Larry Townsend's novel has an intriguing premise: a up and coming young Hollywood actor becomes the object of obsession for an increasingly dangerous hustler who once serviced him. So far, so good.

But the premise is not developed satisfactorily. In fact it grows more improbable and unbelievable chapter by chapter. The biggest culprit here is not the stalker but Townsend's inability to create credible, interesting characters. In fact STALKED features one of the most uniformly unlikable cast of characters one will probably ever encounter in a novel. There's the hotshot young movie star who is so narcissistic he can only get truly turned on by making love to his look-alike stunt man, the aging queen pining for love and finding it, so to speak, with a Doberman Pinscher, the movie mogul who, considering his constant sexual activities, has little time for movies, and the stalker himself who is just too...well...dumb to be frightening.

We feel as though we are reading an early draft of the novel and not the final novel. Too much seems not worked out or definite. Characters often act in contradictory ways. The dialogue is stilted and telegraphic. There's no suspense, not even in climactic moments. Things just happen and they're over; we don't get the pleasure of mounting tension or immminent danger. There is plenty of sex, if that's what you've come for, but be aware that is a specialized sort of erotica, the kind of thing Mr. Townsend has gained a reputation for - SM. He offers enough vanilla sex to temper the kink, but if whips and chains and paddles and prods aren't your thing, you might better pass on this one.

Townsend has skill as a writer, enough so that he is able to render occasional eloquent passages of insight. But those are few and far between and they are largely in the service of nothing.