Fiction
-- Library Journal, 10/15/2005
COONEY, ELLEN. A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies. Pantheon. Dec. 2005. c.320p. ISBN 0-375-42340-0. $23.95. F
The intriguing title of Cooney's (Gun Ball Hill) sixth novel suggests a brooding period piece; the promising plot, set in 1900s Boston, reinforces that suggestion. After three miscarriages and a long convalescence, invalid Charlotte Heath ventures from her husband's family mansion only to catch him kissing another woman. Shocked and dismayed, she dashes off to a hotel in the big city, not knowing that the Beechmont is actually a male brothel for privileged women. While the setting is ripe for torrid sex scenes, there is scarcely a one—not even an ellipsis followed by a dimming of the lights. Charlotte herself is a frustrating character, dull yet dizzy. Cooney does not clearly lay out her character's transition from a naïve, repressed housewife to a woman capable of independent thought. The plot meanders through Charlotte's silly musings and gets bogged down in many spots by interminable, clunky similes. In short, this novel squanders its potential with murky writing. Not recommended.—Christine Perkins, Burlington P.L., WA
DEW, ROBB FORMAN. The Truth of the Matter. Little, Brown. Nov. 2005. c.336p. ISBN 0-316-89004-9. $24.95. F
In Book Two of her trilogy (after The Evidence Against Her), Dew investigates how even the members of a close-knit family cannot truly know one another. Agnes Scofield has raised her children as a widow, having lost husband Warren in a car accident in 1930. This loss permeates the way in which Agnes recalls her life—she does not feel, she represses—and affects the relationships she has with her children. During World War II, her children leave home, and Agnes adjusts to single life only to have to readjust when they return to their small Ohio town with spouses and children in tow. The family ultimately finds the homecoming unsettling, as if they are just meeting one another for the first time. Dew's plain writing highlights the characters' inner lives and the wartime environment, yet it carries the reader along effortlessly. What could have been a rather dull premise is transformed by the attention not just to the details, but to the right details. Recommended for medium to large public and academic libraries.—Amy Ford, St. Mary's Cty. Lib., Lexington Park, MD
ELYOT, AMANDA. The Memoirs of Helen of Troy. Crown. Oct. 2005. c.320p. ISBN 0-307-20998-9. $23.95. F
Too often Helen, daughter of Zeus and the woman whose face launched a thousand ships, has been portrayed as an ornamental pawn of the gods. Yet Elyot, drawing on a relativist understanding of early religions and some feminist sympathy, depicts her as a woman of intelligence. This Helen is never oblivious to the violence and devastation but refuses to accept all the blame. Writing her memoirs to her estranged daughter, Hermione, Helen argues that before she was Helen of Troy, she was Helen of Sparta. Her family constellation included her tragic mother, Leda; belligerent sister Clytemnestra; and brothers later known as Castor and Pollex, just for starters. Paris enters the story nearly halfway through the book, adding to the effect that her love affair with him, while intense, was not the focus of her life. Considering that the story of the Trojan War is familiar to many readers, Elyot keeps the action moving with lots of exciting drama. Readers who enjoyed Margaret George's Memoirs of Cleopatra will enjoy this fresh take on a legendary woman. The author also writes chick-lit fiction (Miss Match) under her own name, Leslie Carroll. For all public libraries.—Mary Kay Bird-Guilliams, Wichita P.L., KS
FERRANTE, ELENA. The Days of Abandonment. Europa, dist. by Gale. 2005. c.192p. tr. from Italian by Ann Goldstein. ISBN 1-933372-00-1. pap. $14.95. F
First published in Italy in 2002, this book tells the timeless story of a married man leaving his wife for a much younger woman. Narrator Olga describes how her husband Mario tells her matter-of-factly about his lover after lunch one afternoon. As a metaphor for her situation, Olga invokes the "legend" of the poverella (literally the "poor woman"), who loses her home, marriage, and financial and emotional stability when her husband leaves her. Olga makes an effort to stave off that fate—she does not scream or rebuke Mario for abandoning her and her young children for a while, instead maintaining an eerie calm. Her emotions eventually boil over, however, and humiliation and anger come off her like molten lava, searing everything that they touch. Olga candidly describes the anxiety, fear, and tumult that lead from her trying to hurt Mario and his young lover to her creating a peaceful home for her and her children. In the end, she finds her own way out. Raw and gut-wrenching, this book will find fans in literary fiction readers but not among the timid. For medium and larger public libraries with contemporary fiction collections.—Lisa Nussbaum, Dauphin Cty. Lib. Syst., Harrisburg, PA
FITZGERALD, KITTY. Pigtopia. Miramax: Hyperion. 2005. c.256p. ISBN 1-4013-5251-0. $22.95. F
In her impressive U.S. debut, Irish playwright and poet Fitzgerald introduces Jack Plum, a deformed giant whose compassion and wisdom transcend the indignities he endures. Feared by his neighbors and abused by his mother, Jack takes an innocent interest in Holly Lock, a lonely outsider among the village teenagers who taunt him. Their relationship becomes a haven in which two misfits with bruised spirits discover and celebrate the curative powers of friendship—though they also risk the hostilities of those who misunderstand them. Both characters convincingly narrate the story in alternating chapters, but it is Jack's musical voice that invites reading aloud: his gentle, wistful cadences sound like a new kind of sean-nos singing (unaccompanied traditional singing in Irish). Although the novel concludes swiftly and sadly, Jack assures Holly—and us—that hope can flourish in the midst of heartbreak. Reminiscent of John Gardner's Grendel, this is highly recommended.—John G. Matthews, CTS/Cataloging, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
GAITSKILL, MARY. Veronica. Pantheon. Oct. 2005. c.240p. ISBN 0-375-42145-9. $23. F
In her first novel in ten years, Gaitskill (Bad Behavior; Two Girls, Fat and Thin) offers an ode to the complex feelings that manifest in women's friendships. When Alison, a fashion model recovering from a stint on the Paris runway, meets Veronica, she is immediately drawn to the older woman's quirky irreverence. As the two become closer, Alison is pulled into Veronica's colorful, if often dysfunctional, world. Although Gaitskill's protagonists are perfectly hewn, a host of ancillary characters adds heft to the story. What's more, the excesses of the 1980s—including sex and drugs—give a rich patina to the world of the hip and their imitators. Sadly, the nonstop party ends when Veronica contracts AIDS. Much of the narrative takes place on a single day in which a now middle-aged Alison reflects on her life via an onslaught of flashbacks. While this time frame stretches credibility, the novel is so well wrought that it barely matters. Beautifully and sensitively crafted, Gaitskill's return is highly recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/05.]—Eleanor J. Bader, Brooklyn, NY
GRUSHIN, OLGA. The Dream Life of Sukhanov. Putnam. Jan. 2006. c.368p. ISBN 0-399-15298-9. $24.95. F
There are two extraordinary things about this book: it exudes the wisdom of maturity in a first novel, and the young, Russian-born author writes beautifully—in English, her second language! On one level, Grushin recounts the comfortable life of fiftysomething art critic and former artist Anatoly Sukhanov, who enjoys all the perks of a pre-Gorbachev existence, until the arrival of a mysterious cousin at his family's capacious Moscow apartment. As his secure life begins to fray and then unravel, Sukhanov, who had the potential of brilliance as a young artist but eventually joined the Soviet establishment, is forced to confront the loss of his beloved wife, his two children, his editorship at the country's leading art magazine, in a word, his identity. Though an absorbing chronicle of life at the end of the Soviet era, this is really much more—a meditation on society, art, truth, and life. This time the publisher has it right: "that rare debut that requires no hype." Simply stunning. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Edward Cone, New York
HARROD-EAGLES, CYNTHIA. The Colonel's Daughter. Severn House. Dec. 2005. 240p. ISBN 0-7278-6290-1. $28.95. F
This enjoyable historical novel is narrated in turn by George West and Josella Grace, the 17-year-old daughter of his regiment's retired colonel. The story moves from our protagonists' initial meeting in the spring of 1954 to the resolution of their love story in 1964. By Chapter 2 (told from Josella's viewpoint a full decade after the events that George relates in Chapter 1), it becomes clear that something is keeping Josella from the man she loves. While the discerning reader will probably figure it out long before the novel's end, the characters are so engaging and their story so involving that the somewhat predictable "secret" does not detract from this entertaining love story. While this work is quite different from Harrod-Eagles's excellent Bill Slider mysteries, the author's fans will likely enjoy it, as will fans of Angela Thirkell and Rosamunde Pilcher. Recommended for popular fiction collections.—Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline P.L., MA
HARVEY, KENNETH J. The Town That Forgot How To Breathe. St. Martin's. Oct. 2005. c.480p. ISBN 0-312-34222-5. $24.95. F
Set in the author's native Newfoundland, Harvey's American debut is big in every way. The tiny fishing town of Bareneed is weathering some mysterious occurrences: mythical sea creatures are being netted, the preserved corpses of long-lost villagers are washing up, and a respiratory bug is going around. Fishing officer Joseph Blackwood arrives with his young daughter, too caught up at first in his dissolving marriage to notice anything strange in his ancestral town. Then he starts catching odd fish, and his daughter begins communicating with the ghost of his ethereal neighbor's missing daughter. Mystical, complicated, and always compelling, this is a standout among fall fiction; the combination of horror elements, an isolated community, and powerful prose might make this one a best seller. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., VA
HORN, DARA. The World To Come. Norton. Jan. 2006. c.314p. ISBN 0-393-05107-2. $24.95. F
Horn's accomplished second novel (after the award-winning In the Image) reads like a dynamic hybrid of Nicole Krauss's The History of Love and Milan Kundera's philosophical flights of fancy. It is an artful exploration of a Jewish American family's Eastern European roots, a rumination on forgery in art, and an inventive exploration of the work of Chagall and the forgotten writings of his Russian compatriots. Finding himself alone after his divorce and his mother's recent death, Ben Ziskind distracts himself with work, crafting questions for a TV quiz show. When he decides to steal a Chagall painting that once belonged to his mother, his actions shake him from his hermetic shell. Flashbacks to Ben's past and to the lives of Chagall and his one-time novelist friend, the Hidden One, merge together. Horn deftly weaves an intricate story steeped in folklore and family secrets. Along the way, readers are offered glimpses of the possibilities, allegorical and otherwise, of life's beginning and end. This is intelligent, compelling literary fiction; recommended for public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/05.]—Misha Stone, Seattle P.L.
HURD, JIMMY. Turnaround. Strebor: S. & S. Oct. 2005. c.288p. ISBN 1-59309-045-5. pap. $13. F
A young girl's flirtation and innuendo leave teenage country boys speechless but have a totally different effect on an Atlanta judge. He quickly seizes control of the situation and leads 15-year-old Jerzy Rabideaux into areas of social and sexual relations where she has never before ventured. The result is a tragedy that draws three families into a bizarre tangle of misunderstandings, revenge, and death. Debut novelist Hurd takes a look at America's attitudes toward child abuse and retribution in an action-filled drama that leaves thoughtful readers with more questions than answers, even though the conclusion is neat and final. Recommended for large fiction collections. [Started by best-selling author Zane in 1991, Strebor was acquired this summer by Simon & Schuster; it will become an imprint of Atria Books, while Zane remains publisher.—Ed.].—Thomas L. Kilpatrick, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
KAUFMAN, ALAN. Matches. Back Bay: Little, Brown. Oct. 2005. c.256p. ISBN 0-316-10664-X. pap. $13.95. F
Nathan Falk, an American fighting in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), faces many difficulties in battle and patrolling the streets of Gaza—in addition to the jeers of soldiers from his battalion who can't figure out why someone with an American passport would be willing to risk his life for a country not his own. A Zionist and a good soldier, Nathan narrates the vicissitudes of war with great intensity. In the process of repeated call-ups, he gains the support of his fighting unit. High stakes off the battlefield ensue as well, including games of Risk and love making to his best friend's wife. Along the way, Nathan learns much from the Bedouin tracker about cultural mores. In this finely wrought, visceral first novel, Kaufman (editor, The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry) offers a thinly veiled account of his experiences as an American serving tours of duty in the IDF; it is also a window into the current Israeli conflict. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Molly Abramowitz, Silver Spring, MD
KING, KEVIN. All the Stars Came Out That Night. Dutton. Oct. 2005. c.432p. ISBN 0-525-94905-4. $24.95. F
It's October 1934. The Detroit Tigers have won a hard-fought, seven-game World Series, and baseball is over until spring. Then Clarence Darrow persuades Henry Ford to bankroll a contest between the best white players and the crème de la crème of the Negro League. Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis imposes conditions: only seven white major leaguers, no more than five from one team, and no spectators. Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, minor leaguer Joe DiMaggio, and past-his-prime Shoeless Joe Jackson go up against Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell (the fastest man in baseball), and Josh Gibson (arguably the greatest hitter ever) at Boston's Fenway Stadium, under bootlegged lights. Movie stars George Raft and Carole Lombard are there, as is gossip columnist Walter Winchell, who narrates poet King's debut novel. Written in a zippy, freewheeling style reminiscent of (but not as good as) Jerome Charyn, it captures Depression era baseball's highs and lows. Recommended.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA
NOYES, DEBORAH. Angel and Apostle. Unbridled. Oct. 2005. c.304p. ISBN 1-932961-10-0. $24.95. F
It is 1649 Boston in Noyes's debut novel, which overlaps with the end of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne's daughter Pearl is now a fiery wood sprite, reveling in her mother's guarded love even as she rebels against the ever-present shameful, fading red A pinned to Hester's bodice. Pearl, bright, funny, and given to impatient rages, befriends and enchants the isolated, blind Simon, son of a seaman; however, it is Simon's much older brother, Nehemiah, who marries Pearl when she is barely out of her teens and sets into motion a tragic romantic triangle of enormous consequence. As Noyes takes readers beyond the end of Hawthorne's tale and into Pearl's adulthood, the tragedies and mistakes of the past are reconstituted and feed on one another both in Boston and across the ocean. In language nearly as beautiful and powerful as Hawthorne's, Noyes tackles passion and Puritanism in a riveting historical tale with timeless overtones. Strongly recommended.—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
PIERCY, MARGE. Sex Wars: A Novel of the Turbulent Post–Civil War Period. Morrow. Dec. 2005. c.416p. ISBN 0-06-078983-2. $24.95. F
In 1868, thousands of immigrants streamed into New York City in search of the American dream and instead found crushing poverty. Among this influx is recently widowed Freydeh, a Russian Jewish girl who must learn how to survive and finance her family's passage to the United States by herself. As an immigrant, Freydeh is barred from respectable trades and forced to juggle several abysmal jobs. While toiling away, she learns that one of her sisters is already in the city and seemingly lost. Woven into Freydeh's story of survival is the real-life fight for women's rights, with cameos by historical figures like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Poet, novelist, and essayist Piercy (Gone to Soldiers) deftly weaves both story lines into a novel that will please historical fiction fans. It coincides with the 85th anniversary of the passage of 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and this will likely boost interest. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/05.]—Marika Zemke, West Bloomfield Twp. P.L., MI
RESTREPO, LAURA. Isle of Passion. Ecco: HarperCollins. Nov. 2005. c.272p. tr. from Spanish by Dolores M. Koch. ISBN 0-06-008898-2 [ISBN 978-0-06-008898-9]. $24.95. F
Colombian novelist Restrepo (The Angel of Galilea) sets this dystopian tale—based on an actual historic incident—on a remote tiny Pacific atoll between 1908 and 1916. ClippertonIsland, also known as the Isle of Passion, was first discovered by Ferdinand Magellan and at the time of the story belongs to Mexico. Ramon Arnaud, an army captain, is named governor and joined by his young wife, eventually their three children, and 11 soldiers and their families. Between the political chaos of the Mexican Revolution and the beginnings of World War I, the residents are forgotten by their government, and their utopia turns sour. In its brutal isolation, the island lives up to its name, with every possible human passion, from love and lust to hate and greed, coming to the fore. First issued in Spanish in 1989, this extraordinarily gripping novel communicates surprising lessons on the human condition. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Mary Margaret Benson, Linfield Coll. Lib., McMinnville OR
RICH, LANI DIANE. Ex and the Single Girl. 5 Spot: Warner. Nov. 2005. c.257p. ISBN 0-446-69307-3. pap. $12.95. F
Since her boyfriend dumped her, Portia Fallon has been lurking in her apartment with Cheetos, chardonnay, and A&E's Pride and Prejudice, and she hasn't looked at her Ph.D. dissertation in weeks. If she stays in Syracuse, NY, she's afraid she'll become a crazy cat lady. So, at her flighty mother's request, she reluctantly heads home to Truly, GA, where her mother, grandmother, and aunt—collectively known as the Miz Fallons—reside. Although it's "Miz" because there are no Mr. Fallons, the trio does appreciate men and even has a sexy British novelist lined up to help Portia get over her breakup. This strong romantic thread combines nicely with Portia's need to understand her abandonment by her father and her family's strange behavior. Rich's third novel (after Time Off for Good Behavior and Maybe Baby) takes Southern eccentricity over the top, but her sprightly dialog and humor ensure an enjoyable story. A fast, fun read, especially for those who enjoy the quirky characters of authors like Jennifer Crusie and Eileen Rendahl. Strongly recommended for all popular fiction collections.—Lisa Davis-Craig, Canton P.L., MI
ROBINSON, KIM STANLEY. Fifty Degrees Below. Bantam. Oct. 2005. c.416p. ISBN 0-553-80312-3. $25. F
The second installment in sf writer Robinson's environmental trilogy (after Forty Signs of Rain) focuses on idealistic Frank Vanderwal, a fortysomething sociobiologist working for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Washington, DC. The NSF—with global warming provoking extreme weather episodes and abrupt climate changes (the first novel depicted a devastating flood; this one features extreme cold spells)—has become a leading force for ecological change and climate experimentation. And so we follow Vanderwal as he helps determine science funding at his job, lives in a tree in the now mostly ruined National Zoo, develops a romantic relationship with a mysterious woman who works for one of several sinister government surveillance agencies, and interacts with a variety of other people, many of whom appeared in the first novel. While Robinson's subject matter is interesting, the incremental nature of global climate change also accounts for the novel's weaknesses. Much of the well-researched scientific exposition emerges at inherently nondramatic NSF bureaucratic meetings; the plot lacks the dramatic impact of, say, an alien invasion. Still, this book—and the trilogy as a whole—may offer a welcome antidote to Michael Crichton's recent anti–global warming novel, State of Fear. Recommended for all public libraries and for academic libraries where interest warrants. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/05.]—Roger A. Berger, Everett Community Coll., WA
SCHAFFERT, TIMOTHY. The Singing and Dancing Daughters of God. Unbridled. Nov. 2005. c.256p. ISBN 1-932961-12-7. pap. $14.95. F
In a small, off-center, Nebraska town, Hud, charming odd-jobber and father of two, struggles with the pain of a divorce he doesn't want by plucking out original country and western tunes on an old guitar, staying slightly inebriated on sips of vodka, and entertaining the idle notion of making off with his eight-year-old daughter, Nina. Meanwhile, Hud's little family, such as it is, is missing their teenage son and brother, Gatling, who has run off with an alternative gospel rock band. As grievous as all this may sound, Schaffert's appealing second novel (after The Phantom Limbs of the Rollow Sisters) is anything but tragic. Laced with hope and an aching sweetness, it is as whimsical and smile-inducing as its title. Readers will fall for Hud, his family, and the one-off inhabitants of the quirky little town from page one owing to Schaffert's homey yet elegant and precise prose. The only reason to put the book down is to make it last. Highly recommended for public libraries.—Jyna Scheeren, Troy P.L., NY
STROHMEYER, SARAH. The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives. Dutton. Oct. 2005. c.322p. ISBN 0-525-94909-7. $23.95. F
Agatha Award winner Strohmeyer, author of the mystery series starring the eponymous Bubbles Yablonsky, takes a different tack but loses none of the thrills. Hunting Hills, OH, the gated Cleveland suburb for the socialite country club set, is simply abuzz with the news that their most respected divorced bachelor, John Harding, has married a common West Virginia career woman, journalist Claire Stark. Intelligent and down-to-earth, Claire naturally has trouble fitting in with the wealthy wives of Hunting Hills, who conduct their lives according to a trivial set of rules. The loss of John Harding to such a gal does not sit well in particular with the gorgeous Marti Denton, who, neglected by her philandering husband, sets her sights on dismantling the new marriage. Much of the novel's humor centers on the disparate world views and priorities held by Claire and the tanned, buffed, predatory clique members who feel socially required to at least appear to befriend her. Chock-full of trysts, insidious plots, and investment scandals, the novel moves rapidly toward some inevitable and satisfying comeuppances. An enjoyable read; recommended for all large fiction collections.—Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC
SULLIVAN, FAITH. Gardenias. Milkweed. 2005. c.382p. ISBN 1-57131-045-2 [ISBN 978-1-57131-045-3]. $24. F
Seventeen years ago, Sullivan's novel The Cape Ann introduced readers to six-year-old Lark Ernhardt and the town of Harvester, MN. In this follow-up novel, nine-year-old Lark, her newly separated mother, and Aunt Betty have moved to California to forge a new life. Set during World War II, the story follows the family and its new friends as they struggle to reconcile their pasts and the present. Lark is particularly challenged by her relationship with Shirley, a young girl who, while she fails to befriend Lark, is welcomed into their home by Aunt Betty. Although Sullivan writes competently, she fails to engage the reader fully. It seems that the author just doesn't have the same feel for wartime California as she does for Harvester, or perhaps the bleakness of wartime fails to warm Gardenias. Still, the novel is sure to be in demand in collections that feature Sullivan's previous works.—Caroline M. Hallsworth, City of Greater Sudbury, Ont.
TORTI, SYLVIA. The Scorpion's Tail. Curbstone, dist. by Consortium. Oct. 2005. c.268p. ISBN 1-931896-17-8. pap. $15. F
Despite winning the Miguel Mármol Prize (for reflecting a respect for intercultural understanding and fostering an appreciation for human rights and civil liberties), Torti's debut novel disappoints in its ubiquitous clichés and unimaginative themes. Two stories are told concurrently: that of the Zapatista rebellion in Mexico and a research team as they study bird migratory patterns. While the indigenous Indians finally unify to preserve their way of life, land, and cultural heritage, the Mexican military—portrayed primarily from the perspective of two youthful army conscripts unclear of their mission—prepare for battle. Meanwhile, the four researchers, Americans and Mexicans, are unexpectedly caught in the middle. This radical and unstable environment significantly alters the life direction of two characters. Potentially of interest in public libraries serving a Mexican population.—Sofia A. Tangalos, SUNY Buffalo, NY
SHORT STORIES
DAVIDSON, CRAIG. Rust and Bone. Norton. Nov. 2005. c.288p. ISBN 0-393-06129-9. $23.95. F
Davidson's forceful debut collection arrives like a jab to the jaw from one of his colorful characters. Sometimes masochistic, always muscled in the diction of the men who people them, the stories are impossible to ignore. Davidson brings us hard men—alcoholic fathers, sex-addicted porn stars, boxers, a repo man, a magician who deserts his two children—without patronizing them or their extreme conditions. He is as adept at the humorous interplay of personality in a sex addicts anonymous meeting (in "Friction") as he is in describing a vicious dogfight (in the excellent "A Mean Utility"). There are also quiet moments of grace, particularly in "An Apprentice's Guide to Modern Magic" and "On Sleepless Roads." Even when Davidson pushes the limits of what a reader can stomach, he never loses our attention or our empathy. Recommended as a young writer to watch.—Prudence Peiffer, Cambridge, MA
INGALLS, RACHEL. Times Like These. Graywolf. Oct. 2005. c.320p. ISBN 1-55597-431-7. pap. $16. F
Ingalls, who is best known for her widely acclaimed novel Mrs. Caliban, has had an ongoing interest in exploring violent extremes in human behavior. She has been particularly interested in psychological states where dreams, madness, and sanity converge. In this powerfully disturbing new collection, she brings readers once again into a sinister and surreal world. Although a few of the stories are weakened by implausible plotting, some of the best may well remind readers of Shirley Jackson or Flannery O'Connor. "No Love Lost," for example, is set in a remote, war-ravaged countryside. The civilian government has collapsed, and a family has been reduced to the most primitive kind of brutality and self-interest. "Veterans" is another unnerving story in which the main character, a returned war veteran, is hopelessly lost in a miasma of memory, dream, and madness. This accomplished collection has unsettling things to say about morality, human psychology under duress, and our capacity for violence. Recommended for all libraries.—Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT
PERLMAN, ELLIOT. The Reasons I Won't Be Coming. Riverhead: Putnam. Dec. 2005. c.288p. ISBN 1-57322-321-2. $24.95. F
From fairly brief impressionistic vignettes to longer family histories, this story collection showcases the talents of young, Australian-born Perlman (Seven Types of Ambiguity). In the longest tale, a young woman relates her Jewish family's emigration/escape from Russia during the Brehznev years and the beginnings of a new life in Australia. The young woman, Rose, and her strong-willed mother are able to adapt, the father and brother can't, and the brother moves out on his own before vanishing suddenly. Rose then hires a private investigator and tracks him down as the story takes improbable and sometimes humorous twists leading to a highly dramatic climax. Another longer story, "Manslaughter," depicts a criminal trial from the perspective of the victim's widow, who discovers a side of her husband she never knew as the events leading up to the crime are divulged. The touching story "I Was Only in a Childish Way Connected to the Established Order" tells how a poet suffering a mental breakdown relates everything in his own life to the Russian poet Osip Mandelstam and his tragic life and death under Stalin. Expansively written with admirable control and generous detail, this is an excellent collection and is highly recommended for fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/05.]—Jim Coan, SUNY at Oneonta Lib.
LAST-MINUTE MYSTERY GATISS, MARK. The Vesuvius Club: A Bit of Fluff. Scribner. Oct. 2005. c.240p. illus. ISBN 0-7432-8394-5 [ISBN 978-0-7432-8394-6]. pap. $13. M
Lucifer Box, His Majesty's most daring secret agent, dresses as nattily as James Bond, has the unrestrained ego of Austin Powers, and is as competent as Inspector Clouseau. Always proper and polite, even when terminating his targets, Box has now been called on a special assignment involving the mysterious Vesuvius Club to find out who's murdering the scientists of Edwardian England. Even under the most heinous conditions, Box prides himself on his impeccable grooming and beauty, volunteering that a baroness once told him that she could cut her wrists on his cheekbones. Box's quest for perfection in his clothing leads him to do things of which mere mortals would never dream, such as popping the glass eye out of a victim to secure a sample of a particular shade of green to show his tailor. Full of Edward Gorey-ish humor—think of Box as Gomez Addams's other brother—and a supporting cast of equally bizarre secondary characters, this unexpected, outrageous, morbid, and wickedly funny book will make an entertaining addition to public libraries of all sizes. Gattis, an actor who played not one but several characters in the BBC television production of The League of Gentlemen, is currently working on a movie of the same name. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 6/1/05.]—Shelley Mosley, Glendale Community Coll. Lib., AZ
GRAFTON, SUE. S Is for Silence. Marian Wood: Putnam. Dec. 2005. c.368p. ISBN 0-399-15297-0. $26.95. M
On July 4, 1953, small-town wife and mother Violet Sullivan disappears without a trace. Did she leave her abusive husband and young daughter behind, never to contact them again, or did a secret (or not-so-secret) lover do her in? Fast-forward to the 1980s: Daisy, the missing woman's now grown daughter, enlists Kinsey Milhone (R Is for Ricochet) to resolve her mother's disappearance. Although this is the 19th entry of her popular alphabet series, Grafton has struck on another fresh tack, alternating between Kinsey's current investigation and the days leading up to Violet's disappearance as told by the people who knew her. The climax that results when the two narratives converge will leave readers breathlessly awaiting the next installment. Essential for all collections. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 8/05.]—Andrea Young Griffth, Loma Linda Univ. Lib., CA
HARVEY, JOHN. Ash & Bone. Harcourt. Dec. 2005. c.384p. ISBN 0-15-101139-7. $25. M
Harvey's (Lonely Hearts) mystery series featuring Detective Inspector Charlie Resnick made him world famous. Now he has the difficult task of popularizing a new series without simply redoing the old. In this second novel featuring retired Nottinghamshire detective Frank Elder—the first, Flesh & Blood, won Britain's Silver Dagger Award—Elder is drawn back into the game when a former colleague is murdered. Complications arise when Elder's estranged teenage daughter, a recent kidnapping and rape victim, becomes caught up in the drug scene, and several cops appear to be on the wrong side of the law. Harvey relies on character and dialog, with a strong sense of place, to draw complex characters in complex situations. Like Ian Rankin, he displays a compassionate view of ordinary people, both criminals and police, while ensnaring the reader with tightly woven plots. The writing is so good that one doesn't notice it; there is humor and sorrow, rarely simplicity. Highly recommended for all collections. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 8/05.]—Roland Person, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
LA PLANTE, LYNDA. Above Suspicion. Touchstone: S. & S. Jan. 2006. c.400p. ISBN 0-7432-7685-X [ISBN 978-0-7432-7685-6]. pap. $14. M
Most people hear best-selling British author La Plante's name and think of embattled Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison (as played by Helen Mirren) of Prime Suspectfame. While the author's last novel, Royal Heist, was a crime caper, here she returns to the familiar (and beloved) police procedural. In this sharp and fast-paced book, twentysomething Anna Travis is a literary descendent of Jane Tennison. Assigned as a rookie detective to her first murder investigation, Anna experiences a different police climate then her progenitor did. The murder team to which she's assigned is trying to find a serial killer who has moved from preying on prostitutes to killing an "innocent" young woman. Driven to succeed and alternately challenged and charmed by her new boss, Chief Inspector Langton, Anna has her work cut out for her—especially when their prime suspect takes a personal interest in her. Though the mystery is not all that gripping, the cat-and-mouse game between cop and killer is. And as always, La Plante excels at involving readers in the inner workings of a police investigation. Recommended for public libraries.—Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI
VARGAS, FRED. Have Mercy on Us All. S. & S. Nov. 2005. c.368p. tr. from French by David Bellos. ISBN 0-7432-8401-1. pap. $14. M
International best-selling mystery writer Vargas (her first name is short for Frédérique) makes her U.S. debut with a contemporary crime story that revives the Black Death. In Paris, ex-sailor Joss Le Guern has resurrected the ancient trade of town crier. Recently, strange messages from an anonymous source have been creeping in amid the ads and announcements. When an old man deciphers these as literary references to the plague, each more ominous than the last, Chief Inspector Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg and his assistant, Adrien Danglard, take the case. Together they must deal with a serial killer who aims to create mass panic and whose motivation may be revenge for a past wrong. Vargas has an original, slightly skewed way of seeing the world; she populates her novel with a host of quirky yet appealing characters, from the oddball town crier to the off-kilter chief inspector. The plot, which merges the medieval with the modern, is gripping. (One minor flaw: the translation is clearly British.) Readers will be begging for more romans policiers (police procedurals) from this talented writer. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 7/05.]—Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson
Deck the Halls By Rebecca Vnuk
These 13 titles deliver the best of the season.
Winter is fast approaching, bringing holiday fiction to the shelves. Although the bulk of this year's crop revolve around Christmas, none is particularly religious in tone, instead using the holiday as a secular setting for heartwarming tales of family and love. [For more spiritual holiday tales, see the Christian Fiction column, LJ 9/1/05.—Ed.]
ALEXANDER, CARLY. The Secret Life of Mrs. Claus. Strapless: Kensington. Oct. 2005. c.352p. ISBN 0-7582-0925-8. pap. $12.95. F
A fictional department store and a special Mrs. Claus costume link three holiday stories together. The Rossman retail empire is starting to show its age, and sales projections are slumping, so the decision is made to resurrect the Mrs. Claus character for the holidays. In Baltimore, Olivia is recovering from a broken ankle, a broken romance, and a broken dream of becoming a dancer when she takes the job. The suit brings her luck, so she sends it on to next year's Mrs. C.—Cassie, in San Francisco. A harried single mom, Cassie worries about losing her job at the store but is then given the chance to play Mrs. Claus. In the last story, store heiress Meredith is forced to play Mrs. Claus against her will at the flagship Chicago store, where she meets the handsome Santa and realizes her life can't revolve around sales figures. Delightful and funny, Alexander's (Ghosts of Boyfriends Past) newest holiday offering is a good bet for all public libraries.
CHIAVERINI, JENNIFER. The Christmas Quilt. S. & S. (Elm Creek Quilts). Nov. 2005. c.206p. ISBN 0-7432-8657-X. $18.95. F
While searching for decorations on Christmas Eve, Sarah finds a lovely unfinished Christmas quilt. Elm Creek master quilter Sylvia knows the quilt's history and narrates several tales of holidays past, recalling how many times the quilt had been pulled out of storage to be completed, only to be forgotten until next year as a family drama unfolded. Eventually, the quilt was put away for good, not unearthed for over 50 years. Will this be the year it is finally finished, under happy circumstances? With eight books in the "Elm Creek" series, libraries should plan on demand for Chiaverini's latest, but even readers unfamiliar with the series will enjoy this charming story of love and family.
A Dixie Christmas: Holiday Stories from the South's Best Writers. Algonquin. 2005. c.208p. ed. by Charline McCord & Judy Tucker. illus. ISBN 1-56512-483-9. $15.95. F
This third volume from the editors of Christmas in the South and A Very Southern Christmas features such notable Dixie authors as Ellen Gilchrist, Rick Bass, and NPR commentator Bailey White. In Gilchrist's "A Southern Christmas," a woman takes a brief, nostalgic look back on Christmas during World War II, when the best present was a new wardrobe for her doll. Short story writer Lynn Barrett's tale revolves around lebkuchen ("love cookies"), central to a family's holiday traditions. Not all of the stories in this uneven collection are in the heartwarming holiday vein, however, so readers looking for a charming Fannie Flagg–style holiday read may be disappointed. Regional libraries will want a copy, but this is an optional purchase for most short story collections.
GRAFF, LAURIE & OTHERS. Scenes from a Holiday. Red Dress. Nov. 2005. c.336p. ISBN 0-373-89537-2. pap. $12.95. F
Three Red Dress Ink authors come together for stories of Hanukkah, New Year's Eve, and a country Christmas. In Graff's "The Eight Dates of Hanukkah," events planner Nicki suffers a blow to the head and finds herself trapped in a "Hanukkoma"—an endless loop inside her mind in which each day of Hanukkah brings her a new date from hell. Will she wake up and take stock of the good things in her real life? In "Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution," the quirky title character from Caren Lissner's debut novel (Carrie Pilby) is back, determined to peek out from her shell. And in Melanie Murray's "Emma Townsend Saves Christmas," big-city lawyer Emma is stuck at her parents' farm in Vermont for Christmas. Things begin to look up, however, when she discovers that her high school crush still lives in town. Purchase for your chick-lit readers.
GUINN, JEFF. How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas. Tarcher: Penguin. 2005. c.320p. ISBN 1-58542-437-4. $18.95. F
Drawing on an actual historical event (the Canterbury Christmas March of 1647), this follow-up to The Autobiography of Santa Claus once again combines history with legend. Born in the year 377 A.D., Layla stops aging when she marries the magical and mysterious Nicholas. They become the Mr. and Mrs. Claus the world knows and loves. In the early 1600s, Mrs. Claus fights in England to keep the traditions of Christmas despite a Puritan ban. A weightier read than one might expect, this story is both educational and amusing.
HANNAH, KRISTIN. Comfort and Joy. Ballantine. Nov. 2005. c.272p. ISBN 0-345-48367-7. $15.95. F
Things aren't going well this holiday season for librarian Joy Candellaro. It was bad enough that her husband cheated on her with her own sister, but discovering that the couple is expecting a baby and receiving an invitation to their wedding sends her over the top. She flees to the airport and on a whim catches a charter plane to the Pacific Northwest. When the plane makes a crash landing, Joy survives but is left stranded at an old fishing lodge, where she meets the proprietor, a handsome widower, and his young son. She finds herself unexpectedly falling in love with both the precocious boy and his gruff father. Come Christmas Eve, Joy must decide if she can stand up to her real life or get lost in a dream world. This tale of magic, love, and fantasy will appeal to Hannah's many fans, but a clunky paranormal aspect may leave others scratching their heads. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/05.]
HARRY, LOU. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Roadside Amusements: Penguin. Oct. 2005. c.224p. ISBN 1-59609-163-0. $18.95 with DVD. F
Comic writer Harry (Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures) takes on the novelization of the 1964 cult film, which has made it onto many a "worst movies ever" list. (It also featured a young Pia Zadora as the Martian daughter.) Santa Claus gets kidnapped by Martians upset that their children have become obsessed with TV shows from Earth that extol his virtues. This edition features movie stills as well as a DVD of the film (not seen). Film and pop culture buffs may get a kick out of this, but it's a marginal purchase for most libraries.
MEDLICOTT, JOAN. A Covington Christmas. Pocket: S. & S. Nov. 2005. c.256p. ISBN 0-7434-9921-2. $15.95. F
The Ladies of Covington (At Home in Covington) find themselves banding together for another crisis. A fire has left the CoveRoadCommunityChurch in great disrepair, and while cleaning out the attic, they've discovered that a former pastor was never actually ordained. This means that several of Covington's oldest couples were never legally married. When the panic passes, the couples decide to get married in a shared ceremony on Christmas Eve, but it will take a miracle to get the church back in shape in time. This cozy, gentle read is sure to please Medlicott's many readers.
THAYER, NANCY. Hot Flash Holidays. Ballantine. Nov. 2005. c.320p. ISBN 0-345-48551-3. $16.95. F
The Hot Flash Club is back for a third outing (after The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again), this time celebrating the holidays at the posh Haven spa. Unfortunately, the holiday cheer only goes so far when each of the ladies realizes what's on her plate for the season. Faye breaks her ankle, Polly sets her house on fire, Shirley makes a big financial mistake, and Alice and Marilyn have man issues. Throughout the year to the next Christmas, we see how they band together and solve their problems. Humorous and light, Thayer's latest is recommended for most public libraries, particularly where the first two books were popular.
WRIGHT, JASON. The Christmas Jars. ShadowMountain. Nov. 2005. c.112p. ISBN 1-59038-481-4. pap. $7.95. F
Journalist Hope Jensen is devastated when her adoptive mother dies from ovarian cancer shortly after Christmas. Adding to her woes, her apartment is broken into and all of her emergency cash stolen. Hope then discovers that someone has left her a gift—a glass mason jar labeled "Christmas Jar," filled with money. Using her investigative skills, she learns that in recent years, several people have reported receiving these mysterious jars in times of need. Hope's search leads her to the Maxwell family and their generous Christmas tradition—and to some truths about her birth mother. In the tradition of Catherine Ryan Hyde's Pay It Forward, Wright's holiday novel could inspire others to Christmas generosity. Recommended for paperback collections.
BRIEFLY NOTED
KELLEY, LEE CHARLES. 'Twas the Bite Before Christmas. Avon. Nov. 2005. 384p. ISBN 0-06-073228-8. pap. $6.99. FMaine kennel owner and ex-cop Jack Field's (A Nose for Murder) holiday plans are interrupted by the murder of a housemaid in a local mansion.
A Kudzu Christmas: Twelve Mysterious Tales. RiverCity.2005. c.184p. ed. by Jim Gilbert & Gail Walter. Illus. ISBN 1-57966-064-9. $24.95. F
This anthology features 12 suspenseful Southern stories (one for each day of Christmas) by such regional authors as Suzanne Hudson, Carolyn Haines, Dean James, and Daniel Wallace, who also did the cover art and illustrations.
PERRY, ANNE. A Christmas Guest. Ballantine. Nov. 2005. ISBN 0-345-48380-4. $16.95. F
In the third volume of Perry's holiday series (after A Christmas Visitor and A Christmas Journey), tart Grandmama from Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries turns amateur detective when a fellow guest at the home of Charlotte's parents is murdered.
