Customer Reviews

Chasin' it

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Tony Lindsay is a gifted writer. This is the first of his books I have read, but if CHASIN' IT is any indication of what this man can write, then he deserves our attention. Brave, he is, taking on an entire novel about the underbelly of society and creating a novel so engrossing that it is almost impossible to put it down once started.

While many other very fine authors have written about street life and made credible characters, few have pushed that genre as close to the edge as Tony Lindsay. Terri, the main character, is male who has always perceived himself as a female. He just happens to have been born to a drug addicted prostitute who in turn was mothered by another drug addicted prostitute and Madame, and all along his fascinating life of being a street whore, an 'exotic dancer', a crack head, a thief, a prison inmate, and a murderer, Terri is a survivor. Chicago's mean streets are the background for this story and Lindsay writes so vividly that he must have done extensive research into not only places, atmospheres, lighting, streets, houses, etc, but also the street types and gangsters that run the grunge locale. Lindsay tells his story of the life of Terri in wholly believable flash backs and forward sequences in a style that is the equal of the best writers. In novels of this sort the tendency is to allow them to become picaresque pulp fiction, each page challenging the reader's ability to stomach more grit. But somehow Lindsay tells it all with such natural candor that the story just propels along, 'chasing it'! Every one of his characters is completely three-dimensional: they become people we would recognize if we met them on a night street in the surly neighborhoods of any big city. But another big difference in Lindsay's gift as a writer is that he can create a main character who is a cross-dressing black male and never even come close to making him vulgar or repulsive or used or off the wall. No matter your previous perceptions of transgender people, gays, blacks of the Down Low, addicts, pimps, etc, Lindsay will take you on a ride you will not want to end. This is a motion picture waiting to be made. If only there were film directors with the courage of Tony Lindsay..... This book is an exciting piece, even if you happen to shy away from the darker side of life. Lindsay lets us understand and respect a culture we have never before known! Bravo!

Terri Parrish's career as a stage performer took her from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the stages of Europe. Men fell at her feet and material possessions were hers for the asking. She had a dazzling personality that endeared her to audiences around the world. Life was perfect for Terri and nothing could bring her down from the pedestal she sat upon, or so she thought.

The saying everything that goes up must come down is a lesson that Terri learns the hard way. The once desired and sought after entertainer becomes a slave to the crack pipe and nothing else matters but getting high. With her money dwindling Terri turns to prostitution and other illegal vices to obtain drugs. After landing in jail, she thinks her life is over, but her hell is just beginning. What follows is a tale of danger, drama, and murder.

CHASIN' IT by Tony Lindsay is an urban drama with a twist, because things are not as they seem to be. This story takes readers to the depths and desperation of addiction and also teaches the lesson that being true to self is important. Even though Terri is twisted, selfish and at times pitiful, I found myself hoping that things would come together for her. Mr. Lindsay has a way of making readers care about his characters and I commend him for that. I am not a big fan of urban drama but after reading CHASIN' IT, I'm ready to give it an honest chance.

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I brought this book because the author sent me an email and I enjoyed his first book, One Dead Preacher.

I didn't read Chasin' It right away because it didn't seem like my type of book; street stories seldom hold my interest; however I couldn't put this book down. It wasn't what I expected, the main character Terri Parish is a drag queen, and after I found that out I almost stop reading it, I didn't - because of the story.

I became totally engrossed in the life of Terri Parish, there is a scene in the story where Terri is waiting to go to trail; that scene will stay in my mind forever because of the author's skillful writing and play on words. He comments on the injustice of our current judicial system through the emotions and fears of the protagonist. He does the same with addiction, a reader will feel Terri Parish's desire to use drugs and one will also experience the lost of self associated with drug addiction.

The protagonist, Terri Parish suffers in this novel, this is not a rated G story and the parental advisory sticker is deserved. Although Terri goes through hell, he grows. We see him learning and rethinking his life. He learned that the Madear he loved was not perfect and the mother he hated did have a heart.

By the time I got to the end of the story it no longer mattered that Terri Parish was a drag queen, honestly at the end I did think of Terri as a female but more important than his gender was the fact that at the end of the book, I cared about the character, Terri Parish.

Chasin' It very real story about prostitution, family secretes and sickness, addiction and love. This was a very satisfying ADULT read.

Every so often, either by accident or on purpose, I read something that is way outside of my normal patterns. It could be that I want to try something different, or it may be that I misjudged a book. Chasin' It by Tony Lindsay is one of those "far left field" books for me...

In this case, it was a misjudgement that caused me to read it. I received an email from the author pointing out the book (I'm assuming he got my name as an active Amazon reviewer). It looked mildly interesting, so I checked it out from the library. Looking at the back cover, it sounded OK... Terri Parish is an ex-Vegas headliner who has ended up on the streets. She still craves the attention, and is looking for a big score. She ends up ripping off a lover and head of a Chicago street gang. She then has to figure out how to stay alive before he finds and kills her. Sex, drugs, crime... typical stuff. :-) It's also described as an "urban story". Hmm...

The parental advisory on the cover for explicit content should have been a clue. Terri Parish isn't a "she". Parish is a he, a gay black man who crossdresses and works as a performer. His life on the street is filled with smoking crack cocaine and turning tricks (which are often described in graphic detail). He does a stint in prison where he's the head queen, and it's where he first meets the head of the street gang. He's beaten badly, and the abuse continues when he's tracked down outside of prison. The gist of the story is Parish learning how to come to terms with his gay lifestyle, the lifestyles of the men he dates, and how his grandmother and mother raised him into a life of prostitution.

So how do you rank a book like this? There are many conflicts here, but I want to be fair to the author. I give it low marks for deception on the back cover. Nowhere is there any mention that the whole basis of the story involves transgender issues. The writing isn't bad, so that brings it up a bit. I wasn't overly impressed with the plot line, but I'm not sure why. Is it because the plot was pretty basic? Was it because this is a culture and lifestyle I can't even begin to relate to? Is it because most of the characters are African-American and either gay or bisexual (of which I'm neither)? Dunno...

I'll give this a three star ranking, as it's a book that will only appeal to a certain readership niche. And depending on your cultural background or lifestyle choices, you may either really hate or really love this book.

This is the third book by Mr. Lindsay that I've read, and I must say he never fails to disappoint. Mr. Lindsay has a rare talent that enables him to take the grittiest of street characters and depict their essence in a way that evokes an impartial reader to feel compassion for them. I like the way he always uses urban characters and settings to not only create a compelling tale, but to also include an important social statement. In Chasin' It, Mr. Lindsay once again does just that. So far this is my favorite, but One Dead Preacher and Prayer of Prey were good too. Mr. Lindsay is truly an extraordinary and gifted storyteller.

This is not a book I would recommend spending a lazy summer afternoon reading. It is a dark story about a black man turning tricks as a woman, being strung out on drugs, living in terrible conditions and stealing money from a street gang. I don't find a "moral in the story" or any other redeeming qualities to recommend it to others. It is a depressing read.

None of this came out in the synopsis written on the back cover. This bit of writing gave you the impression you would be reading about a female. Not true. It talks of "right of passage" which by the way the book ends could be true.

To give the author his do, the writing itself was well done but the story line was little more than what you can read in the newspapers today. I haven't read any other titles by Tony Lindsay and can only hope his other books have more class and are less dark in nature.

Sometimes I got confused while I was reading this book. Especially at the end. Was he dreaming or was it really happening?

When reading the synopsis or insert of the book you may get confused about the gender of the main character (Terri). The only thing I can say is you have to read it to understand it.

If you're into ready unusually things you'll probably love this book. This book was a little too abnormal for me though. It took me a minute to get into it and I had to go back and read a couple of pages because I was confused.

But overall this was a good first book for Tony Lindsay. Aside from a few grammatical "leave outs" and in one instance Payton is referred to as Patrick. Where did that come from?

This story was definitely in a class by itself. I've never read a steet story where the main character was a Queen. I think that one of the things that made the story so interesting.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Donald Goines books, Iceberg Slims or just simply wants to read a good urban story.

This book was very good and just plain REAL. I love the way Tony Lindsay paints the picture of urban street life to his audience. You can truly get a sense of each character's thoughts and emotions with the turn of the each page. The storyline was fast paced, action-filled and just off da hook! I also recommend "One Dead Preacher" as well. Definitely a GREAT READ!!

CHASIN' IT is a sho-nuff page-turner! In the tradition of Goines & Himes, Lindsay gives us a character of depth and substance - not quite an anti-hero, but real enough to be recognized: a person caught up in the contradictions of life choices. This is a gripping story of betrayal, brutality, and beauty -- which all come out of what people will (and won't) do for love. The lead character is the most unique this reader has ever come across, and the book forces us to confront the realities of drug addiction, homophobia, & denial. The book can be read in one setting; it's fast-paced and well-written - pick it up, you won't regret it!