'PLACES' BY ROBIN ST. THOMAS

 

Here we go. My first re-read of 2026: PLACES by Robin St. Thomas. Why that one? Well, easy: I totally have a soft spot for it. Problem is I seem to be the only one who does. Most readers of the genre would rather forget about it. I don’t know why since I think it is truly enjoyable, if not remarkable in its own right. Yes, I agree, the book is far from being perfect: there are some spotted inconsistencies, typos, exclamation points everywhere. However, it’s a Zebra book. It’s what is expected. Still, it is a fun read. It has a fine heroine, an intriguing plot, and an opulence set during the late ‘60s, early ‘70s. Everything I need in a trashy book.

 

The story centers on Aurora Styles, an orphan, who as a late teen, dreams of cinema and its male stars from which she indulges in sexual fantasies. She soon ends up being deflowered by her older and more experienced foster brother who, later on, urges her to go to New York to study acting. Once there, she befriends a Meryl Steep-like fellow student who ends up being more of a troubled soul. She also comes across a pair of socialites in the form of a gay prince and an older countess who will be favorable in her quest for stardom, amongst other things. Throw into the mix a couple of lovers, a woman hunt related to a possible murder case, and what you end up with, besides adding even the kitchen sink, is the innermost urge to sit down and finish this thing. 

 

PLACES definitely goes places, like New York, Hollywood, Rome, London...  However, the authors (more on that later) linger little on settings, focusing more on plot and characters, or should I say character, for besides the central one, little else is spotlighted. Clearly, the novel is all about Aurora achieving her goal of becoming a famous actress. Though she does eventually get there (in about a third of the book), PLACES takes a surprising turn by making her lose it all which ends up giving this would-be rags to riches novel a second wind.

 

As for the secondary characters lacking development, this may be a tad unfair on my part. The authors do try to put some emphasis on them. Aurora’s Meryl Streep-like actress friend is one good example. St. Thomas gradually make a point of showing the psychological downfall of the quirky character. The same can be said about Aurora’s two socialite friends. Sexual identity and ageism regarding these two are notably hint at. Not to mention the addition of a gigolo-type character who temporarily puts a dent in their rock solid friendship.

 

Simply put, 1987 PLACES is indeed quite the paperback. Oh it may be flawed but authors Robin Stevenson and actor Tom Bade (1946-2005) do a good enough job at keeping the reader intrigued. Seven other Hollywood novels follow this reviewed title, including SWITCHBACK for which they drop their nom de plume, and I look forward to each and every one of them.

 

 

Until next post—Martin

 

 Actor / novelist Tom Bade from 1971 SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE... (to be reviewed).

‘PLACES’ BY ROBIN ST. THOMAS

In the late ‘80s next to my apartment stood this gigantic used bookstore where I mostly got my trashy novels.  One of which was this spotlighted title by Robin St. Thomas from the defunct Zebra line which had always had a bad rep but could deliver some good trash from time to time.  I had never heard of this writer before, but from the look of things, like the SCRUPLES-like cover for instance, I knew that I had found something that could be right up my alley. I wasn’t wrong. PLACES focuses on Aurora O’Brien, a down on her luck beauty who flees to New York to embark on a journey of self-discovery that will eventually make her one of the most sought-after women ever.  How does she become the toast of the town?  Easy: just by being her ravishing self (you know that’s all it ever takes in these types of work).  She is helped mostly by two jet-setters who gladly show her the ropes while partying into the wee hours of the night.  Such a lucky girl, you might think—well, think again because, like in all trashy novels, Aurora will suffer greatly in the name of love.  She’ll not only be attracted to a gay man earlier on but will end up being on the run so not to testify against a baddie lover who causes more trouble than she can bear—all in the space of 574 pages no less.  

 

Suffice to say I had fun reading this book.  The narrative is smooth, the characters are interesting, and the plot is easy to follow. My mind was on pause throughout the whole thing and I quite enjoyed it (sort of like the ‘80s).   Nothing gets my juices flowing more than when I get myself involved with the problems of the rich.  I may read the occasional horror or get myself hooked on the latest scary film but I always come back to my first love: the melodrama.  These novels are my cushions from this hectic world, and PLACES is no different. 

 

The time spent leafing through it had been so rewarding that I made it my mission to track down other novels by this author. This was all before I could access to a computer, so I visited my local thrift shops and used bookstores but came out empty-handed.  I had to go abroad to finally find one (FORTUNE’S SISTERS, and the cover is sleazier).  It took me a few years via Internet to finally track down the rest, and while doing so I also found out this: Robin St.  Thomas is actually a pseudonym for Robin Stevenson and Tom Bade who also wrote SWITCHBACK under their own names.  I’ve been trying to locate the duo team but as of June 2016 no such luck (scratch author of YA books Robin Stevenson off the list).   One thing’s for sure, though.  The stop’s certainly worth it if you ever get a hold of one of their titles.  They may not be the greatest trashy novels out there but they sure can fill a need whenever one’s caught in between superior oeuvres.

 

 

 

 

Until next post—Martin