Published: Sep. 20, 2008
Words: 89,014 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452300795

Short description

Philip Flaxen, who strips past his jockstrap on the Internet for manluv.com, acquires a rare gift — a book that transforms his life. With it, he sparks with a famous author, whittles away at a new craft, swims with an odd circle of new acquaintances and is swept up in mayhem. Philip leaves the world of The Porn Nazi and enters the realm of crisp possibilities.

Extended description

Philip Flaxen, who strips past his jockstrap on the Internet for manluv.org, acquires a rare gift - a book that transforms his life. With it, he sparks with a famous author, whittles away at a new craft, swims with an odd circle of new acquaintances and is swept up in mayhem. Philip leaves the world of the Porn Nazi and enters the realm of crisp possibilities - great expectations and dark secrets that unravel over deep waters.

Follow this whodunit as Philip Flaxen "turns idolater" and never looks back - a tale of Internet strippers, back street murders, Provincetown glitz, New York City nightlife and a love story for the ages. If you liked "No Irish Need Apply" and loved "Bobby's Trace", you will absolutely adore "Turning Idolater". Life is filled with serendipity, pleasurable and bracing, but on the fringes and in the heart, life can be a very bloody business.

Review from Rainbow Reviews: (Read more) Philip Flaxen, who strips past his jockstrap on the Internet for manluv.org, acquires a rare gift - a book that transforms his life. With it, he sparks with a famous author, whittles away at a new craft, swims with an odd circle of new acquaintances and is swept up in mayhem. Philip leaves the world of the Porn Nazi and enters the realm of crisp possibilities - great expectations and dark secrets that unravel over deep waters.

Follow this whodunit as Philip Flaxen "turns idolater" and never looks back - a tale of Internet strippers, back street murders, Provincetown glitz, New York City nightlife and a love story for the ages. If you liked "No Irish Need Apply" and loved "Bobby's Trace", you will absolutely adore "Turning Idolater". Life is filled with serendipity, pleasurable and bracing, but on the fringes and in the heart, life can be a very bloody business.

Review from Rainbow Reviews:

"Turning Idolator is filled with excitement, strippers, murders, books, romance ~ what more can we ask for?

All the characters have their own quirks which not only make them extremely interesting but also very lovable. Philip, who has been wronged, ends up in the porn industry trying to make a living by taking his clothes off. Then he meets Tdye, a well known author at the peak of his fame. And what happens? Well, as they say, sparks fly here!

There is so much emotion in these pages, it made me laugh, made me sniff and at some points take short walks around my desk. Look out for the 'Moby Dick' quotes and the hidden meanings. There are fishy things going on here and you don't want to miss them.

This is a book that pulls you in ~ Patterson's story is a catchy one and as the author says 'life can be a bloody thing' but ohhh, so good. The plot is so charmingly good plus the mystery will keep you on the edge of the seat, so go read! A roller coaster of emotions fills this story and the end will make you Weeep!
(Less)

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

romance, mystery, literary, gay

Available ebook reading formats

Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book	Sample First 20%
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	Buy	View sample
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Buy	Download sample
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Buy	Download sample
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Buy	Download sample
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Buy	No sample available
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Buy	Download sample

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

Review by: technological on Sep. 30, 2012 :
This was the first book by Edward Patterson I've read, but if it's anything to go by there will be more. His use of language is eloquent and elegant, the best I've seen on smashwords so far. Characters are very well rounded, believable and well written. The murder mystery emerging as the romance unfolds kept me guessing until the end when the main character himself realised the truth...
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Sharon E. Cathcart on July 13, 2010 :
I was initially uncertain what to make of Turning Idolater. I'm a great admirer of Edward C. Patterson's work, but I just could not imagine how a book about a gay man who strips on the Internet, whilst obsessing over the language of Moby Dick, could somehow intertwine with information about the rare book trade and a murder mystery.

Yet, in the end, that story turned out to be absolutely brilliant.

As always, Patterson's prose is gorgeous; the descriptions of whales, gulls, a cat and a dog in Provincetown are particular standouts in that regard.

His protagonist, Philip, is a sympathetic fellow -- not without his flaws, certainly, which make him human instead of a cardboard caricature. There's more to Philip than meets the eye, which we learn as the tale progresses.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy a good literary novel.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: L.C. Evans on Dec. 01, 2009 :
Edward Patterson has skillfully written a love story that's also a clever murder mystery. Philip Flaxen's intolerant father throws him out of the house when he discovers Philip is gay. The Flaxen One has a lot of growing up to do and nowhere to go. He turns up at the home of an acquaintance, Sprakie, who lets him move in and gets him a job stripping on the Internet. Philip discovers a love for reading after a client gives him a rare first edition of Moby Dick. In the beginning Philip's sweetness and youth make him seem so vulnerable you think he's going to get himself into horrible trouble. But Philip has intelligence and a strength of character that don't let him down when it comes time to choose what he really wants out of life. The murder mystery is so subtly woven into the story, that at first I didn't realize this was more than a beautiful love story. But clues gradually come to light and by the time Mr. Patterson brings in the murder of one of Philip's friends--from the point of view of the victim--the tension rises quickly to a satisfying conclusion.
The writing is wonderful and the characters very real. I loved the way references to Melville's masterpiece, Moby Dick, were referenced throughout the book. Mr. Patterson has a great talent and a masterful way with words.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: