Fiction

Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 15th-century London, this latest from Bennett (Portrait of an Unknown Woman) centers on the lives of two very different sisters. Beautiful, flighty, and bored with her new husband, Jane Shore quickly catches the eye of the newly crowned Edward IV. Her younger sister, Isabel, follows a different path when she marries into the house of Claver, one of England's finest silk-trading enterprises. When tragedy strikes, Isabel finds herself playing an unexpected role in the family business and discovers a new life among the city's silk women and wealthy merchant class. Additionally, a chance encounter with a charismatic stranger forces Isabel to decide where her love and loyalties ultimately lie. Mysterious, romantic, turbulent, and rich in historic detail, Bennett's engrossing story of medieval England during the War of the Roses should appeal to fans of Sharon Kay Penman and Tracy Chevalier. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/08.]—Makiia Lucier, Moscow, ID

When elementary school teacher Annie Harper's boyfriend David is deployed to Iraq in 2003, she begins keeping a journal, envisioning a blockbuster memoir. Instead of a sappy romantic tell-all, however, Annie ends up using the journal to vent, fantasize, clear her head, and figure out what she wants from her relationship. She alternates between missing David deeply and being angry with him for leaving; she has plenty of arguments (on paper) with George W. Bush as well. To quell her loneliness, Annie adopts a pet chicken and volunteers at a nursing home, becoming friends with a woman whose husband may have been a World War II hero. Meanwhile, her best friend, Gus, becomes more and more attractive to her, and Annie must determine whether or not this is a symptom of missing David. Berentson peppers her realistic tale with funny situations and dialog (be aware that there is some foul language). Although Annie is decidedly antiwar, readers of any political persuasion can sympathize with her complex emotions, and her story rings true. This debut novel is warmly recommended for all public libraries, particularly where women's fiction is popular.—Rebecca Vnuk, Glyn Ellyn P.L., IL

At 32, divorcée Lila Nova discovers possibilities in her Union Square neighborhood when she buys a bird of paradise from David, the cute tropical plant guy at the farmers market. Later, Lila stumbles upon a Laundromat wherein exists a collection of nine plants that together supposedly allow their caretaker to achieve his or her deepest desires. Laundromat owner Armand warns her not to tell anyone, and rightly so: David steals the plants. To make amends, Lila follows Armand to his home in Mexico to replace the missing blooms. The oppressive heat and dampness, the odors of decay and rotting earth, the abundance of scorpions and otherworldly behaviors in Berwin's first novel will get under your skin, even as Lila's "adventure" leads her to self-discovery. What could have been a terrific New York novel morphs into an unconvincing tale of magical realism, where spirit animals roam the jungle and tree vibrations lead to mythological bromeliads. Readers made of sterner stuff might find the journey worth the effort. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/09.]—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Silver Dagger award winner Blunt takes a break from his John Cardinal series (e.g., By the Time You Read This) with a stand-alone novel about actor-turned-thief Max Maxwell and his teenage nephew Owen. Max and Owen are on their usual summer road trip in a massive RV, during which, using various disguises, they rob guests at lavish dinner parties and fund-raisers. Despite an excellent start, the trip takes a bad turn as age begins to make Max a liability and Owen finds himself wanting to leave the business to become a legitimate actor. Throw in a nasty former prison friend of Max's and the beautiful daughter of a former colleague, and the duo's real troubles begin. In his larger-than-life moments, Max reads like a character that has been seen before, but when Blunt explores Max's encroaching senility—particularly when writing from Max's point of view—the book rises above the ordinary. A pleasant if somewhat forgettable read; recommended for larger thriller collections. [Library marketing.]—Julie Elliott, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

A love story rolled up in literature lessons makes New York Times scent critic Burr's (The Emperor of Scent) fiction debut a truly novel work. The narrator is the incandescent, opinionated, very well read, and professorial Anne. Born in England, the child of diplomats, Anne marries the Brooklyn-born and equally erudite Howard Rosenbaum, and they produce a very precocious son, Samuel. Anne's natural sense of otherness, heightened by her Jewish in-laws' lack of enthusiasm at their marriage, is further stretched when Howard accepts a studio executive position and moves the family to Los Angeles. Anne struggles to find a niche for herself, finally meeting success the moment she sets up a book club at the behest of a couple of Howard's colleagues. Anne's brilliance in running this salon fuels Hollywood's boundless hunger for the next great screenplay. Soon Anne is dividing her book readers by film industry types, multiplying the number of groups, and her business is born. What of the love story? The differences of faith between Anne and Howard surface after their son returns from a trip to Israel, and Anne must work her literary magic to retrieve their love. If only for the lessons in linguistics and literature, this is recommended for all fiction collections.—Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC

This second in a projected trilogy begun with The Pig Did It reintroduces readers to the wildly successful and volatile author of "corrected" classic novels, Kitty McCloud; her hard-working husband, Kieran Sweeney; Kitty's swine-herding nephew, Aaron McCloud; and the nameless pig with a twitching pink nose for trouble. Rolling in royalties, Kitty and Kieran purchase an ancient Irish castle in County Kerry only to discover that their new demesne is haunted by the ghosts of young lovers Taddy and Brid, wrongfully accused of treason and executed 200 years before. Kitty and Kieran's desire to release the tragic pair from limbo is complicated by the appearance of Lord Shaftoe, the alleged rightful owner of the castle. Meanwhile, the mischievous pig sets in motion a chain of events that ultimately reveals the surprising resolution to everyone's problems. This charming, at times hilarious tale serves as a satisfying story as well as a quiet commentary on the sympathetic relationship between imagination and compassion.—J. Greg Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

Elliott Hansen and his wife, Helen, are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary with a party at a luxury hotel in New Hampshire, where they lived ten years earlier before moving to Ohio. Elliott has planned well, inviting their New England friends and neighbors and keeping the truth from Helen that her inoperable brain cancer is fatal. Their 18-year-old daughter, Abby, is also in the dark, which is why she is feeling resentful and solitary among these old friends and anxious to discover her worth, even if it's with a preppie hotel waiter. The guests dance around the inevitable, perhaps because facing reality has been something they have avoided for as long as they have known one another. This richly textured, multilayered treatise on learning to give up hope while still grasping at straws is searing in its approach to losing those we hold dear. First novelist Chenoweth, a former editor at Publishers Weekly, writes gracefully and eloquently of loss and love, portraying both generations at their most self-absorbed and most vulnerable. Highly recommended. [Online discussion guide; library marketing.]—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

When a young woman blows her brains out on a New York subway a few feet from Jack Reacher, he becomes understandably perturbed. His quest to find out why takes the large and lethal Clint Eastwood-like loner back to the Cold War and reveals a connection to presidential politics in this 13th Reacher novel (after Nothing to Lose), complete with cover-ups and numerous intriguing twists. The government is hiding something, and al Qaeda wants something—but what? All the while, goons from both sides assault and kidnap Reacher and two cops who are his companions. Reacher concludes that the Pentagon staffer who killed herself had some kind of information critical to national security. As the dead and injured pile up, the ever-resourceful and vengeful Reacher takes on nearly a score of the bad guys in an exciting climax to an enthralling book that is as satisfying as its predecessors. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09; coming in June is a debut thriller, Even (LJ 3/1/09), by Child's younger brother, Andrew Grant.—Ed.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

In this first of a proposed trilogy, debut novelist Elliott explores and expands on the traditional legends and mythologies of King Arthur and Tristan and Isolde in a unique and delightful way. In her portrayal, Isolde, daughter of Mordred, the bastard son of Arthur, grew up knowing her father was reviled. Now, she is under suspicion of sorcery resulting in the death of her young husband, the high king who had succeeded Arthur as overlord nine years earlier. When Marche, the brutal and powerful king of Cornwall, coerces Isolde into marriage only three days after the murder of her husband, her only recourse is to flee. With the aid of the mysterious Trystan, Isolde searches for proof that Marche is not the loyalist he claims to be and fights to save her land from those who would destroy it. Elliott has created a most promising first novel filled with passion, courage, and timeless magic. [For more Arthurian fiction, see "The Reader's Shelf," LJ 3/1/09.—Ed.]—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK

Sometimes it only takes one night to change lives forever, often in ways that people only appreciate when reflecting from the distance of time. Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish soldier in the Union army, will forever ponder the age-old question asked around the Seder table: How is tonight different from all other nights? On Passover 1862, Jacob is ordered by a Union commander to kill his uncle (who is plotting to assassinate President Lincoln), and this particular evening changes forever his view of religious tradition, love, and integrity. Horn, the award-winning author of The World To Come, has written a stunning historical novel that will challenge readers' preconceptions as they learn about the role of Jewish Americans during the Civil War. Her tale of Confederate Hebrew spies skillfully puts a new spin on a time period that has been researched and written about extensively. This timely book, coming on Lincoln's bicentennial year, is recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/08.]—Marike Zemke, Commerce Twsp. Community Lib., MI

As the Civil War winds down, freed slave Britt Johnson moves his wife and three children to Young County, TX. He dreams of starting a freight business, and his wife wants to teach school. But when the Comanche and Kiowa come raiding, Britt is not there to defend his family; his oldest son is killed, and the rest of his family and neighbors are taken captive. Britt spends a long winter plotting how to rescue them. Samuel Hammond, a Quaker man from Philadelphia, is sent to the region to be the new Indian Agent. He holds high ideals about nonviolence and teaching the Indians an agrarian lifestyle. Riveting suspense builds as Britt journeys north toward Indian country and encounters many Indian captives who do not want to be re-Anglicized. Using as her basis true histories of the Johnson family and others, Jiles (Stormy Weather) paints a stirring, panoramic tale of the young, troubled state of Texas. Highly recommended for historical fiction fans and readers who enjoy original Westerns. [Prepub Alert, LJ 12/08.]—Keddy Ann Outlaw, Harris Cty. P.L., Houston, TX

Catherine de Medici (1519–89) was the wife of one French king and mother to three. Intensely disliked by the French and kept in the background during her husband's reign, she came into her own after the death of her eldest son. The period of her strongest influence was also one of great political and religious unrest in France; she will be forever associated with the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of French Protestants. Making her hardcover debut with this well-researched and highly readable historical novel, Kalogridis (The Borgia Bride) treats Catherine with far more sympathy than most chronicles. In this portrayal, Catherine is highly superstitious, and her dealings with the astrologer Ruggieri lead her to commit unspeakable acts for the sake of her husband and children. In the end, though, fate cannot be cheated, and Catherine must deal with the consequences of her actions. Good for most collections, especially those where historicals are in demand. There are a couple of graphic sexual scenes, but they are not gratuitous. [With a 125,000-copy first printing; library marketing.]—Pamela O'Sullvian, SUNY at Brockport Lib.

Lately, several thrillers (i.e., Tom Knox's The Genesis Secret) have taken potshots at religion, pitting sophistication and intellect against devotion and personal faith. In a departure from his time-shifting narratives about document-protecting secret societies (e.g., The Last Templar, The Sanctuary), Khoury's new novel challenges that dichotomy. During filming in Antarctica, a news crew witnesses a shimmering sphere, unexplainable by any scientific expert. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the broadcast of the event startles a group of Coptic priests, who recognize the symbol as identical to one rendered by a prominent priest visiting their monastery. Is the mysterious symbol a sign from God or a hoax to discredit the faithful? Speaking through Father Jerome, Khoury pitches an eloquent argument for the value of personal responsibility toward one another while maintaining careful stewardship of the earth. This is a thoughtful book with a powerful message and yet also a thrilling read with compelling, well-developed characters. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]—Laura A.B. Cifelli, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Ft. Myers, FL

Navy pilot Annie P. Goode comes home for her 26th birthday to her doting aunt and uncle in Emerald, NC, exactly where her con man father, Jack Peregrine, left her 19 years earlier. But Jack's urgent message that he's dying and needs Annie to fly his old Piper Warrior to St. Louis upends her life. Annie agrees, hoping finally to learn the name of her mother. In a week's time, Annie finds herself in St. Louis, Miami, and Havana, always a step behind Jack, as everyone seeks a golden, gem-encrusted "Queen of the Sea" statue (think The Maltese Falcon). Malone (The Last Noel) employs his trademark cast of characters and wry humor, including using titles of old movies for his 55 chapters. This long novel could have used some serious editing, and a love scene or two between Annie and her Sergeant Hart would have been a welcome relief from the extensive Peregrine family history and the overuse of the f word. Purchase where Malone has an established following.—Rebecca Kelm, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

When Lilia Albert is seven, the father she has not seen in more than a year suddenly appears in the middle of the night and steals her away from her rural Canadian home. She is never again seen by her mother or brother. Instead, her independently wealthy dad moves her from one U.S. city to another, along the way educating her in matters both practical and not. Is he a spurned ex-husband who refuses to accept the court's custody decision? Or is he Lilia's savior, taking her away from something awful? When the novel opens, Lilia is a twentysomething Brooklyn dishwasher living with a disgruntled grad student named Eli Jacobs. When Lilia unceremoniously leaves him—a pattern she's perfected—Eli is bereft. As he obsessively searches for her, the story integrates the viewpoints of private investigator Christopher Graydon and Graydon's neglected daughter, Michaela, who has long resented Lilia's looming presence in her family's life. While the plot is occasionally contrived, the fast pacing and unusual characters make this a compelling first novel. Highly recommended for all contemporary fiction collections.—Eleanor J. Bader, Brooklyn, NY

First published in Japanese in 2003, this gem won the prestigious 2004 Yomiuri Prize and in 2006 was adapted for film (The Professor's Beloved Equation). The story evolves around a young housekeeper and her ten-year-old son, who have an esoteric link to a retired university professor through "amicable numbers." Ogawa (The Diving Pool) deliberately avoids any hint of romance between the two adult protagonists. Instead, she delves into the educational process between the housekeeper, a high school dropout, and the professor, a mathematical genius. With a prose style justly acclaimed as gentle yet penetrating, Ogawa gives mathematical theories from Eratosthenes to Einstein a titanic wink; under her pen, they no longer are solely a topic of conversation among academics but a tool that facilitates conflict resolution, communication between commoner and intellectual, and appreciation for the nobility and individuality of everyday objects; they also help us establish our worth in a chaotic world. This novel evokes the joy of learning, and, with its somewhat eccentric yet lovable protagonists, is a pleasure to read. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.—Victor Or, Surrey P.L. & North Vancouver City Lib., BC

An aging ex-reporter attends the funeral of an elderly widow. A solicitor approaches him and hands him a packet of papers that were to be delivered to him only after the woman's death. Reading them, he is transported back to events he has never forgotten. In 1909, industrialist-arms seller John Stone fell to his death from the window of his study. In his will, he left a bequest to an unknown daughter. His widow asked the young reporter to find the daughter, setting him on a search that transforms his life. Back through time the story goes—London 1909, Paris 1890, Venice 1867—with startling revelations at every step. This eminently readable tale is like one of those Russian dolls in which a tiny doll nests inside a bigger one and the bigger one inside another one bigger yet. The further you read, the more complicated it is until everything falls together in the final pages. This latest from Pears (Dream of Scipio) is in the best sense of the word an old-fashioned novel, populated with vital characters and bursting at the seams with narrative vigor. Highly recommended for all general collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Life is piling up for Det. Birch Ritter. He's a big man loaded down with ugly cases; guilty secrets; a violent, ethically dubious approach to police work; fresh divorce papers; and a personal demon he calls El Miedo. A crooked colleague sends Ritter to Genevieve, a woman who is equal parts psychiatrist, seer, and dominatrix. So begins Ritter's dark spiral downward, a series of strange changes that cannot be explained by the laws of the world as he knows it. Saknussemm (Zanesville) creates an original blend of noir procedural, horror, and dark eroticism but sometimes loses control of his own linguistic dexterity. The result is intriguing but also muddled and awkwardly paced. A great rush of late developments suggests that either a sequel is forthcoming or that the book's most captivating questions will remain partly unanswered. What is the extent of Genevieve's power? What is the truth about Ritter's past? What will become of him? Saknussemm is a writer to watch, but this book is recommended only for large libraries where complex genre-bending works have found readership.—Neil Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

If the stories in this new collection from McInerney (Bright Lights, Big City) have a common ground, it's cocaine and parties. Some of these stories are about characters at opposite ends of the universe. Others feel like Noah Baumbach films, concerned with selfish, chemically imbalanced rich families, making it nearly impossible to identify with them despite what are supposed to be universal problems. The writing here is clearly good and the narration calm, understated, and nicely controlled—a trait McInerney probably picked up while studying under Raymond Carver, though these stories don't feel necessary, as Carver's do. In fact, these bite-sized stories are so smooth, each encapsulating a snippet of its characters' lives, that they can be read in just a few minutes. Some do get to universal truths on heartbreaking relationships, but only in the last few lines; mostly, they're like sitcoms. Not recommended, though libraries where McInerney is popular should consider. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/08.]—Stephen Morrow, Athens, OH

In the title story of this miraculous final collection, the aging narrator admits, "I have never really left Pennsylvania, that is where the self I value is stored, no matter how infrequently I check on its condition." Most of these stories evoke Updike's Olinger and environs at least in passing, nicely complementing the 2003 retrospective collection The Early Stories, 1953–1975, with its tantalizing hints of autobiography. In "Personal Archaeology," a restless retiree uncovers several distinct strata of rusty junk on his small piece of suburban land and realizes that his own lost golf balls will form yet another such layer. In "The Full Glass," an elderly man takes pride in his efficient bedroom routines, such as filling a glass with water before opening the pill bottles. In "Free," a recent widower starts to miss the wife from whom he had longed to escape. A few of the stories take place at high school reunions, where conversations resume midstream after 50 years. Like his ancient characters, Updike rambles on at times, but no one will complain. Recommended for all collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/09.]—Edward B. St John, Loyola Law Sch. Lib., Los Angeles

When fans of the immensely popular Dresden Files series last left the urban wizard in Small Favor, he was dealing with the aftermath of an adventure that might have left his best friend's life and family in danger. But Harry is back in fine form in his 11th outing, which begins with another, extremely unexpected White Council Warden begging for sanctuary at Harry's place and ends with several frightening revelations. Once again, Butcher's urban fantasy features excellent, irreverent humor, the return of favorite characters, and new challenges from unexpected foes. Harry's cop friend, the tiny but fierce Murphy, sticks by his side here, as do the werewolves Harry befriended in 2001's Fool Moon. Longtime readers will not be disappointed. Recommended for public libraries collecting the series; this is also a great book to plunge newbies into the dark, magical side of Chicago.—Stacey Rottiers, Warren Civic Ctr. Lib., MI

Once a con artist on the run, Ciara Griffin now operates as owner as well as overworked, underpaid marketing manager for a small radio station with DJs of the undead variety. On Halloween, the station's "live" nighttime broadcast from a local pub, The Smoking Pig, encounters problems almost immediately when the midnight broadcast of DJ goth queen Regina is preempted by the broadcast of a religious screed warning about the wages of sins. WVMP has been targeted by a group called Family Action Network (FAN). Mortal Ciara and her undead friends must also contend with a government agency offering to help, though its sincerity may not be genuine. Matters of the heart afflict Ciara and her immortal boyfriend, Shane. Several believable, captivating characters abound, including a sweet-natured vampire dog named Dexter. This terrific sequel to Wicked Game is by turns funny, sexy, and gripping. For urban fantasy fans.—Patricia Altner, BiblioInfo.com, Columbia, MD