Moving Day

A Thriller

By: Jonathan Stone

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Forty years’ accumulation of art, antiques, and family photographs are more than just objects for Stanley Peke - they are proof of a life fully lived. A life he could have easily lost long ago.

When a con man steals his houseful of possessions in a sophisticated moving-day scam, Peke wanders helplessly through his empty New England home, inevitably reminded of another helpless time: decades in Peke’s past, a cold and threadbare Stanislaw Shmuel Pecoskowitz eked out a desperate existence in the war-torn Polish countryside, subsisting on scraps, dodging Nazi soldiers. Now, the 72-year-old Peke - who survived, came to America, and succeeded - must summon his original grit and determination, to track down the thieves, retrieve his things, and restore the life he made for himself.

Peke and his wife, Rose, trace the path of the thieves’ truck across America, to the wilds of Montana, and to an ultimate, chilling confrontation with not only the thieves, but with Peke’s brutal, unresolved past.

©2014 Jonathan Stone (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, Inc., all rights reserved

Up and down...but ended WAY UP!

This book was at once exactly what I expected, and also NOTHING like what I expected. To read the synopsis provided for this book does not lead you to understand what it is you are about to read.

There are a lot of "words" in this novel. What I mean is, much of the narration is describing what the characters are thinking, and WHY they are thinking those things. What has lead them to the place in their lives that causes them to think and feel the things they are thinking and feeling. I found myself being captivated by this at times, but also bored by it at other times. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the words and descriptions and thought processes that the author wanted to convey. But, once I got the idea of the kind of story Mr. Stone was trying to lay out, most of these things stopped being a nuisance, and began intriguing me more and more.

Some of the storyline is a little far-fetched, and not completely plausible, but THE ENDING was INCREDIBLE!! This is a great story with an absolutely masterful ending. I did not see it coming...at all. I loved it. The narrator did a fabulous job, as well. Very consistent and very good. Overall, a great read!

Don't Sell this 72-Year-Old Short !!!

This is a very interesting and captivating story. It held my attention throughout albeit there are a "whole lotta words!!" Maybe a few of the words could have been edited out, but most were primarily used to describe and tell the main character's backstory which is an integral part of the story.

The publisher's summary gives a good synopsis of the story. The question is what motivates this 72 year-old man to go to extreme lengths to get restitution got the wrong done to him.. He won't be messed with! After all, he survived a desperate and precarious existence in war torn Poland while dodging Nazi soldiers .

Yes, there are aspects of this entertaining story that are unbelievable at least in the real world. But this is entertainment and you must "suspend disbelief" and just enjoy this unusual suspense story. Words that I would use to describe the overall theme of this story are Revenge, Retaliation, and Retribution.

This 72 year-old man will not be messed with! He will pull out all stops to get his revenge!! Christopher Lane narrated very well..

Most interesting Reflections

There were times at the beginning I almost gave up on this book. But I felt I should persevere. It was worth it. Even those it philosophizes a little too much, there were some amazing ah-has and connections. It is eye opening. It really makes you think about "things" and how important they really are

Wonderful insight and emotion

I loved this book! The story grabbed me but it was the personal thoughts, realizations, emotions, and rationale that kept me engaged, invested, and involved!!

Numerous unexpected twist

Slow story at times, but full of twist and turns that could not be anticipated.

What a Treat!

Would you try another book from Jonathan Stone and/or Christopher Lane?

This was my first exposure to author Jonathan Stone and my first read by Christopher Lane. Both delivered in spades and I am a fan. I look forward to future encounters with boys.

Has Moving Day turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, if anything it has inspired me to seek out other books in this genre.

How could the performance have been better?

I am unable to think of any part that needs improvement. I was captivated both by the book and the reading performance.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I would love to attend a writing seminar led by Jonathan Stone. This was a brilliant effort.

Any additional comments?

I couldn't put this down. The story continued to draw me in further and further. I loved the historical perspective and the juxtapositioning of the protagonist's past and present life. There is no extra flab on this story. Every word is there for a reason. Every character has a role to play and it all is intertwined so well. LOVED THE ENDING!

good story buy some mistakes

this was a great premise but some key mistakes bothered me. overall interesting read

Intriguing!

This book kept my attention the whole time! I didn't want to stop listening but had to take breaks to do the normal things in life (take care of kids, sleep, etc). I didn't expect the violence near the end because I didn't realize it had Jewish & Nazi characters before I read it. It was still a great read/listen!

What a fantastic story... a real treat!

What made the experience of listening to Moving Day the most enjoyable?

The pace of the story was perfect. Within minutes the engine of the story was in full motion and we are immediately immersed in the premise. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. There were some great emotional moments.

Any additional comments?

I literally had zero expectations for this book. To be honest, I didn't even remember pre-ordering it. When I looked on my email in the morning, I saw a notification that my pre-order was available to download. It's been a while since ordering it, so I didn't even remember when or why I ordered it.

Rather than look up the summary, I just started to just listen to it and by then end of the day... I finished it. I couldn't stop. The story grabbed me from the start and I simply had to keep listening at every opportunity I could get.

The premise of the story was simple. An old couple answers the door to find a moving truck ready to take everything they own to their new home. He wasn't expecting them until the next day, but as a senior citizen, he assumed it was his mistake and lets them pack up everything they own into the truck. The next day, the "real" moving crew shows up...

Thinking Man's Thriller

Jonathan Stone is a deep writer. He develops the characters so that you really feel them. He makes you think and look into yourself. And he traps you in the story. Luckily he has the perfect reader to give justice to words usually found in American classic. Fun and more.