Review: A Halloween story more sweet than scary
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 31, 2011
All the women married to someone who on occasion acts like an insensitive lout are especially going to enjoy "Recalculating," where that dirt bag husband Tom gets just what he deserves, and although he strikes back from the grave, "everything good in the world" has its own way with everything evil.Despite some evil doing and menace appropriate for Halloween, this is really a lighthearted romp of a story, told by a writer who seems to be a natural at spinning a straightforward tale and who is very good at keeping things moving headlong toward a satisfying conclusion. Satisfying, especially, for the women readers; not so much so for the men.There are many things implausible scattered throughout like old shoes left lying around but they really don't distract from the fun of it all, not really.Tom is verbally abusive to Maureen, a suburban mom in her fifties, who has put up with a lot of cruelty during the couple's long time together. He also attacks her physically but he has never hit her. Tom pinches. And his pinches are by no means love tweaks. Maureen has the deep purple bruises to prove it.The Stephen King moment comes after Tom has been dispatched from the scene and Maureen finds a box with her name on it tucked away in the attic next to the Halloween stuff. The story's title refers to the GPS unit wrapped nicely inside the gift box with a card that reads simply "Love always, Tommy." A gift from the grave that can talk and give directions. You can only imagine what happens next."Recalculating" is a story that's spooky not scary. It gets an adult rating for some of the language (coming from Tommy, of course), but all the chills are mixed in with the gentler jibes. Despite the treachery, you'll have some good natured fun cheering for Maureen. In the end, the story is as sweet as the single piece of chocolate covered caramel Maureen unwraps and pops in her mouth.