Customer Reviews

A Jolly Good Fellow

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I'm not your average book reader, and to be completely honest, this is one of the very few books I've read since I was forced to in high school. I started reading this book chapter at a time, but as I got going, I realized I couldn't put it down. I finished it as quickly as I could with some questions in mind, but as soon as I hit the last few chapters, the few skepticisms I had were squashed by one of the most elaborate endings I think a story's ever seen. All questions were answered and the story ties perfectly together- beginning to end. This is a story that should be read by EVERYONE. Christmas, winter--any time is a good time to read this book. And being that I see more movies than I read books, I enthusiastically hope to see this book played out on the big screen someday. Bravo, Stephen. Bravo!

In A Jolly Good Fellow, Stephen V. Masse gives us a truly heartwarming story that manages to avoid feeling light and fluffy or resorting to holiday clichés.

Duncan Wagner is a lovable, bumbling criminal. Masse puts the reader right inside Duncan's head and it is impossible not to like him, as we see his mixed emotions about the kidnapping, the easy-going affection he quickly comes to feel for sweet Gabriel, how he acts tough and gruff to cover it up. This book may be about a kidnapping, but it isn't dark or menacing in any way. Duncan's half-hearted, often naive approach to the crime he is commiting prevents that, and it is obvious from the start that Duncan would never physically harm Gabriel.

The novel is narrated by Duncan in the first person. The highly readable narrative gives a distinct flavor to the book. Duncan's dialect evokes hard-scrabble, working class Boston perfectly.

Masse's plot is subtlely intricate and perfectly paced. Though I knew Gabriel wouldn't be hurt and would ultimately be returned to his parents, Masse kept me guessing until the end about Duncan's fate. Would he get the ransom money he sought? Or would he get caught?

A Jolly Good Fellow can be read and enjoyed regardless of the season and whether you celebrate Christmas or not. That said, it would make a perfect holiday read for anyone who loves a great story with characters you won't want to say good-bye to when you turn the last page.

With just two weeks before Christmas, Duncan Wagner makes the decision to kidnap the son of his most despised enemy, State Representative Win Booker. When he drives into the wealthy Boston neighborhood to carry out his plan, he is surprised to find the boy - Gabriel - hitchhiking. This is where Wagner's quest for revenge begins as he finds himself face to face with a real boy and no clue about how to run a kidnapping. This story captures the true motives behind an unpredictable kidnapping

Gabriel doesn't appear upset by his apparent kidnapping and even after have several opportunities to escape he chooses to remain with Duncan. The boy begins to develop a close relationship with Duncan, and helps him in the kidnapping process. On the surface this sounds like a case of Stockholm syndrome, but underneath you discover a little boy who is only angry at his parents. Mr. Masse's description of the friendship between a young child and a lonely adult is heartwarming. Gabriel is a multi-faceted character, one who loves reading books and tries to eat a vegetarian diet, but he still wets the bed at night.

Stephen Masse does a great job of taking a man and a boy from very different backgrounds and developing them into heartwarming characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good stories with unpredictable endings. A Jolly Good Fellow is the winner of the Silver Medal in the 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards.

In Stephen V. Masse's new novel, A Jolly Good Fellow, few things are quite what they appear. Playing with our petit--or grand--bourgeois prejudices, with our readers' expectations, the author adeptly lifts one curtain and then other, revealing what boils down to a higher morality. In the process the author, without being overly freudian, also divulges some of his own obsessions. You might however want to take a valium or two before starting on the journey Masse proposes because the atmosphere while riddled at times with joy--'tis the time before Christmas--is also increasingly tense.

Meet Duncan Wagner, a good bad-guy plucked from another era--you can almost hear his not-such-high-class Boston accent. He is also kidnapper extraordinaire of 11-year old Gabriel Booker, a brattish heir all too happy to comply, fleeing another set of clutches, those of his father, State Representative Winthrop Booker III. Whiffs of Rudyard Kipling's Captain Courageous. Classes crash.

'Tis a world of disguises: Wagner transforms himself into Santa Claus, jingling bells in downtown Boston--an opportunity to meet street-artist Martina. The oddly sweet maid also comes across as a throwback from another time, almost too good to be true; one can almost picture her in black-and-white, silently smiling. Young kidnappee Booker himself changes appearances in a slightly more unsettling way, but under which circumstances I prefer to let you discover for yourself. (Reviewers who jump the gun should have... far heavier volumes tossed at them!)

As the tension mounts, drop-off points for ransom being discussed, Masse, not unlike late movie director Alfred Hitchcock, speckles his good-natured tome not only with suspense but a generous twinkling Christian, Catholic to be specific, symbolism.

Again, too much hinges on peeling away the different layers, as one flips avidly through the pages, to reveal precise details of the cleverly-woven plot. Suffice it to say that it does leave the reader on tenterhooks until the very last moments.

Yes, 'tis the snow-ridden season and if you like your eggnog with an ample dose of spiking and Tabasco, snap up your own personal copy of Steve Masse's riveting, rather charming work. In short, Jolly Good Fellow is a jolly good if rattling read!

Michael Kent is a Washington, DC based writer, artist, French-English translator. He is the author of the novel The Big Jiggety, and a friend of the author.

I am not the essence of the holiday spirit by any means so I always try to read at least 2 holiday theme books a year so when I had the opportunity to read A Jolly Good Fellow by Stephen Masse I jumped on it. Besides the man is from Boston (my hometown), so I knew it was a can't miss!


For starters this isn't your typical holiday cheer, it is about a lonely blue collar guy who dresses up as Santa to collect money for the poor. Actually since Duncan Wagner is poor, he keeps all the money for himself, but so lovable if not completely clueless on occasion you just can't help but like the guy. But he has plans to make a bundle, and plan includes kidnapping a State Rep's kid, the kid in question is eleven year old Gabriel Booker, a kid who might even be lonelier than Duncan. And just two weeks before Christmas, he sets his plan into motion!


Funny thing, Duncan didn't have to try too hard to kidnap him, Gabriel had skipped the bus and opted to hitch hike instead. Having left home once before he knew that this time would be like the last, no one would care, no one would come for him.


Duncan, not believing his luck picks him up and takes him back to his house. He tells Gabriel about his plan and the ransom of 100K but Gabriel is convinced that it won't work. What becomes of their friendship is heartfelt and also kind of sad, two lonely people looking for someone to care.


Gabriel even starts to help Duncan in the plotting passing up ample opportunities to escape he chooses to stay with Duncan. With a plot line that has as many twists and turns as there are twinkling lights on a Christmas tree, this is a can't miss story and with beautiful Boston as the backdrop Masse was able to compose and capture the essence of our New England winters.


If you want a chance to find out what happens to Gabriel and Duncan tune in this afternoon when I have Stephen Massee her to talk about A Jolly Good Fellow and I will be giving away a copy!

N.B. I wanted to give this book 4 1/2 stars.

This book was wonderful! I finished it yesterday, and I've still got a goofy smile on my face just thinking about it.
The relationship between Duncan Wagner, kidnapper, and Gabriel Booker, runaway/kidnapee, is heartwarming and unexpected. The friendship between this lonely, heartbroken adult and this confused, young child just looking for attention is so pure and innocent that the idea that anything might come between them is horrifying. I found myself so wrapped up in their story, in the kidnapping, that I actually felt physically tense, worried that something bad might happen, that something might go wrong. Even though I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was overwhelmed with suspense!
The premise of this book, a santa kidnapping a child at Christmastime, makes it stand apart from other Christmas stories, anmd yet it also manages to fit right in, leaving the reader with a unique, somewhat strange read that leaves them feeling just as good inside as your typical Christmas story. It was like a steaming mug of oat-milk hot chocolate by the fire. It also had me laughin out loud on a semi-regular basis.
Aside from telling a great tale, Masse's writing was also brilliant. The voice of each character was loud and clear. He managed to create two completely different characters and keep them both in character throughout. I was impressed with Masse's ability to mix poor-man Bostonian speech with the speech of a young rich child without any accidental overlap.
I feel like saying "Good job, Stephen V. Masse, you've written a winner of a book!" This was, without a doubt, my favorite holiday read of the season. :-)

A Jolly Good Fellow by Stephen V. Masse
Genre: Fiction, Comedy, sort of Crime Fiction but not really
Rating: 3.75/5

Summary: Duncan is driving to the kids house. He has a plan--he's going to kidnap him. But then he sees the kid hitchhiking in the snow. What better way to kidnap someone that to pick him up off the road and offer him a ride? Duncan dresses up as Santa Clause and sits on the street ringing a bell all day. The funds go to the needy--needy as in him. Duncan wants revenge, and he wants the ransom money. But Duncan isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer... he has no idea how to do a proper kidnapping.

Thoughts: A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW was really cute. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it had its nerve-wracking moments. It's right in between a 3/5 and a 4 on the scale for me. The reason why is this--the plot was awesome, very unique, original, and very cute, the characters were hilarious and enchanting, but it was a little slow through the first three quarters of the book. Not that it dragged, just that it felt like the last section was fast paced, and the rest was slower and more relaxed, and those two things didn't go well together and didn't transition well.

I laughed a lot while I read A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW. If I had to pick a category, I'd choose comedy. It was cute and funny and a little silly, but silly in a good fun-to-read way.

The characters' dialogue was written so that you could hear their voices in your head when they spoke. I loved hearing their accents while I read, it gave a lot of life to them. Duncan and Gabriel were very animated. Gabriel (the kid) was so full of life and energy. He was also very real. He acted the way a normal kid his age would act, he wasn't a "perfect" child, an unrealistic character.

Content: There were a few bad words scattered throughout the book, but not much. Duncan went to the triple-X rated movie one night, but nothing was described. All in all, this was a very clean book.

Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone who wants a good holiday laugh. I stayed up pretty late reading this one because I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for more from Stephen Masse.

*This book won the INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING BOOK AWARD*

It's almost Christmas and times are tough, Duncan Wagner needed money to live off of so he concocted a plan to get one hundred thousand dollars by kidnapping and ransoming off the kid of State Representative Winthrop Booker. After several attempts to put the plan in motion, Duncan watches as Gabriel Booker misses his school bus and then, as he is hitchhiking down the road, gets into Duncan's car. No snatching, no screaming, no tying up, just gets in, sits down and says `Just trying to get a ride`. All this made the first part of the plan so much easier than expected. Turns out the kid was running away from home an decides that Duncan seems nice enough to spend a few days with and will go ahead and play along with the whole kidnapping thing for a while, it might even be fun. Duncan wonders if the rest of his plan will work this well also or if he is going to get caught and go to jail.

A story of friendship and finding a way to move on, get over and get through life. Kind of cute even though it is predictable for so much of the main plot. I enjoyed the way Gabriel was written, a young boy at a difficult age, a boy very independent and with signs of his intelligence already creeping through but still having kid problems and in the end, he misses his mom and dad (how great is that). This was a different style of writing than I am used to , not just because the narration was written as if Duncan was thinking everything (first person), but it was set in Boston (nothing wrong with that) and some of the grammatical slang or dialect maybe, is what gave me difficulty. It was the 'by the by' and the 'so I says to him' (with the S on say, and not using said) even in the narrative. It caused a distraction for me (grammatically speaking) and I wasn't able to get past it enough to enjoy the story more. I do typically like the happy endings and this one had mixed messages there. No real closure, for the most part it left the characters almost in a sad state and the expected answer was avoided.

An unexpected story, growing into a memorable and thought-provoking ride. What happens when you mix the holiday season, and a confused young boy with a troubled grifter searching for a sure thing, the big bankroll? This unlikely plot delivers one of the best novels I have read in some time.

Richly drawn characters, slowly revealing their inner demons and dreams to each other, offer a fascinating view into the human psyche. You'll care about them, and hold your breath more than once while reading this unusual tale of a kidnapping, a lonely man and a young boy.

A welcome mix of humor, suspense, twists and turns, you'll enjoy this book, whether at Christmas time or a sweltering summer day.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (12/07)


Stephen V. Masse combines a flair for writing an imaginative creative plot with colorful conversation and believable, likable characters. In "A Jolly Good Fellow" Duncan Wagner, a professional Santa Claus, who supports himself from the proceeds of his "beggar's kettle," plots a kidnapping.

After weeks of careful planning and surveillance, equipped with rope, chain, and duct tape, Duncan is ready to snatch his prey. Eleven-year-old, Gabriel, son of State Representative Win Booker, is the planned victim of the kidnapping. Ironically Gabriel decides to run away from home. He purposefully misses his school bus and is hitchhiking. As Duncan opens the car door to offer the young hitchhiker a ride, Gabriel slips in beside him.

As the plot unfolds there are multiple clever plot twists. Duncan finds Gabriel smart, vulnerable, and demanding. A bonding relationship between an unhappy man and a scared "kid" develops. Duncan soon realizes he has not thought through a plan for demanding ransom, a method of receiving the ransom, nor the consequences if ransom is refused.

Telephone demands and threatening notes are used to create an urgency that convinces stubborn and haughty Representative Win Booker to ante up the ransom demand. Pickpockets, muggers, a street artist and a former restaurateur all play a part in pulling the story together.

The setting of the story is downtown Boston. I could almost feel the chill in the air as Masse describes Gabriel shivering on a street corner. I could taste the sweetness of the candy cane as Gabriel stirs his cocoa while he and Duncan enjoy a late night conversation at the kitchen table.

I personally enjoyed Duncan's first person account. His "blue collar" vocabulary is masterfully consistent throughout the narrative. The following paragraph is typical: "Get your coat on, we're gonna go out for supper," I says. I go in my room and grab some money, and put my Santa bag under the bed. Then I unlock Gabriel from the chain."

"A Jolly Good Fellow" is delightfully funny, with a unique plot, an amazing cast of characters, and enough suspense to keep the reading guessing right up to the surprising unexpected conclusion. Stephen V. Masse is witty, clever, and entertaining. His books are destined to become best sellers. I am eager to read his upcoming book "Short Circus."

Received book free of charge