Fiction

Abeel, Erica. Conscience Point. Unbridled. Oct. 2008. c.272p. ISBN 978-1-932961-53-9. $24.95. F

Abeel's fifth novel (after Women Like Us) is an engaging read with plot twists and complex characters. Madeleine Shaye, a pianist and TV arts correspondent, seems to have it all: a solid relationship, a rewarding career or two, a daughter in college. Then, things start to unravel as she begins to suspect that both her lover, Nick, and her employers are casting about for a younger model. With good humor and just a few fantasies of murder and mayhem, she goes about finding a way to remain relevant. Some chapters have the feel of a mystery as Maddy puts two and two together about Nick's past and present missteps and the dark secret that has poisoned his family. Echoing Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Maddy's involvement with Nick's privileged, old-money family began long ago in college, when his sister, Violet, invited her to visit Conscience Point, the now crumbling setting for much of the novel. Yet this is ultimately a story about retaking the road not taken and reclaiming one's purpose in life. Recommended for public and academic libraries collecting literary fiction.—Gwen Vredevoogd, Marymount Univ. Lib., Arlington, VA

In this absorbing novel by best-selling Egyptian author Al Aswany (The Yacoubian Building), Egyptian medical students and professors at the University of Illinois Medical School experience various culture clashes and interpersonal problems. Shy and seemingly very religious, Shaymaa finds herself lost in her new life until she begins a relationship with the brilliant but repressed and miserable Tariq. This is the first relationship for each, and the author traces their emotional and sexual trials and failures as the two become closely attached. Another story line concerns a professor whose daughter has taken up with a young American artist and has followed him out of her parents' house and into cocaine addiction and sexual liberation. Egyptian politics and the repressive society under President Mubarak affect the lives of all expatriates, as evidenced by the presence of an older student named Danana, who is actually an agent of the Egyptian security department. Some of the American characters occasionally do and say things that, possibly as a result of the translation, strike discordant notes. Otherwise, the author is a fine, observant storyteller, and there is a warmth and intelligence informing these mostly sad stories. Recommended for larger collections.—Jim Coan, SUNY at Oneonta

Bartis's third novel (and the first to appear in English) is what György Konrád's The Loser (1982) was for an earlier epochal shift in Hungarian history: its narrator's struggle toward primarily emotional freedom mirrors Hungary's transition from socialism to democracy. Winner of the Sándor Márai Prize when it was published in Hungary in 2001, this work has been superbly translated into English. When the narrator's twin sister emigrates during an international violin competition, his mother—a well-known actress—is denied future roles. As a result, she exiles herself to their apartment for the remainder of her life. Despite the toll her increasing insanity takes on him, he dutifully cares for her. He is a tortured soul, at times narcissistic and cruel, compassionate and generous. Ultimately, he comes to believe that freedom, which he defines as "the kind of condition in which nothing ties us to the world," is a condition unsuited to humans. The novel's irony and humor are both shaded by its overall darkness. Though some readers might be uncomfortable with the amount of violence and sex, Bartis's tremendous talent makes this highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.—Kurt H. Cumiskey, Duke Univ. Libs., Durham, NC

This short novel by Booker Prize-winning novelist Berger (G) takes the form of letters written by a woman to her jailed lover. A powerful sense of loss and longing hovers over these missives as A'ida describes to Xavier events in the town of Suse, including her work at the local pharmacy. Outbursts about the oppressive tactics of the regime that has upended both A'ida's and Xavier's lives emerge only occasionally and only in letters that she won't mail since the censors would never allow them to be posted. Xavier, whom she is not permitted to marry and is thus not able to visit, scrawls cryptic political messages on the backs of her letters. We come to recognize his heroism from these comments and from some references made by A'ida. But he is not the fully rounded character that she is. In her own quiet way, A'ida is a hero, too, steadfast and loyal to the man she will probably never see again. Deeply affecting is the portrait of her love, one of the few aspects of their lives that cannot be touched by tyranny. Recommended for all libraries.—Evelyn Beck, Piedmont Technical Coll., Greenwood, SC

Bushnell most definitely had a good summer. The movie version of Sex and the City was a hit, and the NBC drama based on her last novel, Lipstick Jungle, is renewed for a second season. Just in time for fall, she presents an entertaining new novel. Female friendship is usually Bushnell's uniting theme, but, here, it's a landmark building and a beyond-fashionable address that connects the myriad characters introduced: an aging but still beautiful actress named Schiffer Diamond; Enid, a powerful gossip columnist; Annalisa, a former lawyer and now the hesitant wife of a hedge-fund manager; Lola, an obnoxious young social climber determined to manipulate her way to the top of society; and Mindy, the owner of the building's least glamorous apartment yet head of the building's board. Bushnell is at her best here—frothy and fun but also absolutely sharp. There are even a few sly references to Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big thrown in for good measure. Recommended for all public libraries.—Andrea Y. Griffith, Loma Linda Univ. Libs., CA

Among the most popular fiction of the mid-1960s was Bel Kaufman's Up the Down Staircase, the story of an idealistic public school teacher. Four decades later, National Book Award finalist Bynum has produced a worthy version for our times. Departing from the much-discussed experimental prose of her first novel, Madeleine Is Sleeping, the author here uses deceptively simple language to explore the sometimes amazing world of middle school in eight engaging linked narratives. Recently minted (and not especially idealistic) educator Beatrice Hempel struggles with insecurities at home and work while discovering in her classroom moments of wonder, grace, and sheer goofiness. Like Tobias Wolff—whose memoir This Boy's Life plays a major role in Ms. Hempel's teaching—Bynum writes with concise, careful phrasing and a clarity that illuminates the depths to be found even in the most quotidian existence. Recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/08.]—Starr E. Smith, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

The third novel in the Matty Graves series (after The War of Knives and No Quarter) takes place during the Quasi War of 1798 to 1800, an undeclared naval conflict between France and the United States. Recovering from his ordeal during the slave rebellion on the island of Saint-Dómingue, naval officer Matty Graves is summoned to Washington for questioning about his role in the death of his captain and the sinking of a ship. While not formally accused of wrongdoing, Graves is removed from command and ends up "on the beach." As a result, there is little action or plot development in the novel's first half, aside from a flirtation with a friend's sister, which holds little interest for the reader. The narrative speeds up when Graves gains command of a ship and an opportunity to redeem himself by catching a notorious pirate. Patient readers will be rewarded with a novel that proves to be eventful and enjoyable. What distinguishes this series from other naval adventure novels is its mixed-race protagonist. This situation is historically accurate (20 percent of all seamen in the American navy were African American at the time) and gives the book an unusual, if somewhat jaundiced, perspective. Recommended for public libraries, especially where Patrick O'Brian and other naval authors are popular.—Douglas Southard, CRA International, Inc., Boston

Carroll (Glass Soup) has a gift for finding a fantastic core hidden inside everyday life that is down-the-rabbit-hole imaginative yet feels like fundamental truth. This story of a man, his girlfriend, and their dog finds the author in top form. Ben Gould hits his head on the sidewalk in an accident that should have killed him. Somehow he survives, but he's changed in ways that he cannot understand. So starts a magical tale in which Ben talks to his dog, Pilot; the ghost sent to monitor Ben falls in love with his girlfriend; and a mysterious knife-wielding man threatens them all. The novel is full of great characters who experience resonant moments: at a picnic of her former selves, a woman discovers how quickly we change; Ben's girlfriend finds power in a memory of food, love, and home; Ben and his loved ones face an angry mob of his insecurities and failings. Love, memory, and balancing the needs of our many selves are themes in this occasionally scary, often luminous work of unconventional fantasy. Strongly recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/08.]—Neil Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

Mickey Haller, last seen in The Lincoln Lawyer, returns to the courtroom in an unusual way here. Former colleague Jerry Vincent is murdered, and his caseload is dropped in Haller's lap. One of Vincent's high-profile cases involved a movie mogul accused of killing his wife and her lover in a jealous rage. As Haller prepares the mogul's defense, he discovers that Vincent's killer might have chosen him as the next target. Haller must trust Harry Bosch, the police officer investigating Vincent's murder, if he is going to survive and trust his instincts if he is going to succeed in convincing a jury of his client's innocence. Connelly is firing on all cylinders in this epic page-turner. The intriguing story line, the chance to view Bosch from another perspective, and Haller's reappearance as a main character add up to a fantastic read. One of the best thrillers of the year and a mandatory purchase for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/08; $1 million marketing campaign.]—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

In late middle age, James Bolsover journeys by ferry over a stormy sea to a remote English island to start his life over again. What has brought him and the other guests of the Alpha Hotel into the care of their stalwart Greek innkeeper remains a mystery. In his earlier life, Bolsover enjoyed work as a technical writer for an engineering firm, owned a cottage with a well-tended garden, and had a happy marriage to the pretty but frail Katherine. When Katherine dies young and his firm goes into decline, Bolsover sells his home and reinvents himself as a freelance writer. But all that is behind him as he seeks sanctuary at the Alpha and, through his friendship with a fellow lodger, slowly reveals the twists of fate that have brought him there. The story of Katherine's sexual awakening is only one of the many ways in which this intensely satisfying novel surprises and enchants at every turn. From the author of The Navigation Log; warmly recommended.—Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Kingston, Ont.

When orphaned 19-year-old Esperanza Gorst is hired as a lady's maid by Baroness Tansor of Evenwood in 1876, she does not understand her role in a complex plan to restore the Duport family succession. Lady Tansor, the former Emily Carteret, still mourns for her fiancé, Phoebus Daunt, murdered two decades earlier. Through clever spying, Esperanza uncovers information about the murders of Emily's father and Daunt and about Emily's marriage and children. Letters and documents from Esperanza's guardian and others reveal the stories of her own parents and how she had been cheated of her inheritance. Yet, despite realizing that she cannot trust Emily or her unscrupulous associates, Esperanza feels affection and sympathy for the beleaguered Lady. Jealousies among Emily's sons and Esperanza fuel more misunderstandings. Speculations and explanations fill the pages of this novel, which is depicted as Esperanza's secret notebook discovered and annotated by the same editor who presented The Meaning of Night, Cox's debut, which was written from the perspective of Daunt's killer. Cox neatly incorporates the discovery of that manuscript into Esperanza's account, one of myriad connections of plot and characters that make this book an essential read for fans of the first novel. But this atmospheric and engrossing work also can stand alone as a treat for anyone who enjoys Victorian thrillers. Strongly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/08.]—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ., Mankato

De Bernières, whose sweeping epics took us to Turkey in Birds Without Wings and to Greece in Corelli's Mandolin, turns closer to home with a melancholy tale of midlife crisis set in 1970s London with occasional glimpses of Yugoslavia. Chris is a 40-year-old unhappily married salesman who mistakes Roza for a streetwalker and in his loneliness makes a fumbling attempt to hire her. Instead, he gives her a lift home, and she invites him to return to her ramshackle flat for coffee. He does repeatedly as Roza slowly relates her intricate and allegedly sordid life story as the daughter of a fervent Tito loyalist. A complex and codependent relationship develops as Chris is alternately appalled and thrilled by Roza's blunt, manipulative storytelling and Roza imagines a future as Chris's lover. Overall, this is a sad, quiet novel about missed opportunities owing to lack of honest communication. Although more introspective than de Bernières's other works, this latest novel is no less skillful. For all literary fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/08; reading group guide available on www.aaknpf.com at time of publication.—Ed.]—Christine Perkins, Bellingham P.L., WA

Edgar Award nominee Gaylin's fourth thriller (after Trashed) features Zoe Greene, an investigative reporter who has turned to writing for a soap-opera digest after experiencing a too close connection with a serial killer. Zoe becomes involved with soap-opera star Warren Clark, but when her affair is discovered by her employer, she quits her job to follow Warren to his vacation home in Mexico. San Esteban appears to be an idyllic Mexican town, but something feels wrong to Zoe. She soon discovers it is the site of the recent gruesome killing of a male teen, and she is drawn to investigate the death. Zoe hears of an identical crime that took place five years ago, which makes her wonder how closely her new romantic interest is involved. With bloody Aztec rituals and a secret cult thrown into the mix, this suspenseful and edgy thriller is hard to put down. Gaylin's background as a reporter contributes to the authentic feel of Zoe's natural instincts. Recommended for most libraries.—Susan Hayes, Chattahoochee Valley Regional Lib., Columbus, GA

This debut novel by a graphic novelist, producer, director, and composer is an eerie narrative of a Mexican radio host, Joaquin, whose spooky late-night paranormal call-in show transcends into the realm of the "other side." After gaining a cult following, his Ghost Radio show picks up enough fans for nationwide syndication. But before celebrating success, Joaquin must first face the horrific events of his own past. Complementing the story and periodic log of callers' accounts with the supernatural are striking, original black-and-white chapter illustrations reflecting Gout's experience with graphic novels. A thrilling literary and visual experience, this contemporary ghost story set in Mexico is a fast-moving and enjoyable read. The story and writing style recall early Stephen King and Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box and would be a good fit in any contemporary popular fiction collection.—Carolann Curry, Mercer Univ. Medical Lib., Macon, GA

The title of this outlandish, hilarious, and brilliant novel is an anagram for the name of a famous British royal personage. The third in the Gerald Samper series (after Cooking with Fernet Branca and Amazing Disgrace), it reads just fine as a stand-alone. Gerry is bored by the sports biographies he writes, but after his house in Tuscany collapses during an earthquake, his career takes a whole new turn. A helicopter pilot suggests that the "Blessed Madonna" kept everyone out of harm's way, and the story keeps spinning and spinning until it becomes the British "Madonna," Princess Diana, who appeared at Gerry's dinner party on that fateful evening and told everyone to leave immediately. The site becomes a shrine to the fashionista, and when a blind child regains her sight there, Gerry realizes that these events are high opera and sets about writing a libretto. The opera makes its debut to great success despite some funny unscripted events. Winner of the Whitbread Best First Novel Award, Hamilton-Paterson is a highly gifted wordsmith who strikes a rich vein of comic talent with this entertaining read. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate British comedy and the workings of an extremely imaginative mind.—Lisa Rohrbaugh, New Middletown, OH

Hinnefeld (Tell Me Everything: And Other Stories) has written a rich first novel about love, loss, and the fragile beauty of nature. When intense, artistic Addie Sturmer enrolls in Professor Tom Kavanagh's "Biology of the Birds" class at rural Burnham College, Tom recognizes in Addie his own ornithological passion and quickly falls in love with her. They marry, setting up house in a cottage in the woods, where Addie paints birds and Tom researches birdsong when he's not teaching. But this idyllic beginning doesn't always mirror their life together. Over the years, Addie becomes increasingly radical in her environmental concerns, and her artwork takes on a gruesome twist. Tom struggles to make Addie happy while being consumed by his own work. Their grown daughter, Scarlet, alternately rebels against her counterculture parents and struggles through her poetry to embrace her conflicting feelings about Addie. But when Addie is in the last stages of cancer, the characters reunite to deal with their demons and to find some measure of peace with each other. Particularly notable for its engrossing details about bird life, this moving book is strongly recommended for all fiction collections.—Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Univ. Law Lib., Malibu, CA

An exciting first English translation of the popular Japanese original, this book promises to create new Genghis enthusiasts with its imaginative but historically faithful interpretation of the great Mongol leader's life. Appreciated by both lay readers and scholars, Inoue's award-winning novels are renowned in his native country for their creative takes on holes in the historical record; this one has been widely translated and is the basis of at least one movie. Inoue answers intriguing questions about Genghis Khan's motivations and what happened during key but unrecorded times in his life. Translator Fogel (history, York Univ., Toronto) is to be applauded for bringing such a rousing Japanese favorite to a wider audience. However, this is perhaps too close a reading of the original; some of the descriptive phrasing is extremely awkward and would have benefited from a looser rendering. The addition of a glossary to explain such basics as Chinggis's anglicized identity (Genghis Khan) and that of frequently mentioned people such as the Jin would also have been helpful. Recommended for large academic and public libraries.—Megan Hodge, Richmond P.L., VA

In this "novel in stories," Joern (The Floor of the Sky) gives us a portrait of a rural Nebraska family from 1930 through 1979. Told from the perspectives of several family members, the story eventually focuses on Alice, husband Jake, and their three children. Joern is particularly adept at drawing characters with deep, unfulfilled yearnings who cannot express their feelings openly or find a way to realize their dreams as they contend with the challenges of hard work and poverty. Jake is a particularly tragic figure—he fails as a farmer but for reasons not discovered until decades later has difficulty holding any other kind of job. As we follow the family through the Great Depression, World War II, and the postwar boom that benefits only some of the family members, we see the changing American attitudes about marriage, work, and family. Recommended.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

In Johansen's latest (Quicksand), readers meet Jude Marrok, who has devoted his life to protecting the "Dogs of Summer" from certain death if they were to fall into the wrong hands. These special dogs keenly understand humans, heal extraordinarily quickly, and might just have the ability to cure very ill people. When Jude's beloved chocolate lab Ned is shot, he leaves Ned in the hands of veterinarian Devon Brady, a decision that draws a reluctant Devon into his dangerous game. Although Devon does not trust Jude, she accepts his offer of protection until a plan to save the dogs is completed. Jude himself worries that his attraction to Devon could cause him to make a fatal mistake. The unique plot makes this book stand out from the pack of romantic suspense novels. The characters are interesting and believable, while the action is fast-paced and thrilling. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/08.]—Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA

The Jones family would seem to have no luck. Aneira Hope Jones, already terminally ill, was swept away by a tornado in 1978. Now her husband has been felled by lightning, and his longtime mistress, Viney-best friend to his wife and virtually the stepmother of his three children-must rally alientated, overweight art scholar Larken; sex-obsessed Gaelen, a famed weatherman mostly because of his family history; and their slightly nutty little sister, Bonnie. The Jones siblings have had far from perfect lives. But they're also rooted in the warm and sensible little town of Emlyn, NE, proud of its Welsh heritage, and this fresh, invigorating novel fingers carefully through their pain. Kallos (Broken for You) doesn't rip her characters apart, just tenderly shows us their failings as they stumble, in a realistic and satisfying manner, toward better selves. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/08.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

Portrait painter and libertine Stuart Jameson arrives in 1764 Boston as many arrived in the American Colonies, one step ahead of the law. Fleeing a sheriff and debtor's prison in Edinburgh and hoping to start anew, he makes his first stop in the New World at the print shop of Benjamin Edes to purchase cards, a map, and a history of the city, but he comes away having found prospective lodgings, more information than he cared to know about the deteriorating situation between the Colonies and their British rulers, and a staunch friend. He also places an announcement of his services as a portrait painter and an accompanying advertisement for an apprentice, both of which bring him unexpected surprises. Francis Weston, the apprentice, is talented beyond his wildest dreams, and Jameson's burgeoning business soon plunges him into the dramatic affairs and intense politics of Boston's most influential families. Readers not put off by the slow start will be rewarded by a beautifully crafted debut historical novel that is at once a tender love story, a murder mystery, and a brilliant sociological and political portrait of a turbulent time. The authors are noted historians. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/08; see also "Editors' Fall Picks," p. 28-33.—Ed.]—Cynthia Johnson, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, MA

Listen up, readers. Neophyte Canadian novelist Kelly wants you to meet the Flanagans, a quasifunctional family that might give Jonathan Franzen pause. In a sprawling home on Martha's Vineyard, Anais and Charlie Flanagan—she a blue-blooded liberal who aims to save the world but has let her own family founder and he a "lovable" drunk and womanizer—exist only to torment their benefactor, her filthy-rich father, newspaper scion Peregrine Lowell. Two sons are born to the Flanagans in rapid succession, but, inexplicably, Anais rejects her eldest, narrator Collie, passionately favoring the younger, wilder Bingo. This uneven treatment breeds a love/hate relationship between the brothers, a perpetual game of one-upmanship resulting in a series of traumatic events that leave Collie seeking forgiveness just for being alive. His search for redemption takes him from a convent in El Salvador to medical school, financed by his disapproving grandfather. While Kelly is a clever, witty wordsmith with a penchant for apt if over-the-top metaphors that are laugh-out-loud funny, she only skims the surface of her characters, leaving readers to wonder why they dislike one another so. Purchase for larger libraries that showcase new authors.—Sally Bissell, Lee Cty. Lib. Syst., Fort Myers, FL

Set in late 1950s Glasgow, Kelman's latest (after You Have To Be Careful in the Land of the Free) novel vividly portrays a boy's growing up from the boy's perspective. Kieron Smith lives in a rough, inner-city neighborhood with his seaman father, his mother, and his studious (and more favored) older brother. Taking him from ages five to 12, the events recounted are those of everyday life—Kieron moves to a new house on the edge of the city, his beloved grandfather dies, he graduates from elementary school to attend the same "posh" school as his brother. Kelman gets Kieron's voice just right—innocent and profane by turns and always thick with the local dialect. While frank and powerful in its portrayal of working-class life and the inner consciousness of a young boy, the novel can be challenging reading owing to its overwhelming accretion of detail. It can seem strangely shapeless at times and about 100 pages too long. Nevertheless, there are numerous rewards for those who persist. Recommended for larger public libraries.—Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, Andover, MA

When private British bankers Brue Frères took on some unusual clients at the time of the former Soviet Union's collapse, the prospect of terrorist ties or involvement in state security organs was but a dim shadow on the horizon. Now, though, a young and curiously charming Chechen with the marks of torture on his body has arrived as a stowaway in Hamburg and bearing the key to a Brue lockbox. Sheltered by Annabel, a fiery German human rights attorney, the Chechen needs a safe berth. Relying on assumptions of fair dealing, Annabel and Tommy Brue craft a wily deal that protects the refugee and releases the funds. British and German agents act as guarantors of the deal, but no one anticipates the CIA's crashing the party. In le Carré's inimitable way, the individual's striving to do the right thing offers an eloquent but feathery counterweight to the relentless pressure of the "espiocrats," the author's neologism for the new spies operating within the the ethics of expedience. The old spy master hasn't lost his touch. Every public library should order multiple reserve copies. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/08.]—Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA

Desmond Bates has been going deaf for some time. Hearing aids help in some ways but make life more difficult in others. As a recently retired university linguistics professor, he still uses the library and the departmental common room regularly, but he finds retirement rather boring. His dull routine is interrupted by a request for help from an American Ph.D. candidate with a unique topic. Her persistence in seeking his help flatters and draws him in, but he is repulsed by her occasionally suggestive acts. Meanwhile, Desmond tries to convince his aging father that assisted living is an option worth considering. A surprise speaking tour in Poland, a visit to Auschwitz, and his father's unexpected stroke give Desmond a new and improved outlook on life. Lodge, the author of 12 other novels (e.g., Changing Places), uses humor and pathos to grapple with the difficulties of aging. His characters are true to life, as are the problems they meet, and the story evokes both laughter and tears. Recommended.—Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Providence

Morgan Cary grows up in Hawaii, counting many native Hawaiians among his close friends, namely, Tioni Brown. They become partners on a fishing boat and are inseparable until beautiful but destructive Victoria Novak arrives from the States. Both men fall in love with her, but Morgan marries her, and they leave for California. The next ten years are volatile and troubled, ending in Victoria's death from a lethal mix of vodka and pills. Even though he has a successful novel published and has taught college, Morgan returns to Hilo to take up his old job as fisherman, hoping to find solace in the familiar surroundings of his childhood. Instead, despair settles in. Through a shared love of fishing with a native Hawaiian family and their 12-year-old son, Morgan finds a renewed hope that he will dispel the ghosts of his past. Subtly imbued with Hawaiian culture, Merritt's seventh novel (after Possessed by Shadows) is not without flaws—awkward phrases, confusing flashbacks—but most readers will find Morgan's downward spiral and final path to hope a worthwhile read. Recommended for large fiction collections.—Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO

Best-selling author Monroe (Deliver Me from Evil) serves up a tasty dish of murder, deception, lust, and just deserts in her new novel. Delores Reese has had it hard all her life. She was born to a drug-addicted mother and raised in the foster-care system. Her high school sweetheart and fiancé, Floyd Watson, is wrongly convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to life in prison. Delores, aka Lo, resigns to her troubled life and decides to support Floyd while he does his time. In the interim, she meets Paul. They eventually marry, but Lo maintains her earlier engagement and continues visiting Floyd on the sly. But one day, she is blown away by Floyd's urgent news: he's been cleared by new evidence, and they can get married! Lo ends up with two husbands, both in the dark about her double life, and one big dilemma. Although the premise seems unbelievable, Monroe's fans will not be disappointed. Recommended for all public libraries and African American fiction collections.—Carol Johnson, Cleveland P.L.

Veteran singer/songwriter Nelson and Spur Award-winning cowriter Blakely have crafted a fine novel set in and around Luck, a Texas hill country town founded by a retired Texas Ranger, Capt. Hank Tomlinson. He makes a living out on the Broken Arrow Ranch, where he's raised a grown son named Jay Blue along with an adopted half-Mexican son nicknamed Skeeter. These two young men get into hot water with the Captain when his thoroughbred horse is stolen on their watch. Jay and Skeeter enlist the help of a music-loving albino mustanger named Jubal Hayes and set out to find the missing horse. The plot thickens when a suspected cattle rustler is murdered, and Comanches go on the warpath. More complications ensue when the Captain is blamed for the murder of the cattle rustler. Add a few saloon girls, Native American lore, and lots of local color into the fast-paced mix, and the result is a lively Western with widespread appeal. A Tale Out of Luck is slated for the big screen, starring Willie himself. Recommended for all libraries. [Nelson wrote this novel as a backstory for the false-front Western town he built outside of Austin.—Ed.]—Keddy Ann Outlaw, Harris Cty. P.L., Houston

Dan Brown stands on the shoulders of a giant. Twenty years have passed since Neville (A Calculated Risk; The Magic Circle) transfixed readers with her debut novel, The Eight. No one knew how to categorize it; part historical novel, part contemporary thriller, the book became a cult favorite. Patience is a virtue, and Neville's fans are a virtuous lot. Here is their reward. Set 30 years after the events of The Eight, the game that we thought ended has resumed with new players (although familiar characters figure into the plot in some way), and it returns as dangerous as ever. For those who haven't read The Eight, there are some innovative plot recap devices, but fans may want to treat themselves to a delectable reread first. Neville deftly employs time-shifting storytelling and casts historical figures in her story with such dexterity that you are sure all these people must really have known one other. Ingenious puzzles, enthralling historical ambience, and masterful plot twists abound. More please! Highly recommended for all popular fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/08.]—Laura A.B. Cifelli, Fort Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fort Myers, FL

Joel Deveraux is not the high-minded, do-gooder type usually found in the Public Defender's Office. He landed there only after being caught in a drug scandal at his first job with a prestigious law firm, and he's lucky he wasn't disbarred in the process. He spends his days pleading out drug dealers until he is asked to sit second chair with one of the office stars, Myra Goldstein, who isn't told why this Ivy League lawyer is now working for her. Goldstein is handling a hot potato, a murder case involving Lorenzo Tate, a black drug dealer accused of murdering a white college student in a street shooting. There's an eyewitness, the media is all over this one, and it's not looking good for Lorenzo. The story takes place in Brooklyn, NY, which is a nice change of venue for a legal thriller. Deveraux is a damaged lawyer, which adds interest to this smart, fast, and thoroughly entertaining debut from Brooklyn-based lawyer Peacock. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/08.]—Stacy Alesi, Boca Raton, FL

First-time author Death offers his side of the story in this tell-all memoir. This jerky, quirky, and allusive tale begins even before the beginning, with Death admitting he comes from a mixed background; his ancient father is Satan, and his mother is Sin, a heavyset lady, the size of a small mountain. They also happen to be brother and sister, which complicates those infrequent family get-togethers. Moving quickly along, Death reveals that, contrary to what you read, God isn't omnipotent and that Hell is that drawer that everybody has where string and useless kitchen implements accumulate. Along the way, Death manages to fall in love with Maud, which compromises his work. If Monty Python worked the Catskills and wrote a humorous book about death, the result might be something like this work by Pendle (The Remarkable Millard Fillmore). The image on the cover of a scythe-carrying robed figure and the abundant wittily captioned paintings and drawings lifted from Latin readers and old histories of the world should insure that copies will catch the attention of a younger crowd all too able to find the specter of Death funny; recommended for all public libraries. O Death, where is thy shtick?—Bob Lunn, Kansas City P.L., MO

This follow-up to Pritchard's debut novel, Junior Ray, remains true to the formula that led to the first book's unlikely success. Blues is a wildly profane, book-long regurgitation devoid of plot but not hilarity. This time out, instead of focusing on Junior Ray's intention to kill a World War II veteran who has just escaped from a mental hospital, the narrative looks at Junior's "research" of the Yazoo Pass expedition by a Union armada up the Mississippi River in 1863. Though Junior's account contains laugh-out-loud dimestore philosophy on race, history, religion, and especially sex, the narrative curiously veers into didacticism. Perhaps in trying to impress upon the reader that Junior is more than just an ignorant "peckerwood," Pritchard takes some of the fun out of such an outrageously unique character. One wonders if placing Junior in a more conventional narrative structure, with more interaction with other characters, would provide him the layers necessary to bring him more fully to life. Lightly recommended.—Kevin Greczek, Hamilton, NJ

The diva's death should be good news for ghostwriter Mark Lockwood, but her agent, Hollywood Hank, has other ideas. Since Mercè Casals's substantial body is found floating in a bejeweled bathtub, the once B-list story of her life becomes A-list material, and Hank taps brand-name author Alonzo Baylor to take over its telling. Half in love with the soprano himself and unwilling to forfeit this literary bonanza to the pompous Baylor, Lockwood absconds with 500 hours of interview tapes, leaving his confused wife behind. Aided by Casals's provocative nurse, Perla; her cross-dressing pal, Orson La Prima; and Casals's long-suffering husband, who has his own story to tell, Lockwood holes up and begins the arduous task of writing his labor of love. Rabasa (Floating Kingdom) utilizes the story-within-a-story technique, effectively giving a historical feel to a contemporary novel. Readers not only learn about the Spanish civil war and the training regimen of the operatic voice but are also offered a glimpse into the soul of a writer honing his craft. Recommended for larger fiction collections.—Sally Bissell, Lee Cty. Lib. Syst., Fort Myers, FL

A tragic childhood accident left musician Meer Logan with haunted memories of a past life. Over the years, Meer learned to manage her condition at the Phoenix Foundation with psychologist Malachai Samuels through past-life regression therapy. Malachai's suspicious search for the elusive Memory tools—ancient objects believed to assist in remembering past lives—has put him under FBI surveillance. When rumors of a Memory flute belonging to Ludwig van Beethoven surface, Meer is thrown into a dangerous hunt through the streets of Vienna for this priceless object. Her past life as Margaux Neidermier, student and friend of Beethoven, gives Meer valuable insight. But other powerful figures desperately want this treasure, and it will take Meer all the courage she possesses to discover and solve this puzzle before it is too late. In her follow-up to The Reincarnationist, Rose once again skillfully blends past and present with a new set of absorbing characters in a fascinating historical locale for this gripping second in a series. Strongly recommended for all popular fiction collections.—Joy St. John, Henderson Dist. P.L., NV

In 1951, Marcus Messner flees his father's steadily debilitating dementia and the overwhelming constraints of family life in Newark, NJ, to the greener and more pastoral setting of Winesburg College in Ohio. After years of working in his father's butcher shop, where he learned to do everything well no matter how much he hated it, he steps into a Kafkaesque setting in which such a lesson is useless in the face of the demands of the college's authority figures. After encounters with arrogant and lazy roommates who won't allow him to study, confrontations with the college dean, and the heartbreak of a failed sexual affair, Marcus learns that he can best survive various challenges in his life—even the book's most surprising challenge—by acting indignantly in the face of them. A meditation on love, death, and madness, Roth's new novel combines the comic absurdity of his early novels like Portnoy's Complaint with the pathos of his later novels like Everyman and Exit Ghost. All libraries will want to add this to their collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/08.]—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Evanston, IL

The ultimate weapon in this gritty, violent, and action-packed novel is the secret of cold fusion, an almost mythical source of cheap energy that the oil barons would like to suppress. A young and brilliant female scientist has apparently discovered the secret and is kidnapped by Hussein's men in the days leading up to the 2003 Gulf War. When her father, a former member of Britain's elite Special Forces, the SAS, and her sometime boyfriend, also SAS, find out, the chase is on to rescue her and the secrets she may have discovered. Their search takes them to war-torn Iraq, where they have to fight their way in to save her and then fight their way back out. Complicating matters, the two men hate each other. This U.S. debut by Ryan, a former SAS member and author of numerous thrillers published in England, is a readable and fast-paced thriller, despite an implausible plot premise and some action that's way over-the-top. Recommended for larger collections.—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Ryman, known both for his experimental and his speculative works (253; Air), turns historical for this novel about Cambodia's bloody history. In 2004, French archaeologist Luc Andrade discovers an ancient manuscript written on golden leaves detailing the life of 12th-century King Jayavarman VII, the Buddhist ruler who built the ancient capital of Angkor Thom. However, Luc is kidnapped by embittered remnants of the Khmer Rouge. As the people who love and respect Luc search for him along the Siem Reap River, the novel intercuts between the story of Jayavarman's life as translated by Luc for his captors and the history of 20th-century Cambodia's self-mutilation as seen through the memories of Luc, his kidnapper, and Tan Map, a guide with a brutal past who leads the search for the archaeologist. Ryman's knack for depicting characters; his ability to tell multiple, interrelated stories; and his knowledge of Cambodian history create a rich narrative that looks at Cambodia's "killing fields"—both recent and ancient—and Buddhist belief with its desire for transcendence. Recommended for all literary fiction collections.—Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS

Virgil Flowers, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) investigator, returns after Dark of the Moon in this fast-paced thriller. As Minneapolis/St. Paul tightens security for the 2008 Republican National Convention, dead bodies are being posed at local veterans' monuments. BCA Chief Lucas Davenport (last seen in Phantom Prey) assigns Flowers to investigate the assassination-style killings—the victims, all men linked to the last days of the Vietnam War. To learn what exactly these men had in common, Flowers contacts a former 1960s radical and begins romancing the man's Vietnamese daughter. Working with Davenport and his BCA colleagues, Flowers is led on a high-speed chase through the Northwoods that ends in a breathless, pitch-black shoot-out. With his long, blond hair and vintage band T-shirts, outdoorsman Flowers is a disarming and sometimes charming investigator. This book will appeal to readers of Sandford's "Prey" series as well as fans of adventures like those by Lee Child. Highly recommended for public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/08.]—Karen Kleckner, Deerfield P.L., IL

Death never sleeps, but in Saramago's world there is the possibility that she might decide to try. As in his masterpiece, Blindness, the 1998 Nobel Prize winner begins by altering an immutable aspect of the human condition: for seven months in an unnamed country, beginning on New Year's Day, people cease to die. The "long digression" that opens the novel is a series of satirical sketches that describe the reaction of different sections of society to this development. Funeral homes transition to burying domestic animals, the local "maphia" profits from the illegal transport of ailing citizens across the border into countries where death still functions, and economists publish alarming articles about "permanent disability pensions." Though the novel finds the right balance between the absurd and the profound, it is saved from sinking beneath an excess of cleverness only by the emergence of a memorable protagonist 100 pages in. This is death herself (she prefers a lowercase "d"), who, in a letter written on violet-colored stationery, explains the reasons for her disappearance. One of our greatest living writers, Saramago continues to produce stimulating and multifaceted work well into his eighties. Recommended for all libraries.—Forest Turner, Suffolk Cty. House of Correction Lib., Boston

Spechler situates her first novel 13 years after the disappearance of six-year-old Alena Kellerman. The narrative explores the aftermath of Alena's probable abduction and murder, revealing the coping mechanisms each family member assumes to escape survivor guilt and grief. The father's eventual abandonment of the family only heightens their loss. Bits, Alena's older sister, pursues a promiscuous path in Boston, while brother Ash is attracted to all manner of dogma. Raised a liberal Jew, he is eventually led to Orthodox Judaism, a move his mother, Ellie, likens to joining a cult. The story begins not long after Ash has renounced his family and traveled to Jerusalem to join a yeshiva and study the Torah. Ellie's compulsion to control her children leads her to concoct a deceitful tale about the recovery of Alena's remains. She even enlists a cult expert to assist in returning Ash to the United States. Ultimately, Ellie's dishonesty leads Bits on a desperate journey to retrieve her brother from the Holy Land. Spechler's characters are lovable despite their numerous faults, and the story is not just dark but funny. Split among the three family members, the rich and varied narrative offers readers many avenues for enjoyment. Recommended for all libraries.—Faye A. Chadwell, Oregon State Univ. Libs., Corvallis

The Troutman world is falling apart—again. Mentally ill Min is bed-ridden and suffering from paranoid delusions; her 15-year-old son, Logan, is in trouble at school; and her 11-year-old daughter, Thebes, is trying and failing to hold it all together. Enter a reluctant and clueless Aunt Hattie, recently dumped by her boyfriend in the City of Light, and the stage is set for this latest book by Toews (Boy of Good Breeding). After the suicidal Min is carried to the hospital, Hattie decides to take the kids on a road trip across the Canadian border into America to find the children's AWOL father. The odyssey is laced with moments of grief and dotted with the quirky places, people, and incidents one might expect to find on a circuitous journey through the hinterlands of the vast American West. Ultimately, the long road leads to the beginning of healing and the faith and strength to keep carrying on. Engaging, humorous, grim, and redemptive, this is essential reading; recommended for public libraries.—Jyna Scheeren, Troy P.L., NY

In best-selling, prolific author Tyree's (Flyy Girl) latest, which he has pronounced his final adult urban fiction novel, Ivan David, a modest accountant in a well-established San Diego accounting firm, slowly leaves his position to embark on his dreams: promoting parties and events through his own company and web site. When he teams up with Lucina Gallo, a Brazilian Italian socialite who has been planning parties for years, they become an unstoppable force in the world of public relations. Offering everyday businesspeople an opportunity to rub noses with the rich and famous takes Ivan to new heights financially, while the attraction between him and Lucina slowly heats up. Tyree offers readers an intriguing, somewhat well-paced, and extremely wordy plot with an ending that is a bit dry and unrealistic; however, this book is worth reading for the joy of seeing the underdog rise to the top. Recommended for libraries with contemporary African American fiction collections.—Lisa Jones, Birmingham P.L., AL

Twenty-four years after they flew into our lives, those audacious and lovable Witches of Eastwick are back. Now widowed and living in various parts of the country, Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie get together for a return trip to the Rhode Island village that they haunted so many years ago and that was the scene of one of their most murderous acts. Once they arrive, they find the welcome mat rolled up and the village's citizens angry, bewildered, anxious, and vengeful. As they meet up with old lovers, children, and friends, the three soon find themselves tangled in a mysterious and magical web of fateful events that ruins their trip and alters their lives forever. Like most of his recent novels—with the exception of Terrorist—this latest is an unsatisfying rumination on the loss of sexual vitality and death. As elegant a writer as he is, Updike has not quite been able to create fully drawn women characters who have vital lives and personalities of their own. Still, fans of The Witches of Eastwick who have always wondered what happened to the trio will want to read this novel, and most libraries will want to own any Updike novel.—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Evanston, IL

With this book, Veltroni, a prominent Italian journalist and the former mayor of Rome, becomes a first-time novelist at an age when most writers have long since hit their stride. Narrated by Giovanni Astengo, a man to whose character the polymathic Veltroni seems to have foisted half of his own personal interests and autobiographical details (the other half having gone to Astengo's son), the novel begins in quasidiary form. Each morning at dawn, Astengo, an archivist, retreats to a study where he muses on the current state of his life and fractured family. Gradually, as the bond with his maturing son strengthens, Astengo's own relationship with his long-missing father becomes the story's focal point. Searching for clues to his disappearance, he delves into his past and the novel, likewise, into metaphysics and mystery. Though Hofstadter's translation suffers at times from literalism ("grown-ups look as if they come from another epoch") and the use of outdated vocabulary ("this very telephone of yore"), this book should nevertheless appeal to followers of contemporary European fiction. Recommended for large fiction collections.—Brendan Curley, Brooklyn Coll., NY

In this 12th novel by horror/suspense writer Wilson to feature the Repairman Jack character (after Bloodline), the anonymous vigilante for hire is involved in a quest to retrieve a stolen Japanese sword. He is forced to fight a number of others trying to obtain it, including a character from Bloodline. The story also features a pregnant teenager, who is important to the larger universe created by Wilson in which the Repairman Jack novels take place. In an author's note, Wilson discusses the overall status of the Repairman Jack series and indicates where this new novel fits into it. While the book will be of most interest to those familiar with the earlier novels, it shouldn't be too difficult for readers new to Wilson to follow the story. For all public libraries. [The book was also issued in May 2008 by Gauntlet Press as a limited edition ranging from $50 to $100 per copy.—Ed.]—Joel W. Tscherne, Cleveland P.L.

York's unusual and absorbing novel, short-listed for Canada's Giller Prize, is set in the Mormon frontier of 1867. Within a few pages, we understand the complicated dynamics among Erastus Hammer and his four wives: sanctimonious Ursula, serene and lovely Ruth, sensual Thankful, and child bride Dorrie, married for her taxidermy skills. We also understand the varying perspectives of Lal, the oldest Hammer son; stable hand Bendy Drown; Dorrie's mother; and the Paiute tracker who helps Erastus hunt. While focused on a single family, the narrative offers flashbacks that paint an epic story of the American West, particularly the Mormon migration to the Utah territory. York doesn't shy away from the violence of this history, with the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857 casting a significant shadow. Full of rich detail on everything from taxidermy techniques to the raising of silkworms, this is historical fiction at its best.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

Opera and short stories are like inverted images of each other—one flamboyant, public, and spectacular, the other smoldering quietly, awaiting the single, passionate reader. Here is a short story cycle of art and artifice with famed opera legends and characters as the scenery. Real names are employed in some tales, others have just the slightest of masks—e.g., Floyd Lubber for pop composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Like the definition of operatic, the tales tend toward the "grand, dramatic, or romantic in style or effect." But while more daring fantasists like Borges or Calvino can whisk us away on flying carpets, Green's tales rarely ascend beyond the self-conscious page. Green is clearly a well-read and well-researched writer, but this first fiction offering from him doesn't yet translate. End lines like "face the music" are, ultimately, a bad pun—especially against lines like "Great singing, I learned, is the art of self-effacement in the service of beauty." Readers already familiar with the enchantments of the bel canto style, however, will still applaud these referential tales.—Travis Fristoe, Alachua Cty. Lib. Dist., FL

Lippman's fans may be diappointed to discover that her latest book is a collection story. They shouldn't be. Having won awards and increasing popularity for both her Tess Monoghan series and her darker stand-alone novels (What the Dead Know), Lippman shows herself to be a master of short fiction, too. She also clearly agrees with Kipling that the female of the species is deadlier than the male. Women's victims here include a female friend, boyfriends (both current and ex), a husband, and one-night stands and strangers; their murders are all the more chilling. The novella "Scratch A Woman," featuring a single suburban Maryland soccer mom who works as a prostitute, and one of several stories featuring Tess are the only entries not published previously. But those that have been published are scattered in a variety of anthologies over the last seven years, including Baltimore Noir. Here are nearly all of the short stories Lippman has ever written in one volume; read them fast, like a glutton, or slowly to savor each one. Either way, this is a treasure. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/08; library marketing.]—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA

In her debut story collection, Luongo shows an unusual range that makes it difficult to classify her many gifts. "Buoyant," for example, is one of several short shorts of two to three pages that dip into a particularly heightened moment, in this case a pregnant woman's experience of swimming; one could not think of a better example of content dictating form. Other, more traditional narratives surprise us with elements of magical realism, like the hilarious "Pedagogy," in which a bored college professor boils and bleaches his head, exposing his skull and spine for his next classroom appearance to liven things up and allow him to write up his experiment for possible publication. In the title story, the heart in question is real and palpable (it's from the local morgue) but no longer functioning, a mordant reminder of the many ways in which we rationalize the irrational aspects of love. Readers looking for a break from the classic New Yorker domestic comedy will find much to admire here. A writer to watch; recommended for public and academic libraries.—Sue Russell, Bryn Mawr, PA

According to legend, the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel were exiled by the Assyrians and disappeared beyond the River Sambatyon. In a series of ten connected contemporary stories, each named for one of the lost tribes, noted Israeli author Yellin (The Genizah of the House of Shepher) fashions powerful imagery of the notion of exile, the wandering Jew, and the search for meaningful language, often using roving and rootless characters. The narrator in "Reuben" is a young girl fascinated by her strange, wandering uncle, who on his infrequent visits trades talismans with her; she later learns from her father that he is a deceitful man. In "Simeon," our somewhat older narrator is on a Mediterranean cruise with her parents that turns out badly, with much lost-at-sea description. In "Dan," a book dealer tries to barter his stock away to the narrator's father while searching for that special book. A tale of a woman who has left her home to live in a remote northern port is the perfect depiction of loneliness. Our narrator, too, is bitten by wanderlust, always seeking, never finding, and searching to belong. Yellin brilliantly captures mood in time and place; her stories are true gems. Recommended for all libraries.—Molly Abramowitz, Silver Spring, MD