind the computer monitor, hundreds of miles of phone line, and the false identity of the chatroom queen sits a violent sociopath, Debbie Coomb, who just might be the woman of Howard's nightmares. For after years of heartbreak and abuse, Debbie uses her online persona to murderous ends.
Quickly finding himself kidnapped in Ms. Coomb's secluded farmhouse, Howard decides his best bet is to go with the flow. After all, he's in no hurry to get back to playing the role of lonely loser and loathsome co-worker at his dead-end warehouse gig. He soon morphs from kidnap victim to mildly mistreated pet, and eventually settles down with Debbie as a kind of partner. But when she becomes pregnant with twins and complications ensue, her violent tendencies come roaring back to life and it's up to Howard to navigate his role as a father while protecting himself and the baby on its way.
Packed full of hope, horror, and humor, For Feck's Sake casts a strange and sensitive eye toward love in the digital age, domestic violence, and the dual costs of loneliness and revenge.
Industry Reviews
"...an intensive character study and an engaging drama. ... this imaginative work of fiction offers all the serpentine plot twists that thrill-seeking horror fans crave. A briskly paced, character-driven tale of deceit and betrayal."
-Kirkus Reviews
"A unique, unusual, riveting, page-turner of a read from cover to cover, Howard & Debbie showcases author Max Mobley's impressive and distinctive storytelling style."
-Midwest Book Review
"Howard & Debbie will take you on an emotional roller coaster, a Grand Guignol wild ride full of horror, humor, rage, and tenderness. It isn't always easy to read, but it's impossible to put down."
-Erik Tarloff, author of The Woman in Black
"Howard & Debbie is one of the most original novels I've read in a very long time. Provocative, meticulously crafted, and razor-sharp. A poignant, heart-wrenching tale told with a fresh breath of humor and style. Max Mobley is a name you're going to soon hear a lot about."
-Martin Jay Weiss, acclaimed author of The Second Son and Flamingo Coast