The Fan Club (published in 1974) by Irving Wallace

Irving Wallace was born in Chicago, to Jewish parents, Bessie and Alexander Wallace Who had Emigrated from Russia. He completed his studies in California and started out as a journalist at a tender age of 15. He studied creative writing at the Williams Institute in Berkley and from the mid-30s he worked as a free-lance correspondent. In 1941 he married Sylvia Kahn; they had two children. Irving Wallace served in the air force during world war two and later collaborated in several movies as a writer. His first book "Sins of Peter Fleming" did not attract much attention. But his second book influenced by the Kinsey report was a best seller. He has been a prolific churner of best sellers and his books have been adapted as major movies.
How far you would go if you are deeply infatuated with an eminent personality? How far would your obsession and fantasies propel your mind? Would you do murder, kidnapping, extortion and rape and justify your deviant behavior just because you are a fan? This is the questions thrown up by Irwin Wallace in The Fan Club.
The object of affection is Sharon Fields a buxom bombshell whose on screen persona has enamored millions of fans. She portrays the typical sex siren on screen where as off screen she is as reclusive and shy as the girl next door. She may be the dumb blonde on screen but in real life she she is as sharp as the needle.



But her on-screen-avatar has Adam Malone completely bewitched and he feels that he knows her completely. Wallace gives us the low down on his psyche where he fantasizes about Sharon and feels that she would love him if only she could get a chance to know him. He is a complete failure in maintaining a realistic relationship which adds to his desperation. So in the mean time he just dreams about Sharon and collects all information available.
A chance meeting with 3 other men puts forward the motion of sinister events. Kyle Shivley, a crude Vietnam Veteran has no respect and feelings for women. He gets cheap thrills by passing derogatory comments about women and never cares about a relationship. He is cunning, shrewd and cruel. Howard Yost is an insurance salesman whose is bored with his wife, job and life. Boredom pervades every aspect of his life and he indulges in sexual fantasies to get over the monotony. Leo Brunner is a timid accountant who is scared of everything in life. But he never admits to his fear and projects a sense of false bravado and try to impress women. The end result is rejection slip from the opposite sex.
So a chance meeting get these men talking in the bar about Sharon and the regurgitate all the false information planted in the media about Sharon. As the discussion grow more animated they decide to kidnap her to let her know about their love. They feel that she would understand their need and satisfy their lust. So the overt plan is set in to motion by these psycho's. Disguised as exterminators they stalk her, get to know her routine and places she frequents. So on the fateful day Sharon is waylaid in her jogging track, chloroformed and kidnapped. As she regains consciousness she confronts her kidnappers and does not submit to their advances. Adam and Co find that Sharon is nothing like her on screen persona and are pretty discouraged. But Kyle, Leo and Howard rape her with Adam as a mute bystander. But they don't count on the smart Sharon who is devastated but soon plans to escape. Does her captors get their just desserts? Find out in the Fan Club for it is an interesting story out there.