Herbert (a/k/a Melvin) Ritkin makes a lucrative living off of rich people who hire him to flood the internet with fake news stories push down other search results to suppress the unwanted narrative and spread something completely different. He refers to himself as a dirty, slimy opportunist, a grifter and a liar. When he is introduced to Titus—a thirty-two-year-old miscreant in the entertainment business worth over $400 million—he is blessed with an endless stream of work, some of which is not within his bailiwick. Outside of work, Melvin fantasizes about dating a porn star and gets his wish when he meets Ruby at one of Titus’s extravagant parties. They fall in love, and she moves in with him, along with her multi-poo dog, Frankie. When she becomes pregnant with his child, she gives up her porn career and settles in as the good wife and mother Melvin has always dreamed about. He loves their relationship and pictures them growing old together. But things quickly change when Ruby discovers evidence of some of Melvin’s nefarious dealings. She is outraged, causing their blissful family life to be in serious jeopardy.
PUBLIC OPINION is a well-written, well-structured novel with a complex storyline and characters. Author Nathan Pettijohn’s writing style is unique and contains a certain rhythm that invokes a tone and mood in the narrative that makes for impactful reading. It is a book of multiple intentions. It provides insight into the dark side of Hollywood and the film industry and serves as a manual for an assortment of crimes—internet catfishing, cyberbullying, computer hacking, and breaking and entering. And it is a love story. Precarious situations for Melvin get progressively worse, stakes get higher, and complications get more complicated as the drama unfolds.
Pettijohn’s characterization of Melvin—a man whose personality is comprised of multiple contradictions—is particularly interesting. He commits horrendous, immoral deeds for a living but still demonstrates the capacity for empathy. He seeks out a porn star for a life partner, yet expects her to be a sweet housewife and mother once he brings her into his home. He engages with prostitutes but cherishes his family and misses them terribly when he’s away. Colorful secondary characters add depth to the storyline and bring incredible tension throughout the narrative. With no shortage of misdeeds, scandals, corruption, and revenge, PUBLIC OPINION provides a look into a world rich in criminal activity, alcohol, drugs, and lots of money.
Strong dramatic content thickens Nathan Pettijohn’s PUBLIC OPINION, a character-driven plot involving a complicated man with exceptional cyberspace skills and a dodgy moral compass.
~Florence Osmund for IndieReader