My Dead Friend Sarah: A Novel [Kindle Edition]

Peter Rosch (Author)

Book Description

The fate of a beautiful stranger becomes a recovering alcoholic's crippling obsession.

Mere months into recovery, Max, an alcoholic with twisted control issues, meets Sarah - the same woman that for years he's habitually dreamt will die after a botched abduction. "Doing the next right thing," a popular AA phrase he's picked up in the rooms, means befriending Sarah long enough to warn her and hope she takes him seriously. But when Sarah falls in love with Max, his newly sober thinking drives him to choose his overly devoted wife, and he abandons Sarah - even when it condemns her to death. When Sarah goes missing, the NYPD suspects Max's dream may have been a pre-crime confession. The truth, all of it, lurks inside of Max, but only by drinking again does he recapture the nerve and clarity vital to free his wife, sponsor, and himself from a life imprisoned by lies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...loved it. Nicely written and interesting twist of inner thoughts, interesting first person character. Liked listening to his twisted thoughts... Loved the dialogue, too. Great story... Awesome work!" -Deborah Henry, author of The Whipping Club

"Rosch expertly explores the psychology of an alcoholic... The novel tackles sobriety, truth and guilt, engrossing the reader in Max's whirlwind of problems... While depicting the realizations of a recovering alcoholic, Rosch skillfully renders a unique story of a missing woman." - Kirkus Reviews

"I can honestly say I was completely engaged with every sentence written in this story, I could not read it fast enough... Fantastic Stuff, A Very Strong 5 Stars." - The Kindle Book Review

"I couldn't put it down. ...when I'm ready to adapt a book into a screenplay and direct my first narrative feature, I hope you'll allow me." - Erik Proulx, Director of Lemonade: Detroit

"I highly recommend this story, as you will enjoy the mystery of it, as well as the thought provoking introspection and the introduction to a community you may never have explored." -Anthea Carson, Indie Book Reviews

"...to be inside the mind of a not-so former addict going through a life event that would boggle even the most sober, clear-headed person is what keeps you reading page after page without one thought of pausing for even a glass of water." - Brianna Jacobson, Little Conqueror

"...if you have never waited for a liquor store to open then you would still love the novel, perhaps subtract a star, but if you are a Chuck Palahniuk fan, add that star right back." - Mark Matthews, author of Stray and The Jade Rabbit

From the Author

I'd have never written this book without the gift of sobriety. When I set out to pen what would become my first novel, I was just about two years into my own recovery. At first, I considered writing a memoir in the vein of the many addiction memoirs that helped keep me sane during what was a good, but often trying, first year in Alcoholic's Anonymous. So many of those stories were the real difference between picking up the drink again and believing I could make it another day. Ultimately though, I decided there are one too many memoirs already. Why couldn't there be a piece of fiction that served a similar purpose? And so I set out to do that.

There would appear to be no specific place, no defined box, dedicated to recovery fiction-even as I'm certain other works are trying to provide the same experience I hope that mine will, for both the alcoholic and normies out there. This book isn't a memoir by definition-but my own addiction, alcoholism, and recovery from it, (specifically the first six months), shaped the themes, settings, interactions and lessons I believe it expresses. I crafted the morals into an engaging beach read suspense/thriller in the hopes that those adverse to more traditional recovery literature might give it a read. The plot is a fabrication, but at its core My Dead Friend Sarah, for me, was an attempt to bring to life the very real experiences I believe all human beings, especially alcoholics, experience on their varying paths to more peaceful, honest lives. 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 286 KB
• Print Length: 230 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 147519823X
• Publisher: Rosch, LLC. (April 1, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007RQISJK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,754 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for anyone!! April 19, 2012

By CZam

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

My Dead Friend Sarah is very well written and is a fast read. The book is filled with so many twists and turns that it's hard to put down once you get started. I especially enjoyed the way the book was written, from the two main characters perspective.

Max, a recovery alcoholic living in New York , dreams of a young woman's kidnapping and death for months. It's just a bad dream until he sees the woman from his dreams.
Sarah, an event planner living in New York , doesn't have issues she has subscriptions. A "chance" encounter brings these two characters together and then the real fun begins. How do you tell someone that you've been dreaming about their death for months without sounding creepy?

As a substance abuse counselor, I found it very interesting to read the thoughts that go through Max's head and some of the justifications for his actions/behaviors. MDFS gives great insight into the mind of someone with an addiction.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone! I can't wait to read another book from Mr. Rosch.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A diabolical love story April 20, 2012

By jag

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

An appropriately inappropriate narrative in which you equally love and loathe every character. Be forewarned, as moments of self-reflection are inevitable...while maybe you never actually acted upon similarly revolting human impulses, you've definitely been tempted and if only for a moment paused for consideration. And of course a story that incorporates the word: shenanigans (my all time favorite) is always a good thing. Read it before it becomes a movie - the book is always far better.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars ***** A fantastic read. April 26, 2012

By The Kindle Book Review

Format:Kindle Edition

*** Spoiler Alert ***

Wow this book is really something special. I would like to add though that I do believe that this book would not suit everybody's taste because it is a different style of writing but I loved it.

Max is a recovering alcoholic and he has a dream, a girl is kidnapped and killed. He then sees the girl, Sarah in the street and stalks her so he can finally warn her of his premonition.

The story is written in three parts and is written in both Max and Sarah's side of the story. It is also set in the past and present.

I can honestly say I was completely engaged with every sentence written in this story, I could not read it fast enough to find out if Sarah dies and what the future held for Max and his long suffering wife Rachel.

The story also covers a lot about Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and what it is like to be a recovering alcoholic attending the meetings. These parts were really insightful and I would guess that the author has either had first hand experience of this or has researched the subject thoroughly.

There was a part in the story which made my blood run cold, this was when Max had cooled things off with Sarah but was still following her and she knew about it and enjoyed it. I found this to be quite disturbing but it made for excellent reading.

Fantastic stuff a very strong 5 stars.

Becky Sherriff (The Kindle Book Review)

More About the Author

Peter Rosch is what happens when a Polish drag racing varsity bowler and a beautiful but über paranoid French Canadian Air Force brat get together on a disco dance floor in glorious Albuquerque, NM. He's a recovering alcoholic who favors the run-on sentence - the one thing for which he offers no apologies. Fifteen years in NYC as an award winning writer, creative director, and commercial director in advertising has left him moderately famous in an industry filled with the very best kind of people, lunatics. His commercial work for Levi's, AXE, Rolling Stone Magazine, and more is polarizing, and you either hate it or love it because you've definitely seen it. When he isn't writing ads, penning entries for his blog LEVEL 9 PARANOIA, outlining ideas for new books, or performing as his alter ego, Joey Jo Jo, in NYC's most prolific douche rock band The Future, you will most likely find him playing fetch with his cat Target. Yes, his cat plays fetch.