Many a mix-up in - 'Taunted By Choice'

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica-centred books and movies about music are nothing rare. But in Damali A. Henry's novel, Tempted to Touch … A Jamaican Saga of Living on the Edge, there is something literally 'rear' as the deejay at the centre of one sub-plot indulges in a bit of homosexuality.

Not that he is proud of it and out of the closet. In fact, Biggs wonders at one point how he got into the situation with 'Jules'. And not that Biggs seeks that orifice with men only as his 'babymother' Michelle protests in vain when he insists on penetration in that manner.

Sexually that is just about the most shocking thing in Tempted By Choice, which takes a slice out of the somehow intertwined lives of main character 'Shane', a sprinting star; his best friend Regina and her beau Linton; Regina's little sister Roxanne (who gets involved with Biggs, virginity and all); Natalie and her husband Michael (who, incidentally, gets involved with the same exotic dancer 'Caramel' as Biggs. If you have not figured it out yet, Mr Biggs certainly gets around). And Michael and Linton are brothers.

Still, although the men tend to be extremely well endowed and proportionally virile, with the women equivalently stacked and passionate, 'Taunted By Choice' is not as much about sex as would appear at first read. It is also a novel where expensive cars and designer duds are the order of the day.

sprinting showdown

Taunted by Choice is framed between Shane's admission of being gravely ill (the 'Big C') and the athlete being married to long-time girlfriend Lisa. However, the state of his health is not a strong enough hook by which to hang the very involved tale. That tale includes a sprinting showdown with the standard loud-mouthed adversary which captures the public imagination; the murder of Roxanne's sex-tryst partner Cindy (there is also a threesome with Biggs); Caramel's machinations to hold on to Michael; the near-murder of Biggs by a former pal; Regina and Linton's tussling over the probability of her moving to Cayman; and a spot of marital rape.

It is a lot, though to Henry's credit she does manage to untangle the tangled web of duplicity by the end.

However, Taunted by Choice could do with a decent editor. The writing is not top drawer to begin with, and there are simply too many simple errors to overlook. There is simply no excuse for the missing 's' from "as soon as her legs began to tremble in hi grip … ". Then there is the 'ir' that should have been added in "When he had introduced them to Lisa, they had felt compelled to accept and trust her, respective of her profile".

Additionally, there are parts of Taunted By Choice where the transition between different scenes is not clear.

Still, with those glaring flaws it is a credit to the plot that Taunted By Choice holds attention to the end.

That tale includes a sprinting showdown with the standard loud-mouthed adversary which captures the public imagination; the murder of Roxanne's sex-tryst partner Cindy (there is also a threesome with Biggs); Caramel's machinations to hold on to Michael; the near-murder of Biggs by a former pal; Regina and Linton's tussling over the probability of her moving to Cayman; and a spot of marital rape.