Author David Klein narrates an entertaining, fast-paced, and thought-provoking fiction debut, in STASH, highlighting marriage, marijuana and morality.
Attractive, thirty-something Gwen Raine is living the high life-literally. No, Gwen's not a pothead. She does however, as a stay-at-home mom, occasionally like to smoke marijuana. Gwen has an ideal existence that revolves around Brian, her loving husband and successful pharmaceutics executive, and kids Nate and Nora. The Raines reside in upscale, suburban Morrissey, New York.
Gwen meets an old flame, Jude Case, at his downtown restaurant to buy an ounce of pot, in confidence. As Gwen departs, Jude unexpectedly kisses her, rekindling memories of what they once shared.
Sampling her new purchase en route home, a buzz-induced Gwen is involved in a car accident. An elderly driver hits her mini-van. Gwen escapes with a cut eyebrow, the other driver dies. Police discover the weed in Gwen's vehicle and despite evidence citing the deceased driver at fault; Gwen faces a tough road to expungement.
The accident couldn't have happened at a worse time. The town of Morrissey is developing zero tolerance for drug use; given recent cases filtering down to its middle school-aged children.
Brian knows who supplied her stash, questioning Gwen's reasons for renewing her ties with Jude: "He likes to do you favors it seems."
Jude raised his eighteen-year-old daughter, Dana, alone. He'd dated and married Claire in a Vegas chapel during a drug, drinking and gambling weekend. Once home, she continued her excessive partying, eventually becoming pregnant. Her escalating addiction found her at a rehab clinic; where she'd ultimately escape, never to be seen or heard from again. Ironically, Jude drives his daughter to St. Lawrence University to begin her first year of college, lecturing her on the perils of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll.
For years, Jude has conducted a side business of selling marijuana, carefully choosing customers to avoid arrest. He enters unknown territory when he decides to deal with former NFL star, Daryl, "Da Da" Sweet. He's opening a chain of fitness centers and turns to Jude for performance-enhancing drugs. Jude uses his Montreal connection to supply the deal. He realizes that, although he's out of his comfort zone, a few more sales like the one at hand will secure him early retirement.
Gwen's actions could ultimately have numerous repercussions for her life in Morrissey. "Mothers who served as PTA vice presidents but got busted on drug charges didn't belong in the mix."
Gwen cries legal extortion, as the police offer to drop the pending charges of vehicular manslaughter, DUI and possession, by pressuring her to reveal her supplier. How could she expose Jude's identity? She promised him anonymity. "No one likes a tattletale," she'd always told her kids. Or does she owe the town of Morrissey and its children more? What other option does she have to serve her own interests?
Brian is employed at Caladon Pharmaceuticals. He's involved in promoting its antianxiety drug, Zuprone, for a secondary purpose (known as off label usage) to promote weight loss. While the company's limited research supports the drug's secondary effect against obesity, it isn't the same as clinical trials required by the FDA. Three years of doctors prescribing the drug as an off label obesity antidote saw the drug's sales and profitability soar. Seeking FDA approval for another therapeutic use for Zuprone could prove costly; yet manufacturers who promoted a drug for off-label use acted illegally. Brian confronts his conscience when several patients taking Zuprone for weight loss develop anorexia. Other turn of events position him to lose his job or make millions as a whistle-blower.
Theresa Mascetti, a recent company transplant from New Jersey, tests Brian's nine years of fidelity to Gwen. Once overweight, she's one of Zuprone's biggest proponents, having lost 25 pounds using the drug. Svelte and sexy, she's now wearing more revealing clothes and everyone is noticing, including Brian. His recent tensions over his wife's drug use find him considering Theresa's advances: "What an opportunity to get back at Gwen-although he wouldn't tell her, he'd just do it, which would make the event an inconclusive."
STASH illustrates how it only takes a second for our lives to change, for better or worse. Klein's tight narrative will find you asking, "What would I do?" in similar situations requiring a moral compass. His stimulating fiction debut will leave you anticipating his next literary offering.
To ponder challenges posed in STASH, visit its Reading Group Guide (warning: some plot points are revealed in the questions): http://www.bydavidklein.com/reading-groups.html
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