Fiction

Sammar is a devout Muslim widow from Sudan who works as an Arabic translator at a university in Aberdeen, Scotland. Scotsman Rae Isles is an agnostic scholar of Middle East studies. In working closely together on Rae’s academic projects, the two develop a strong friendship with romantic potential—until religious and philosophical differences get in the way. When an opportunity arises for Sammar to return to her hometown of Khartoum to visit her family and young son, she goes there and decides to stay, until a letter arrives from Scotland that may change everything. Sammar and Rae personify, respectfully and realistically, the cultural struggles playing out in today’s world. Sammar’s experience as a professional immigrant woman in search of peace but still caught between two differing worlds should resonate with many readers internationally. Aboulela (Minaret) deftly handles the contrasting settings of Aberdeen and Khartoum and presents a rare and timely perspective. Her writing is restrained and evocative, subtle and graceful. First published in 1999 in Britain, this work is highly recommended for large fiction collections.—Jenn B. Stidham, Houston Community Coll. Northeast Lib.

Patti, Rosa, and Christine Mugisha live in Uganda during and after Idi Amin’s 1971–79 dictatorship. Each girl tells a poignant part of her own story, simultaneously relating the struggles, hardships, and joys of life in the town of Entebbe, near the capital city of Kampala. Choices and their consequences are central to each issue the sisters confront. This gives the reader a uniquely Ugandan insider’s view of life’s complications on subjects ranging from AIDS to emigration to food shortages. Award-winning writer Baingana’s fiction debut is compelling and very human. She captures sultry afternoons, the adolescent anticipation of things to come, and cultural misunderstandings insightfully. Highly recommended.—Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., New Providence

In the fertile land of Mesopotamia circa 3000 B.C.E., the first cities arose, threatening the existence of nomads who depended on raiding small, defenseless farmsteads and villages for food and slaves. When news reaches the people of one of these cities that the barbaric Alur Meriki have targeted them for their next raid, Eskkar, a nomadic warrior exiled from his clan, assumes the role of war leader and devises a plan to save Orak and its people. With the assistance of his wife, who was a former slave and daughter of a noble, Eskkar unites the people of Orak, builds an enormous wall around the city, and, with a few hundred archers and warriors, defeats a horde of thousands. Barone has written a compelling first novel of the dawning of an age that saw the rise of the great walled cities of Akkad and Sumaria. Readers will find it hard to put down this dramatic tale of conflict between cultures, bloody warfare, and early diplomacy and statehood as seen through the eyes of a man born to conquer and rule. Recommended for public and university libraries where there is an interest in ancient civilizations.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK

Family dysfunction gets a much-needed makeover in this solid, satisfying novel from Orange Prize winner Berne (A Crime in the Neighborhood). When Cynthia Fiske, a successful author, reluctantly agrees to visit one of her sisters, Frances, for Thanksgiving, the siblings resume their long-running argument over what really happened the night their mother died. Despite their best efforts, this disagreement permeates their conversations, lacing each word with passive-aggressive meaning and adding suspense to daily routines. Readers who like a measured pace will enjoy the tension that builds as Cynthia’s visit progresses, while those who appreciate a good metaphor will relish the parallel between Cynthia’s latest project—a history of Mark Twain’s daughters—and the Fiskes’ own trauma. Amusing concrete symbols, e.g., a Jacuzzi-thawed turkey and one of the ugliest family heirlooms to grace the pages of contemporary fiction, add heft to the narrative, making it easy for the reader to see (and choose) sides. An original take on a frequently explored subject; recommended for medium to large fiction collections.—Leigh Anne Vrabel, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh

Will Monroe, a young and ambitious New York Times journalist investigating the seemingly unrelated deaths of men with widely disparate backgrounds on opposite ends of the country, becomes ensnared in a nightmare when his wife is kidnapped. Desperate to save her, Will enlists the assistance of computer genius Tom Fontaine, a former college friend, and Will’s brilliant ex-girlfriend, T.C. Lieberman. Tracing the computer threats to an Internet café located in an ultraorthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, Will and T.C. uncover an assassination plot to kill 36 righteous men mentioned in an obscure biblical legend. Their race to save these men leads to a shocking revelation. Bourne’s swiftly moving plot is hampered by awkward characterization, but the multiple action scenes and shocking twist at the end are sure to please readers. Offering a new take on the religion-based thriller, this fiction debut by Bourne (a pen name for British journalist Jonathan Freedland) is recommended for popular fiction collections.—Joy St. John, Henderson Dist. P.L., NV

For 16-year-old Rove MacNee, life in Fairhope, AL, in the winter of 1941 is idyllic, but things are about to change. War is imminent, and Rove’s father, the formidable and violently temperamental Capt. Dominus MacNee, is drinking heavily. Was the captain’s recent fistfight with Josef Unruh, a friend of Rove’s mother, simply the result of anti-German fervor or something more sinister? In this old-fashioned coming-of-age novel, Rove learns to see his parents as real people and earns the right to call himself a captain. Brewer’s (The Poet of Tolstoy Park) slow, methodical pace is appropriate to the simpler time and place he portrays, and the meticulous, almost anthropological re-creation of a bygone era will justify purchase for regional libraries. However, the broadly drawn characters are too theatrically “Southern” to be entirely believable. For larger public and academic libraries.—Edward B. St. John, Loyola Law Sch. Lib., Los Angeles

Daryl Heatherly is a 23-year-old landscape and portrait artist. After breaking up with her Denver boyfriend, she returns home to the family’s Wyoming ranch, which she plans to help her brother put up for sale. When Daryl meets J.W. Jarrett, a bronco-riding rodeo champion 18 years her senior, sparks fly. Though she initially resists the romance, they soon become involved. Daryl travels with J.W. on the rodeo circuit, neglecting an important portrait commission and trying to understand his commitment to a sport that often leaves him black, blue, and broken. Readers will either love or hate Daryl’s analytical first-person point of view. Journalist Burana graphically describes the lovemaking as well as Daryl’s experiences of getting tattooed and pierced. Burana’s first book was the nonfiction memoir Strip City, and both titles display her lively sexual curiosity. Some may be reminded of Pam Houston, but Burana cuts her own path through the modern western landscape. [A library marketing campaign is planned for this book.—Ed.]—Keddy Ann Outlaw, Harris Cty. P.L., Houston

Carey (The Mermaids Singing) offers a powerful closeup of the Furey family beginning in the 1980s. Hugh Furey, 15, was the near-perfect child, adored by his parents and admired by his younger siblings. His sparkling personality and charm change dramatically, however, when he becomes involved in a disastrous romance that leads to his disappearance. Five years on, his parents have put this tragedy and their memory of Hugh behind them. But now 15-year-old Lena and ten-year-old Owen struggle with their loss—rebellious Lena feels she must pursue dangerous paths in her hunt for information about Hugh, while troubled Owen is hounded by hostile schoolmates. Reacting to these new family traumas, the aptly named Fureys falter and come close to unraveling. This intimate study of family dysfunction combines with an intense look at adolescence. Switching between first-person (Lena) and third-person (Owen) narration, Carey’s compelling, dark, and frightening story does promise a glimmer of hope. Strongly recommended for all libraries. [Two of Carey’s novels—In the Country of the Young and The Mermaids Singing—have been optioned for film.—Ed.]—Andrea Tarr, Corona P.L., CA

Sirs: As president of the Louisiana State University chapter of Gamma Chi and a prelaw major, I feel it necessary to speak on behalf of my fellow actives and those incapable of defending themselves. This tall tale that Clarke (Lord Vishnu’s Love Handles) weaves with his overactive imagination deals with a 19-year-old LSU Gamma Chi murdered by one of his own fraternity brothers, who then possesses the bodies of others and attempts to right wrongs; it goes counter to everything our fraternity represents. The fact that the victim continues to be made fun of even as a ghost is characteristic of Clarke’s antic frivolity throughout. Furthermore, the crucial role played by a goat in Gamma Chi initiations has never been established in a court of law, and Clarke is culpable for publishing what may have been revealed to him in the privacy of a convivial evening. In closing, if I or my fraternity brothers ever feel the need to sink to this level of entertainment, we will rent Animal House. I can only surmise this will be popular at public libraries where such fare is appropriate. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/15/06.]—Bob Lunn, Kansas City P.L., MO

Our dashing hero will deftly extricate himself and his equally capable buddy from a seemingly endless series of scrapes as the two traverse the world foiling a plot for global dominance engineered by a megalomaniac with a brilliant plan, unlimited resources, and secret ownership of antiquity’s greatest treasures. Expecting Dirk Pitt or Kurt Austin? Guess again. Meet Scotsman Connor Brock of ICE (Investigation of Corporate Espionage). Brock has all the trappings of a modern action hero: special forces training, a broken heart, charm, and good looks. Although this debut novel from Cole (a pseudonym for the author of eight business and self-help best sellers) is more British in tone and phrasing than most American audiences may be used to, the action is compelling enough—with exotic locations, history lessons, and thrilling action scenes—to forgive such occasional dissonance. Readers have three other books to look forward to in the Connor Brock adventure series. Recommended for most popular fiction collections.—Laura A.B. Cifelli, Ft. Myers–Lee Cty. P.L., FL

This stunning first novel by Cox (editor, The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories) opens with a murder on a misty night in 1854 London. The perpetrator, Edward Glyver, is an erudite bibliophile and resourceful detective who assumes different names and personas with disquieting ease. He stabs a total stranger as a precursor to murdering his cunning adversary, Phoebus Daunt, a literary genius who expects to be adopted as heir by the wealthy Lord Tansor. When Glyver discovers that Daunt has destroyed the only evidence that Glyver, in fact, is Tansor’s real son, he becomes obsessed with seeking revenge and claiming his rightful inheritance. From the whorehouses, pubs, and opium dens of Victorian London to the ancient beauty of Tansor’s ancestral estate, Cox creates a strong sense of place, a complex narrative full of unexpectedly wicked twists, and a well-drawn cast of supporting characters. His language is mesmerizing, and his themes of betrayal, revenge, social stratification, sexual repression, and moral hypocrisy echo those of the great 19th-century novelists. Written in the tradition of Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White and Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith, Cox’s masterpiece is highly recommended for all fiction collections.— Joseph M. Eagan, Enoch Pratt Free Lib., Baltimore

Set during the Cultural Revolution, memoirist Chen’s (Sounds of the River) first novel is an intriguing and ambitious tale of two half-brothers—both fathered by a prominent Chinese general—whose disparate lives connect through fate. Readers first meet narrator Shento, who was orphaned by his mother’s suicide. The bastard son of Gen. Ding Long, Shento is rescued by an act of grace and raised in the remote village of Balan by an herbalist and his wife. Meanwhile, in Beijing, Shento’s brother, Tan, lives in the lap of luxury as General Long’s legitimate heir. Numerous brief chapters alternate the stories of the two brothers and are interspersed with chapters told by Sumi Wo, Shento’s first love. Chen’s writing is extremely strong in the first two-thirds of this bittersweet and tension-filled novel; the story line and characterizations, especially those of the brothers, are well drawn. The last portion, however, is slightly disappointing, as the plot twists appear hurried, lessening the novel’s intensity, and the violence factor increases. Nevertheless, this is still a quality read that could provide the basis for a major motion picture and fodder for book groups. Recommended for fiction collections in larger public and academic libraries.—Shirley N. Quan, Orange County P.L., Santa Ana, CA

British writer Davey’s (English Correspondence) second novel happens to be her American debut. It opens with a bleak scene on a London-bound train as Jo and her three children flee from their home, burdened not only by innumerable plastic bags of possessions but also the realities of Jo’s failed relationships—with her ex-husband, her new boyfriend, and her children. As the train lurches and stops, Jo’s teenage daughter, Ella, flees, unwilling to continue the journey. Davey tells the parallel tales of this weekend of discontent as Ella strives to find a place for herself, and Jo, overwhelmed, distances herself from the distractions of life and refuses to be concerned about her errant daughter. Davey peels away the layers of each character with exactitude, quietly revealing how past actions shape present reactions. She tells this contemporary family story, stylistically suggestive of the works of Anita Brookner or Joanna Trollope, with sparse prose and a keen eye for the minutia of ordinary life. A taut and simple story that is not always appealing (but neither are the realities of life), this novel is not unique but will fit well in most fiction collections.—Caroline M. Hallsworth, City of Greater Sudbury, Ont.

Donovan’s acclaimed first novel, Schopenhauer’s Telescope, explored thorny ethical issues related to wartime atrocities in Europe and humankind’s capacity for cruelty. In his third novel, he returns to the subject of human frailty and malevolence, this time in small-town America. A dog has been shot at point-blank range in the woods of northern Maine. The dog’s owner, a lifelong Maine resident and loner named Julius Winsome, recently lost both his father and his girlfriend, and this third unbearable loss tips him into madness and a pathological quest for vengeance. Winsome is a complex and powerfully realized fictional creation—a thoughtful, kind man driven to psychological disorder and violence by the casual cruelty of his neighbors. Donovan depicts his wounded humanity and psychological distress with great compassion and subtlety and vividly draws both the supporting characters and the bleak, foreboding Maine landscape. This novel of great emotional impact is enthusiastically recommended.—Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT

Meek and passive, this book’s unnamed-until-the-last-minute thirtysomething narrator juggles her acidic ex-husband, recalcitrant children, meddling maternal relatives, tough best friend, and dueling paramours. It’s no wonder, then, that she doesn’t feel like she fits in—to her own house, her own family, or her own skin—until she decides to take charge of her life. When an unexpected detour in Cape Cod puts her resolve to the test, this newly independent woman finds out if she’s got the mettle to stick to the changes she’s made in her life. Downey, a regular contributor to Hip Mama and Vermont Woman magazines, has penned a debut novel full of wit, humor, and offbeat characters. Her journal-style prose offers readers an immediate intimacy with the narrator’s life and sharp-edged personality, at some expense to the development of the other characters. No matter, Downey delivers with a well-worth-it conclusion, the strongest part of this unconventional mom lit that dares to let it all hang out. Recommended for larger public libraries.—Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L., NY

To give you an idea of the delightfully intellectual zaniness at work in comedian and television writer Felber’s novel, consider the book’s two juxtaposing themes: a group of aimless twentysomethings searching for love and direction in life and 1933 Nobel prize winner Erwin Schrödinger’s theories on quantum mechanics. As a result, there are a number of headache-inducing plot twists, the main one involving Johnny, the musician in a quartet of friends who suddenly becomes more spacey and laid-back than normal. Yet the rest of the group—sex-bomb Deborah, awkward Arlene, and hopelessly geeky Grant—are nonplussed by Johnny’s new behavior. They would be downright stupefied if they knew, however, that their friend’s behavior stemmed from the fact that he’s actually dead, a victim of careless gun cleaning. In an apparent interpretation of Schrödinger’s theories, Johnny isn’t completely dead until his body is discovered in his grandmother’s basement. Felber’s extensive use of physics as metaphor may require multiple readings of the same paragraph, but he pulls it off nicely with his intelligence and ability to evoke reader empathy. Recommended for most fiction collections.—Kevin Greczek, Ewing, NJ

American and British intelligence services discover that al Qaeda is planning something major and horrific that will likely occur somewhere in the United States. However, since neither country has operatives on the inside, they have no idea what or where. Enter retired British army Col. Mike Martin, who first appeared in Forsyth’s The Fist of God. Martin’s job is to assume the identity of an imprisoned Taliban member and infiltrate al Qaeda. This is plausible because he is lean, dark-complexioned, of part-Indian descent, and was raised in Iran. Martin becomes the titular Afghan and begins a dangerous and frightening journey toward discovering what appalling act the terrorists are planning and putting a stop to it. Typical of Forsyth’s work (e.g., The Day of the Jackal and Avenger), this is a tense story of technology vs. evil, the latter in this case a mind-numbing degree of fanaticism. Even though it starts slowly, it builds to an exciting climax that makes the read well worth it. Recommended.—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Pasadena, CA, homicide cop Alex Delillo is the single mother of a college-age daughter who was terrorized by a serial killer/bomber in screenwriter Frost’s first book, the Edgar Award–nominated Run the Risk. Here, Delillo investigates an apparent suicide only to discover that the body is that of a half-brother she never knew she had. This leads her to delve into her own past and spurs a fascination with her father, who disappeared when she was five and was suspected of having been involved in the murder of three young women 18 years ago. Set against the backdrop of the Santa Ana winds and fires that threaten Alex’s home, this vivid and riveting story uses the past to the same effect of Ross Macdonald, as though it were one of the characters. Strong writing, an increasingly complex heroine, and an enthralling plot full of cops both good and bad highly recommend this for public and academic collections.—Roland Person, formerly with the Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale

In her fifth novel, George (Mary, Called Magdalene) does for Helen of Troy what she’s done for other women of greater legendary stature than historical basis, e.g., Mary Queen of Scots and Cleopatra. In explaining her approach to this book’s mythical context, George writes in her author’s note that there is no evidence of Helen’s existence at all; even the classical references are hotly debated. She does not change the time-honored story line in any significant way, but she does make some alterations, fleshing out or adding certain incidents for the sake of pacing and character development. Another recent treatment of Helen of Troy, also written in the first person and generally sympathetic as well, is Amanda Elyot’s Memoirs of Helen of Troy. The two are fine companions and are different enough to both be rewarding reads. Although each is romantic, George’s book is much more so, and her ending is decidedly upbeat for a story typically treated as tragedy. This will hit the book-club circuit with promised publicity and reading guides, so buy accordingly for your audience. For all public libraries.— Mary Kay Bird-Guilliams, Wichita P.L., KS

Wealthy (and young) Baltimore widow Maybell Brumby travels to London in 1932 with plans to make her mark in society. Let her sister Violet socialize with the Bertie Yorks—Maybell can do better. Old friend Wallis Simpson is in town, and as always, Wally has plans. And with Maybell to pick up the tab for her old schoolmate, the ambitious Mrs. Simpson is assured of the clothes and jewels she’ll need for weekends in the country with her new friend, Thelma, Prince Edward’s mistress. Taking the form of a diary written by the observant yet completely clueless Maybell, Gone is a real treat for anglophiles. Graham (The Future Homemakers of America) has written a witty and insightful historical novel and even manages to make the brainless and superficial Maybell likable. Familiarity with the story of the abdication of Edward VIII and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor will certainly help the reader get all the inside references and humor, though the novel can be enjoyed without it. Recommended for popular fiction collections in public libraries.—Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline P.L., MA

As in her previous novels (e.g., A Map of the World), Hamilton sets her latest work in her native Midwest. Pragmatic, smart, and sensitive Timothy “Mac” Maciver, a married physician with three daughters, tells the story of his family and upbringing in suburban Chicago and how a tragedy that disrupted his father’s first marriage impacted all their lives. Mac’s first-person narrative moves back and forth in time and highlights his parents’ relationship as well as his own relationship with Madeline, the woman known as his much older “sister,” whose life was derailed at the age of 25. Mac focuses with refreshing candor on his shifting responsibilities concerning Madeline as well as on what it was like to be a young man witnessing the escalating Vietnam War and its triggering of family debates and tension. Hamilton draws a parallel between the Vietnam conflict and the current war in Iraq (Mac’s cousin, a career military man, has a son who enlists to fight in Iraq). While Hamilton gives the political climate of the Sixties considerable attention, her story is more about how people, by bonding together, can transcend tragedy and loss with love, tolerance, and humor. Recommended for all fiction collections.—Maureen Neville, Trenton P.L.

Heller (An Ex To Grind) fuses the seemingly unrelated worlds of celebrity gossip magazines and volunteerism. Ann Roth is a 30-year-old small-town Missourian who relocates to Los Angeles to take a job as an entertainment reporter for Famous magazine. In trying to land an interview with actor Malcolm Goddard, a man who considers reporters parasites, Ann pulls out all the stops. But her fear of flying prevents her from boarding Malcolm’s Cessna, and she is fired. She returns to Missouri to regroup; in a strange twist of fate, that’s where Malcolm ends up to undergo treatment for a heart condition. Ann knows Malcolm is coming before he arrives and secures a position as a volunteer at the hospital to get close to him. With Ann pretending not to be Ann and Malcolm pretending not to be Malcolm (he’s assumed an alias to elude the press), they really hit it off, but will their relationship survive when Malcolm finds out what Ann is up to? This is a fun and fast-paced read with a likable protagonist who has her quirks but ends up finding her life’s true calling and her perfect match. Recommended for all public libraries.—Karen Core, Detroit P.L.

In Hunt’s (Indiana, Indiana) latest, Henry is down on his luck when a new opportunity arises: committing mock murders for the mysterious Aris Kindt and his beautiful associate, Tulip. Is this the same Aris Kindt as the hanged criminal being operated on in Rembrandt’s famous painting, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp? Or are Henry and Kindt both patients in a mental hospital, and is Tulip really Dr. Tulp? Which of either of these never-quite-intersecting narratives are we to believe, or should we believe anything at all? Does the final chapter resolve either or both scenarios? Maybe. The only thing of which we can be sure is that Kindt loves creamed herring on crackers and that Henry develops a taste for it. But can you get creamed herring in a mental hospital? Hmmm. Is this a new postmodern classic? Maybe. Should you buy it for your library? Maybe, if you are a medium-to-large academic or public library. In fact, probably so, which is more probability than you will find in Hunt’s novel. Bring your suspension of disbelief and negative capability on this wild literary trip.—Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. Lib., Chico

Nora, one half of a conjoined twin, is creepy and cruelly compelling; she’s cut from bad cloth and cut out for murder. Her intended victim? Blanche, of course, her comatose Siamese sister—who may or may not be waking up. In her first novel, Jackson (The Melancholy of Anatomy) creates a parallel universe as convincing as it is queer; “twofers” (conjoined twins) abound, sharing their own slang (“everytwo”) and subculture. But when Nora leaves San Francisco for London, where a shadowy Doctor Death will decapitate Blanche, her story becomes increasingly odd and evermore convoluted. Readers who have been spurred along equally by the book’s mystery—what does Blanche want?—and by its imaginative evocation of another world will feel frustrated by the confusing denouement and open-ended conclusion. This is a shame, because there’s so much that’s good here: Jackson has imagination to burn, and her writing, strange as it is, stuns. Recommended for larger public libraries and all experimental fiction collections.—Tania Barnes, Library Journal

The generally accepted stereotype about great literature is that it is tragic to some degree. Tracy Farber disagrees with this notion and means to correct it—that is, once she has tenure, as even she is politically savvy enough to know that such an act could mean career suicide. As a rising star at a New York City university, Tracy has spent her life pursuing great ideas via books. She works hard with her undergrads, loves spending time in the library, and lives for the day when she finally receives tenure. She’s made peace with the fact that, at 33, she’s single and has yet to find true love. But then she meets George, and her quiet life is turned on its head. Short story writer Kadish takes readers on an emotional ride as Tracy traverses the river of academic politics and the swirling pools of a new relationship. The age-old career vs. family question is examined with fresh insight as Tracy struggles to remain true to herself. This novel about love and happiness is recommended for most public libraries.—Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., OH

What legacy, besides $20 million and stacks of memorabilia, can a famous Maine writer of horror tales leave his widow after 25 years of marriage? When Lisey Landon is terrorized by one of her late husband’s crazed fans as she tries to cope with her sister’s rapidly deteriorating mental state, she finds that her only salvation lies in finally working through the maze of memories she and her husband, Scott, constructed. King, often at his most powerful when exploring grief (e.g., Pet Sematary, Bag of Bones), takes readers on a roller-coaster ride through the artifacts of a marriage that bonded a creative genius to a woman who was able to save him from himself for a quarter of a century. In the end, Lisey’s deliverance comes from the lessons she learned during those years, and the peace she makes with her own world is rooted in the strength she gained from the process. There is little doubt that, in its monster-strewn, pop culture–laden way, this is also Stevie’s Story. An essential addition to all King collections.—Nancy McNicol, Ora Mason Branch Lib., West Haven, CT

In a small Michigan town, twin tragedies shatter lives and impose a suffocating grief. Swan Robey’s car-wrecked body is tended to by the fiercely independent Grace Blackwater, who single-handedly tries to bring Swan and his apple orchard back to life. It’s a losing battle, as Swan is lost in the never-ending sorrow born of guilt—he was the driver of the car that crashed into the frozen lake, killing his beloved wife. Grace’s uncle, Joseph Geewa, is fresh out of prison, having served two decades for killing the man who shot his son, whose only crime was to love that man’s daughter. When Swan and Joseph cross paths, they discover an abandoned baby who serves as a catalyst for a spur-of-the-moment road trip that is nothing short of a journey toward salvation. In her first novel, short story writer Litzenburger looks at grief with an artist’s eye, moving back and forth in time to scribe the story of good people brought so low, redemption seems but a whispered hope. Highly recommended.—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

Lucarelli’s (Almost Blue) hard-boiled police thriller takes place in the last few months of World War II, as Mussolini’s regime is collapsing. A wealthy man named Rehinard Vittorio is found stabbed and castrated in Bologna. Commissario De Luca is assigned the case and quickly realizes that drugs, sadistic sex, the SS, and dirty money are at the core of the murder. Vittorio was a member of the Fascist Republican Party and a regular at the Spiritist’s Club. As De Luca digs deeper into the case and locates some of Vittorio’s former associates, he realizes that his own former employment with the Political Police, a special division within the Brigata Ettore Muti, gives him a distinct advantage in acquiring information. Lucarelli is a well-known crime writer in Italy, where he has published more than ten novels and short story collections and hosts an unsolved-mystery television program. Though he excels at creating a noir atmosphere, his ending is predictable and somewhat disappointing. When deciding to purchase this novel, remember that it is the first of a trilogy. One hopes future titles will redeem this work’s faltering finish. Recommended for libraries with a demand for Italian noir novels.—Lisa Rohrbaugh, East Palestine P.L., OH

Best-selling author Maxted (Being Committed) hits a home run with yet another delicious story about relationships, this time between sisters. Successful barrister Cassie is younger, prettier, and appears to be happily married, and Lizbet, who writes a sex column for a men’s magazine, is chunky and, along with her boyfriend Tim, the potty king, has her head in the clouds. Despite these cavernous differences, the sisters are somehow as thick as thieves, even when Lizbet accidentally gets pregnant while Cassie, after a year of trying, finds that she can’t conceive. Perhaps it is the strength of siblings struggling together to survive their blundering parents that keeps the two so close, despite the revelation of shocking secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Written in alternating voices, their stories are compelling and heartfelt while still displaying Maxted’s trademark humor. If you have a sister, you’ll want to share this book with her, and if you don’t, you’ll wish you did. Highly recommended for all public libraries.—Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL

The usually reliable Mills misfires with this unusual entry, his follow-up to Fade. Career thief Brandon Vale is serving a prison term for a theft he didn’t actually commit. When the man who framed him breaks him out of confinement and asks for a huge favor, Brandon reluctantly agrees to help as a means to avoid returning to jail for a longer sentence. After carrying out the favor, Brandon, constantly watching his back and trusting no one, takes on the ultimate job for financial stability. But the stakes are higher than he’d thought and in order to live out his retirement, he must save the world. An interesting idea fails to ignite because the characters never seem real, and primary plot points appear random. Also, the major conspiracy seems like an afterthought. Had this been written differently, it could have been a masterpiece. Buy only where Mills is popular.—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Just as charming and relentlessly whimsical as Moers’s previous novel of Zamonia, The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear, his new book follows the miraculous adventures of Rumo, a Wolperting (a sort of half-dog, half-deer), as he discovers himself and finds true love. Readers may wonder what else there could possibly be to say about Zamonia, since it was so exhaustively cataloged in the first book, but they will discover many more strange lands and creatures, each with its own lengthy story to tell. Though the novel is nearly as digressive as Captain Bluebear, it’s actually more engaging, with a main plot arc that hooks readers in spite of the many (pleasant) distractions along the way. Moers’s amusing illustrations—111 black-and-white images in total—and an excellent translation by Brownjohn add up to a rousing fairy tale for adults that will please fans of Captain Bluebear as well as newcomers to Zamonia. Recommended for larger fantasy collections or where Moers is popular.—Jenne Bergstrom, San Diego Cty. Lib.

Moore’s outstanding first novel begins with a series of loosely connected, sharply focused chapters; as the novel progresses, the connections between characters and events tighten. Colleen, a Newfoundland teen who grew up quickly after the death of her beloved stepfather, has been convicted of ecovandalism. Instead of undertaking the required community service, she runs away to Louisiana to meet Loyola, the alligator man featured in one of her Aunt Madeleine’s films. Meanwhile, Madeleine is racing to finish her greatest film yet, knowing she will soon die. Beverly, Colleen’s mother and Madeleine’s sister, attempts to cope with the death of her husband and to understand the changes in her daughter. Then there is struggling actress Isobel, who stars in Aunt Madeleine’s final work; Russian émigré and sociopath Valentin, who burns down Isobel’s house for the insurance money; and Frank, a hot-dog vendor and would-be lover of Colleen. Moore’s novel, set in St. John’s, Newfoundland, is a carefully crafted microcosm of time and place featuring nuanced characters who quickly gain readers’ sympathy or horror as their pasts and futures unravel. It won a regional prize in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Highly recommended.—Rebecca Stuhr, Grinnell Coll. Libs., IA

Set in 1918, with World War I raging in Europe and a deadly flu epidemic spreading to and through America, this is the story of a town that decides to take its fate into its own hands. The committee members of the Washington town of Commonwealth decide to set up an armed outpost to prevent those infected with influenza from getting in. Young guards Graham, a mill worker, and Philip, the 16-year-old adopted son of the mill owner, reluctantly murder a soldier from a local fort who tries to force his way in. A few days later, a second soldier attempts to gain entry. Philip, alone this time, can’t shoot the man, and the youth and soldier end up quarantined together. Yet despite the town’s precautions, the plague arrives and wreaks graphically depicted havoc. Debut novelist Mullen patiently unfolds the plot, using historical facts as a springboard. His long and absorbing novel is a timely and sobering look back at a nation during a deadly war involving a human enemy far away, a disease at home, fear, and political and cultural forces. Recommended for all collections.—Jim Coan, SUNY Coll. at Oneonta, NY

This intricately plotted novel by Nair (Ladies Coupé), her third to be published in the United States, blends myth, history, and human emotion into a mixture as sweet as the nectar of the jackfruit and as tangled as human behavior. It is the story of a love affair between Radha, the dissatisfied wife of an Indian businessman, and Chris, a visiting American writer; their affair parallels one between Radha’s famous uncle, Koman, a Kathakali dancer, and Chris’s mother 30 years earlier. Their stories and those of several others are interwoven with the tales danced in Kathakali and the emotions the dancers are trained to portray. While sections of the Indian epic the Mahabharata are infused throughout the narrative, the novel’s theme revolves around the inability of several generations of Koman’s family to commit to relationships when they are offered or to accept the responsibilities of paternity when it matters, as well as of the years of regret and atonement that follow. Highly recommended.—Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS

The amazingly prolific Oates follows High Lonesome: Stories 1966–2006 with a short tale of fractured relationships and psychological horror. Narrator Genna Meade meditates on the long-ago, terrible death of a 19-year-old girl who might have been—maybe should have been—her best friend. On entering tony Schuyler College in the mid-1970s, Genna, a liberal and well-meaning prep-school grad, is looking forward to rooming with devoutly religious African American scholarship student Minette Swift. But the girls have little in common, other than an uncomfortable shyness with each other and uneasy relationships with adored but flawed fathers—Minette’s dad is a charismatic minister, while Genna’s dad is an attorney notorious for defending anti–Vietnam War radicals. The girls’ tentative moves toward friendship and loyalty are undermined by the stresses of their first year of college and a series of hateful encounters that ends in tragedy and grief. This dark, suspenseful portrayal of fatal failures to communicate may prompt more than one reader to ponder the state of our society’s moral condition. Recommended for most fiction collections.—Starr E. Smith, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

A novel in notebooks and journal entries based on the life on Varina Anne (Winnie) Davis, youngest daughter of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Devotion will appeal to those who like their historical fiction served up in the style of the day. The inner workings of the Davis family are revealed in all their dysfunction in remembrances by Winnie; her sister, Maggie Hayes; Winnie’s friend Kate Pulitzer; and Winnie’s former beau from a Northern family of abolitionists. The fictional version of the official “Daughter of the Confederacy” reveres her father, resents her mother, and writes in the delicate, ladylike prose of the day. Oliver’s (Goodbye to the Buttermilk Sky) novel is carefully researched and boasts an extensive bibliography, so the imagined life carefully tracks the genuine one. Readers will not object to the schmaltzy effects and romantic melodrama. Recommended.—Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., VA

Chasing Sophea is certainly chasing after Oprah fans. This story of a young woman overcoming past traumas offers a heady brew of the supernatural and psychological, with a helping of Southern Gothic. A young wife and mother named Dahlia enjoys a successful career in Southern California. But then a long-buried memory from her childhood resurfaces, threatening to ruin her life. Dahlia’s troubles go back to the tragedies experienced by the Culpepper family in Dallas, who have operated a funeral home for eight generations. The clan includes a black albino gravedigger, a half-Choctaw aunt with healing powers, and an unhappy woman named Mercy Blue who wears only red. Pina (Bliss) is especially gifted at pacing her story and teasing readers with intriguing flashbacks. You don’t have to be African American to enjoy this suspenseful novel, though it probably helps if you are a female reader. Recommended for any public library.—Leslie Patterson, Blanding P.L., Rehoboth, MA

Powers (The Time of Our Singing ), who has won a Lannan Literary Award and the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for historical fiction, here investigates the mystery of traumatic brain injury. Set in small-town Nebraska near the bird-watching spectacle of Platte River, Powers’s ninth novel centers on the life of 27-year-old Mark Schluter, who is unable to recognize his sister, Karin, after suffering a near-fatal accident. Desperate for clarity, Karin turns to world-renowned cognitive neurologist and writer Gerald Weber (reminiscent of the real-life Oliver Sacks). Cleverly, this novel isn’t simply about Mark’s damaged brain (he appears to suffer from a rare case of Capgras syndrome); instead, it sheds light generally on the human mind and our struggle to make sense of both the past and the present. Echo Maker is both mystery and case history as Mark struggles to investigate his accident through an anonymous note and Weber attempts to sort through the nuance and plasticity of the mind in his own declining years. Powers bounces back and forth through Mark’s rambling thoughts, Weber’s neurological theories, Karin’s insecurities, and wonderfully poetic details of the cranes on the Platte River. Recommended for large public libraries.—Stephen Morrow, Columbus, OH

This latest novel by World Fantasy Award winner Powers (Last Call) posits that long before Albert Einstein died, he discovered something potentially more frightening than the A-bomb. He hid this secret in a lost Charlie Chaplin movie, which surfaces 70 years later dubbed onto a Peewee’s Big Adventure videotape. When Frank Marrity’s grandmother dies, her body atop a gold swastika, her final message to her grandson and the psychic echo of her death trigger a desperate search for Einstein’s discovery. Telepaths and telekinetics, a blind assassin who sees through other people’s eyes, a fire-starting poltergeist, a severed head inhabited by ghosts’ voices, a woman who’s turned herself into a man through magic and force of will, and Charlie Chaplin’s handprint in the concrete outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater all play a part in the deadly scramble that follows. Frank and his 12-year-old daughter, Daphne, must flee rival agents of the Mossad and an underground sect of Gnostic heretics: both sides want them dead (at least some of the time). This is a wild and wooly romp—fun, too. Recommended for general collections.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

While supervising an archaeological field-school dig in Charleston, SC, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan unearths a much-too-recent set of bones fresh enough to bring out her coroner friend, Emma. Struggling with major health issues, Emma begs Tempe to lead the investigation, and soon there’s a reunion of sorts for all the series’ regulars. Then Pete, Tempe’s estranged husband, comes to town to investigate the case of a missing young woman with ties to a Charleston free clinic. The moment the clinic’s sleazy personnel are introduced, readers can guess that Pete’s and Tempe’s cases are totally interlinked. Andrew Ryan, Tempe’s Montreal–based detective boyfriend, shows up next, ready to test Tempe’s loyalties and help her fend off the bad guys. “Seemingly unconnected” dead bodies surface in all sorts of places, their bones revealing startling parallels. Forensic anthropologist Reichs’s (Cross Bones) change of venue is intriguing in this series’ ninth entry, but the case itself is lackluster and the plot exceedingly predictable. Forensic thriller readers, however, will drive demand, which will be high owing to the growing following of the Fox television series Bones, based on Reichs’s protagonist.—Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Cty. Lib., CA

Rice’s (Summer of Roses) latest novel, the theme of which is truth telling, revolves around the Sullivan family, torn apart but struggling to reconnect. John Sullivan is a rugged artist in the style of Andy Goldsworthy; his nature-based sculptures (“sandcastles”) are temporary, preserved in photographs. Having spent six years in prison for a murder committed at the site of one of his sculptures, John is released only to be rejected by Honor, his painter wife. Honor now yearns for security, unlike her adrenaline-seeking husband. The family crisis has disturbed the lives of their daughters: the eldest, Regis, has made a poor choice of fiancé and teenage Agnes is seeking visions and seeing angels. Only when Regis admits that it was she, not her father, who killed the man vandalizing John’s sculpture, does the family begin to heal and reunite. After all, as Agnes puts it, “the truth matters.” Set in Connecticut and Ireland, this story will appeal to fans of family-relationship novels, such as those by Elizabeth Berg and Barbara Delinsky.—Carol J. Bissett, New Braunfels P.L., TX

Salter’s (Alberta Clipper) fast-paced novel follows the jealous fantasies of Dennis Pratt, a middle-aged man who works in a hazardous waste facility in Fargo, ND. The object of his insidious obsession is his successful realtor wife, Patricia. Patricia loses weight in anticipation of their 20th wedding anniversary, which the couple plans to spend with friends in Cabo, Mexico. Her glamorous transformation leaves Pratt distressed over thoughts of Patricia having an affair with his college friend Carver. Pratt is finally diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and placed on medication, which he mixes with alcohol, distorting his sense of reality further. When a kidnapping and a murder seem to point to Pratt, it is only through a bizarre turn of events that Pratt discovers he has been framed by a psychotic killer very close to him. Salter’s characters are not warm and cuddly, but they are genuine, and the ending will surprise readers. The expertly written dialog flows easily and brings us right into the compelling action. A perfect beach read for public libraries.—David A. Beronä, Plymouth State Univ. Lib., NH

London cabbie Dave Rudman, in a rage over losing visitation rights to his son, writes a book about his working life for the boy. Five hundred years after the destruction of present-day London by flooding, this book is found by a primitive tribe called the Hamsters and made the basis of its religion. Priests, therefore, are referred to as “drivers,” the average person is a “fare,” and a typical greeting is “Where to, guv?” This cleverly written narrative playfully transforms the life of a taxi driver into sacred rituals. Self (Great Apes) alternates chapters between life on the Isle of Ham (formerly Hampstead Heath) circa A.D. 523 (after Dave) and Dave’s life in the present. In the future, a young Hamster and his teacher go in search of a “geezer” who claims to have found a second Book of Dave that refutes most of the first book. Meanwhile, chapters focusing on Dave recount his marriage, divorce, depression, and eventual death. The Hamsters speak in a heavy cockney accent that Self writes phonetically; this and the many words and customs derived from the Book of Dave initially make for difficult reading. As the picture comes into focus, however, you will marvel at the ingenuity of this highly literate, superbly written satire of what societies deem sacred. Highly recommended.—Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. Syst., Poughkeepsie, NY

Sheehan’s first novel, The Anxiety of Everyday Objects, dealt with a young woman seeking direction. Her second book also centers on a young woman recalling a pivotal year in her life. Thirteen-year-old Alison Glass, marked by the scoliosis brace she wears as well as by her nonconformist artist parents and their not-quite-successful transition into suburbia, is destined to be an outsider. She is saved from total isolation and humiliation by Kate Hamilton, a girl gifted with the ability to be different and still belong to the in crowd. The two spend hours together riding horses, Alison free of her brace and Kate free of her abusive parents. As part of a class project, they write about a lost heroine named Sarah, whose story intertwines with their own, revealing their hopes and fears. The girls’ friendship is a gift that allows Alison to withstand a year of odd medical treatments and the slow dissolution of her family. It is not quite enough, however, to allow the pair a perfect, happy ending, grounding this compelling coming-of-age story in melancholy. Recommended for public libraries.—Jan Blodgett, Davidson Coll. Lib., NC

In his ninth novel, the sixth Gabriel Allon thriller, Silva (Prince of Fire) focuses on the threat of Saudi-funded terrorism. Allon, art restorer extraordinaire by cover, Israeli assassin by profession, faces a daunting task. The Brotherhood of Allah, a group sponsored by a Saudi billionaire and headed by a reclusive terrorist living in the West, is preparing an attack on the Vatican. When the terrorists succeed in damaging St. Peter’s Basilica and its cupola, in the process slaughtering more than 700 tourists and nearly killing the pope, Allon accepts a mission sanctioned by the U.S. president and the Israelis. He must track down the terrorists, infiltrate their organization, and assassinate their leaders. Silva, a master craftsman, offers a perfect blend of all that matters most in fiction—a significant theme, believable and engaging characters, authentic settings, and an engrossing plot—detailed in precise prose that flows with seductive ease. Unlike other thriller writers who rely on tricks and seemingly endless (and ultimately unrealistic) twists for effect, Silva builds suspense through realistic threats, harrowing situations, and gripping action. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries.—Ron Terpening, Univ. of Arizona

What’s so dirty about Red? The list ranges from the schemes she plays on her friends to the way she takes advantage of every man she seduces. Eighteen-year-old Raven (“Red”) Gomez is not only beautiful but also deadly. Driven by a love of money and control, she maneuvers Detroit’s rough streets, dominating and manipulating the people and situations in her life. Never receiving the love she craves from her mother and getting too much unwanted attention from her stepfather, Red is determined to pull one big con job—involving all of her friends and lovers—in order to make enough money to leave Detroit and her scandalous past behind. But by the time Q, the only man she’s ever truly loved, realizes just how dirty she is and Red sees the error of her ways, it may be too late. Street-lit author and Triple Crown publisher Stringer’s (Let That Be the Reason) hardcover debut is recommended for libraries where urban and contemporary African American fiction is in demand.—Lisa Jones, Birmingham P.L., AL

This first novel by Thompson, a successful British television producer who passed away last year, was published in the United Kingdom as This Thing of Darkness and long-listed for the 2005 Man Booker Prize. Striking a balance between historical adventure and philosophy, it follows the course of two men, Capt. Robert Fitzroy and naturalist Charles Darwin, as they charter unknown waters on the Beagle, discover new tribes and species of wildlife, and ultimately change the way human beings see themselves even today. Fitzroy, a devout Christian, regards the spread of enlightenment and faith as a way of defining and taming nature. When Darwin joins the Beagle for a five-year expedition, he shares his own views with Fitzroy. The two debate morality, biology, fate, and God on their journey to Tierra del Fuego, developing a lasting friendship that changes them irrevocably. Thompson’s masterful storytelling brings all the shades of darkness and uncertainty of fate together with the flame of enlightenment and exploration. Recommended.—Ron Samul, New London, CT

War correspondent Connie Burns has seen a lot of violence and depravity in her career, but a volatile British mercenary scares her more than assignments in Iraq and Sierra Leone. Suspecting his involvement in the brutal murders of five women, Connie begins an investigation into the hiring of mercenaries. When she senses danger, she tries to flee but is abducted and held hostage for three days before being released. With family, friends, and the authorities concerned about her silence on the kidnapping, Connie retreats to the English countryside to recover from debilitating panic attacks. In Dorset, she fears her abductor will find her again; her abrasive neighbor and the local doctor try to allay her fears, but Connie knows she isn’t safe. She keeps encouraging a long-distance investigation into the mercenary; at the same time, she finds a mystery in the past of her rented house. Walters (Disordered Minds) successfully keeps the suspense high, using a complex structure that parsimoniously releases the details of Connie’s abduction and eventual confrontation, though readers may still have questions at the end.—Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI

Welsh, winner of a Crime Writers’ Association award for her first novel, The Cutting Room, offers another irresistible mystery. This time around the protagonist is William Wilson, a magician who has fallen on hard times after inadvertently involving himself in a criminal cover-up in London. He tries to resurrect his career in a Berlin club, but something goes wrong there as well. The novel alternates between unraveling what happened in Berlin and in Glasgow, where a shell-shocked, guilt-ridden William takes refuge, intent on drinking himself to death with the help of a package full of mysterious “blood money.” Readers will keep turning pages to find out what went down in Berlin that destroyed his will to live, what fallout will catch up with William from the London debacle, and whether he will pull himself together to perform again. While the resolutions of these mysteries are ultimately a bit of a letdown, getting there is great fun. Welsh has a flair for language, a knack for capturing the seediest and sexiest of hotspots, and a convincing male perspective. Recommended for public and academic libraries.—Evelyn Beck, Piedmont Technical Coll., Greenwood, SC

Wier’s (A Place for Outlaws) fourth novel features Comanche warriors, Comanchero outlaws, runaway slaves, settlers in a wagon train, and a wandering undertaker named Gideon Jones, all of whose fortunes mingle on the high plains of Texas in 1865–66. Readers will find out, for instance, what it was like to be stolen by the Indians, not only for the abductee but also for the man who loves her and wants her back. Wier paints a sympathetic picture of Native American life in a time of catastrophic change, with the fortunes of one band symbolizing the fate of the Numunu people. It has been a long time between novels for Wier (A Place for Outlaws was published in 1989), but he makes a strong comeback with this vividly imagined account of many lives on the Texan frontier. Recommended for general fiction collections.—Ken St. Andre, Phoenix P.L.

Set in London and Paris and the Western and Arabic kingdoms of the Holy Land in the period between 1260 and 1272, this first novel by Young tells the stories of two very different men. Baybars Bundukdari is a Mameluk general who becomes sultan of Egypt and the scourge of the Christians; Will Campbell is a young Scot in training to become a Knight Templar. Will is pressed into service for the Anima Templi, a secret society within the Templars that works for its own hidden ends. The theft of a book detailing the Anima’s rites sparks a desperate search to recover it before enemies can use it against them. Much of this novel is historically accurate and at least the first two-thirds keeps the reader’s attention. Unfortunately, the subplot about the Anima is silly—even anachronistic—and the ending is unconvincing and flat. Like The Da Vinci Code, this book is about a lost secret, though not a very interesting one. Not recommended.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Mary Quite Contrary

Thanks to the movie adaptation of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene and her relationship to Jesus is a hot topic in the fast-growing biblical/ancient mystery/thriller genre. In what is sure to be a big summer hit, journalist McGowan’s page-turning debut introduces readers to Maureen Pascal, a journalist unprepared for the visions that haunt her as she researches her new book on misunderstood heroines of the past. In France, Maureen uncovers a family secret and a document that many have died to protect (both linked to Mary Magdalene) and becomes entwined with two secret societies whose rivalry has extended over centuries. McGowan’s ability to create dimensional characters while sustaining multiple, fast-paced story lines is sure to win her many readers. This work, based on 20 years of research, may prove to be more controversial than Brown’s book, as it addresses not only the possibility that Jesus and Mary Magdalene produced offspring but also that other biblical relationships may have differed from what the Catholic Church had ordained to be true. Public libraries should purchase multiple copies to meet demand. Highly recommended. [This was the first big (as in seven-figure) deal for former Warner Books chairman–turned–literary agent Larry Kirshbaum, and rights have been sold in 22 countries; coming in October from Pearlsong Press is another Mary Magdalene novel, Mary Saracino’s The Singing of Swans.—Ed.]—Nanci Milone Hill, Nevins Memorial Lib., Methuen, MA

In her second novel (after An Obvious Enchantment), Tin House founding editor Malarkey offers an absorbing fictional account of the discovery, history, and repression of the “lost gospels” found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in the 1940s. Although Malarkey draws heavily on Elaine Pagels’s respected historical study, The Gnostic Gospels, for subject matter and structure, the fictional world she creates is all her own. When Gemma Bastian’s archaeologist father dies unexpectedly, she leaves World War II–torn London for Cairo to see the place he loved and learn more about his work. Charles Bastian knew that additional gospels outside of the four in the Bible existed and thought they should be distributed for public consumption. These gospels, including one by Mary Magdalene, illuminate an alternative picture of the life and teaching of Christ, especially in regards to his relationship with Mary. Sound familiar? Unlike The Da Vinci Code, however, Malarkey’s book is more novel than thriller; she focuses in equal parts on the character of Gemma and the finer details of the Gnostic Gospels. Readers who enjoyed Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth or Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian will find Resurrection a good read. Recommended for most public libraries.—Andrea Y. Griffith, Loma Linda Univ. Lib., CA

SF/Fantasy

By Jackie Cassada, Ashville Buncombe Lib. Syst., NC

A young girl lies in a coma, the victim of a traffic accident, and her grandmother must convince an admiring classmate to battle for the girl’s life in another realm beyond the boundaries of the real world—the Otherworld of the Theena Shee, a.k.a. fairy folk. In a minimalist style that is nevertheless rich with detail and nuance, Attanasio (Radix) combines Celtic mythology with Orpheus’s journey to the Underworld to tell a tale of young love that resonates with both timelessness and immediacy. A solid addition to larger fantasy collections. [Attanasio also writes under the name Adam Lee.—Ed.]

After World War II, the National Security Agency’s massive spy system, Echelon, continues to amass and analyze every piece of electronically based information (e.g., phone calls, faxes, emails), up until the time that itsomething goes wrong, and Echelon quickly progresses from global surveillance to global threat. Agent Ryan Laing getsreceives the call to investigate and plunges into a nightmare of paranoia and high-tech intrigue. Screenplay and television treatment writer Conviser’s debut novel, the first of a two-volume project, resonates with immediacy even as it questions the steps scientists have taken to bring the world to such a precarious place. Fans of sf intrigue and speculative fiction should enjoy this addition to the post-cyberpunk oeuvre.

In a distant future dependent on the exchange of information via the Internet and other advanced technologies, Natch stands out as an expert in bio/logics, the science of programming the human body. To him falls the task of assimilating and protecting a brand new technology—MultiReal—from corporate spies and who want to steal it or to hold it for themselves as well as from the deadly energy bursts, or infoquakes, that threaten the existence of all bio/logic networks. In web designer and programmer Edelman’s first novel, he moves quickly from scene to scene, building suspense with believable characters and in-the-know technical expertise. This series opener belongs in most sf collections. [Internet promotion includes a comprehensive web site, www.infoquake.net.—Ed.]

After Los Angeles falls to a terrorist nuclear attack, and the president suspends the Constitution and seizes power, Americans from all walks of life are rounded up and imprisoned in a complex called the Maze. Years later, survivor Kendrick Gallmon still suffers from the experimental nanotech augmentations he endured there. OWhen one day, his heart stops beating—a phenomenon that does not kill him—and he realizes that he must find answers to the problems plaguing him by returning to the now-abandoned place of his confinement and torture. But for him and a devastated United States, this is only the beginning. Gibson’s (Angel Stations) latest novel portrays a fractured America filled with psychically and physically scarred citizens trying to cope with a threat from runaway technology for which they have no defense. Powerfully told, with room for an expansion of the story, this sf suspense thriller belongs in most libraries. Recommended.

A young princess willingly meets her fate in “The Rose in Twelve Petals,” while in “Conrad,” a young man realizes his family is not what he thinks it is. The 17 tales in this collection (some original to this volume) by World Fantasy Award nominee Goss center on the mixture of the magical and the mundane, the world of today and the world of fairy tales. Gracefully written and elegantly styled, these stories are recommended for most fantasy collections.

To save her family from impoverishment, Katherine Talbert accepts an invitation from her uncle, a.k.a. the Mad Duke Tremontaine, to join his household and be trained as his personal swordsman. During her educationz Dressed in men’s clothing and rigorously trained in the way of the sword, Katherine gradually discovers a new sense of freedom in a society where women’s futures are determined by their families rather than their own desires. Set in the same quasi-Regency world as Kushner’s Swordspoint and The Fall of the Kings (the latter cowritten with Delia Sherman), this novel introduces a fearless and resourceful heroine with a true heart and a keen-edged blade. Spiced with humor and spot-on period detail, this coming-of-age tale belongs in most fantasy and YA collections. Highly recommended.

Abandoned as an infant, the boy known as Locke Lamora grows up to become one of his city’s most famous (or infamous) con artists, yet his good nature has made him a folk hero. Leading his own band of men known as the Gentlemen Bastards, Locke falls into the center of a conspiracy that threatens those he holds dear. Lynch’s first novel, set in a richly detailed city peopled with a wide variety of fascinating characters, calls forth a highly motivated, determined, and sympathetic hero whose antics and knack for derring-do should appeal to fans of Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos novels. A good choice for most fantasy collections.

Banished to the Shadowlands for being on the wrong side of a civil war, Max Ravenhill forgets his true nature until his ancient enemy, the Basilisk Prince, plans an attack on him in the land of his exile. Warden of the Faerie folk, Cassandra Kennaby discovers Max and helps him remember his true self, determining that his only hope of survival is to return to the world of the Faerie, even though his banishment has not yet ended. Malan’s fantasy debut straddles two worlds, each detailed in vibrant colors and images. Believable characters and graceful storytelling make this a good addition to most fantasy collections.

A war between Rann, god of the Underworld, and the nature demigoddesses known as the Nulefi results in the destruction of the six Nulefi and the shattering of their spirits. They Nulefi are secretly reborn on the world of Myr, where swarms of dragonflies can coalesce into a large dragonfly capable of being ridden by special priests. When a young boy named Vivreki realizes he can hear the voices of the dragonflies and that they are capable of laying eggs in their giant form, he is labeled a heretic and goes into hiding. Only later, when catastrophe threatens the world of Myr, do Vivreki and a handful of others understand that the war between the gods and the reborn Nulefi is about to begin. Miller’s first book introduces an exotic world with Asian and Middle Eastern overtones that is filled with well-realized characters on both sides of the conflict and stars a distinctive and appealing magical creature reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey’s dragons and Mercedes Lackey’s Companions. This series opener belongs in most fantasy collections.

Cassandra Kresnov is an artificial person, or android, who served the League as a dark-ops specialist (assassin) in its interstellar conflict with the more conservative Federation. An experiment in independent thinking, Cassandra questions the ethics of her occupation, finally deserting to the Federation world of Callay, where she attempts to live quietly as the organic human April Cassidy. Exposed by the Federation, she finds that her former enemies have no room for androids, until an attempt on the life of the Callayan president demonstrates a need for her particular talents. Australian native Shepherd’s first Cassandra Kresnov novel (published abroad in 2001 and followed by Breakaway and Killswitch) delivers a fast-paced story of intrigue and adventure set against the backdrop of galactic politics. With particular appeal to readers of high-tech sf and cyberpunk, this title belongs in most sf collections.

Intended as a showcase town of traditional “American” values, the Florida community of Salutations USA occupies land once part of the Edmonds Bombing Range and surrounded by 450,000 acres of protected lands. Engaged in a struggle for control of the wilderness are the film company that has pioneered Salutations, a billionaire ecologist hoping to fund a research project on the land, a retired colonel-turned-survivalist, and a fFish and wWildlife officer intent on discovering the identity of whatever lurks beyond the town. Most concerned, however, are the land’s original inhabitants—part bird, part dinosaur, and entirely predatory. In his first novel, Smith, the author of numerous comics and short stories, presents a story that echoes the themes of Jurassic Park and should appeal to fans of sf suspense.

In an alternate reality in which a group of English nobles overthrew Winston Churchill and made peace with Adolf Hitler in 1941, a murder is committed at the home of Lord and Lady Eversley, and suspicion falls on David Kahn, the Jewish husband of Lucy Eversley. Only Inspector Carmichael of Scotland Yard believes that something else might be at work and that the Kahns could, in fact, be victims themselves. World Fantasy Award winner Walton (Tooth and Claw) serves up an chilling tale of thea future that could have been in a world both far different from and eerily similar to today’s. An excellent example of alternate history that for, this novel belongs in most sf collections.

When Detective Inspector Chen leaves with his family for a long-overdue Hawaiian vacation, he expects his second-in-command, the demon inspector Zhu Irzh, to fill in for him. After a series of murders with seemingly demonic characteristics plagues Singapore III, throwing the city into chaos, Chen returns to unravel a case that has grown in complexity so that it threatens the fate of the world. Williams’s second novel (after Snake Agent) featuring Chen and his otherworldly sidekick delivers another dose of fantastic adventure, blending Chinese mythology, elements of an old-fashioned murder mystery, and a generous dollop of acerbic humor. A good addition to most fantasy collections, this novel should appeal to both mystery and fantasy readers.

Additional SF

The events of this latest entry in the “Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter” series take place over one weekend. The incredibly handsome Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the city of St. Louis and Anita’s first lover, has invited fellow Masters from throughout the country to attend a gathering at his place. The ardeur, a power fueled by sex, is rapidly gaining strength. In order to satisfy the craving it produces, Anita must find a new lover to add to her list of seven. One male will be chosen from those who attend the gathering. To complicate matters, just as the weekend begins, Anita thinks she might be pregnant. Besides wondering how she could fit a child into her unconventional life, she tries to figure out which one of her preternatural partners could be the father. Hamilton (Micah) writes well and shares interesting insights into Anita’s relationship with other characters. As in the more recent series novels, graphic sex is abundant. For This Danse Macabre will appeal to Anita Blake fans and those who enjoy erotic romance.—Patricia Altner, Information Seekers, Columbia, MD