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Object of Lust
OBJECT OF LUST
Marian Dewitt is feeling restless. Her husband Dee is away a lot, and the years haven't been kind to their marriage. When Lewis Leland saves her from a near-drowning, she finds herself curious about the young man. She allows him to take her up until the hills one afternoon. But she is spotted by a group of young boys, her daughter's friends.
Marian flees the scene, mortified but grateful for the distraction. Because there is something strange about Lewis—something not quite right. Lewis is too cold and calculating. Soon he begins following Marian, spying on her, even ransacking her house. Lewis knows that soon she will be his—and there is nothing Marian can do about it!
Marian Dewitt is feeling restless. Her husband Dee is away a lot, and the years haven't been kind to their marriage. When Lewis Leland saves her from a near-drowning, she finds herself curious about the young man. She allows him to take her up until the hills one afternoon. But she is spotted by a group of young boys, her daughter's friends.
Marian flees the scene, mortified but grateful for the distraction. Because there is something strange about Lewis—something not quite right. Lewis is too cold and calculating. Soon he begins following Marian, spying on her, even ransacking her house. Lewis knows that soon she will be his—and there is nothing Marian can do about it!
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Published February 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 23, 2024
Charles Runyon originally published Object of Lust as one of Beacon’s adult books in 1961 under the name Mark West since practically no one published Beacon books under their real name. He wrote apparently a total of three books for Beacon’s steamy adult imprint under the Mark West name, three books as Ellery Queen, and fifteen under his real name between 1960 and 1977. Stark House’ Black Gat Books (# 43) republished the novel in February 2023 with the cover art credited to E4nest Chiriacka.
In the book, Runyon combines the steamy adult world of Beacon with the suburbanites having torrid affairs with each other with a serial rapist-killer who finds himself injected into the middle of the partner-swapping world of Beacon. Thirty-five year-old Marian, married mother of a twelve-year-old is at the center of the maelstorm. Marian gets the hots for the 22-year-old water-ski instructor Lewis, who rescues her from drowning, and she drives off with him into the brush, where she allows him to rip her clothing off only to spied on pre-teen friends of her daughter. Lewis, though, turns out to be a real creep who doesn’t like the word “no” and both Marian and her husband are suspicious of him and wary, perhaps for good reason as Lewis is on the run from a rape murder and has no qualms about committing a few more.
As hot and steamy as Lewis’ almost-conquest of Marian is, her roving eye is also fastened on Joe Forrest, who is the resort bachelor-in-chief, famed for his conquests of every woman available, married or not, in his romantic-hideaway cabin. Marian is fascinated by Joe and even has a steamy session with Joe, who has a readily available negligee to supply her in his cabin. Her husband is away on business for the evening, but her best friend Caroline sees it as her chance to get her hands on Dewitt, who she has lusted after for a decade and more. Meanwhile, Lewis, in a jealous rage, tears Marian and Dewitt’s home apart. Dewitt, a former prosecutor, swiftly puts the clues together that something is going on between his wife (Marian) and Joe and there are fireworks between the two.
This novel, Object of Lust, would be typical of the adult sleaze available in 1962, but for one thing, Runyon does not leave the novel at just bed-hopping and jealous fights. Rather, he creates a Night Stalker Richard Ramirez character in the form of Lewis, who is bewitched by Marian and obsessed with her to the point of kidnapping her and planning to turn her into her sex playmate for the near-future whether she is willing or not. Lewis feels no remorse for any of his actions, not even beating a waitress to death with a rock, when she hesitated at putting out for him. He is he perfect criminal with no excuses given for his behavior.
In the book, Runyon combines the steamy adult world of Beacon with the suburbanites having torrid affairs with each other with a serial rapist-killer who finds himself injected into the middle of the partner-swapping world of Beacon. Thirty-five year-old Marian, married mother of a twelve-year-old is at the center of the maelstorm. Marian gets the hots for the 22-year-old water-ski instructor Lewis, who rescues her from drowning, and she drives off with him into the brush, where she allows him to rip her clothing off only to spied on pre-teen friends of her daughter. Lewis, though, turns out to be a real creep who doesn’t like the word “no” and both Marian and her husband are suspicious of him and wary, perhaps for good reason as Lewis is on the run from a rape murder and has no qualms about committing a few more.
As hot and steamy as Lewis’ almost-conquest of Marian is, her roving eye is also fastened on Joe Forrest, who is the resort bachelor-in-chief, famed for his conquests of every woman available, married or not, in his romantic-hideaway cabin. Marian is fascinated by Joe and even has a steamy session with Joe, who has a readily available negligee to supply her in his cabin. Her husband is away on business for the evening, but her best friend Caroline sees it as her chance to get her hands on Dewitt, who she has lusted after for a decade and more. Meanwhile, Lewis, in a jealous rage, tears Marian and Dewitt’s home apart. Dewitt, a former prosecutor, swiftly puts the clues together that something is going on between his wife (Marian) and Joe and there are fireworks between the two.
This novel, Object of Lust, would be typical of the adult sleaze available in 1962, but for one thing, Runyon does not leave the novel at just bed-hopping and jealous fights. Rather, he creates a Night Stalker Richard Ramirez character in the form of Lewis, who is bewitched by Marian and obsessed with her to the point of kidnapping her and planning to turn her into her sex playmate for the near-future whether she is willing or not. Lewis feels no remorse for any of his actions, not even beating a waitress to death with a rock, when she hesitated at putting out for him. He is he perfect criminal with no excuses given for his behavior.
November 1, 2024
(Closer to 3.5 stars, really, damn you, Goodreads for your obstinate rating system.) Though there isn't really much actual sex depicted, there is a lot of lust and a generally horny, porny atmosphere. It's set in a resort town where most of the married couples seem frustrated with each other and are raring to have affairs. Marian, who is on the verge of splitting up with her often-absent husband, is tempted to have a purely physical fling with a young man who saves her from almost drowning, but can't quite commit to it. Unfortunately, the young man turns out to be a stalker who has killed in the past and seems likely to do it again if he doesn't get what he wants. The book's back cover makes this seem like the main plot, but the stalker aspect of the story fades in and out, only really taking center stage in the last quarter of the book. The rest deals with the relationships of the various characters, few of whom are really likable or sympathetic. As a relic of an "adult" novel from a different era (early 60s), it's pretty interesting if not always compelling.
June 4, 2025
It’s a decent, fast-paced novella packed with enough to keep you reading.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews