Fiction

Abi-Ezzi, whose family emigrated from Lebanon to England, sets her debut novel during her native country's civil war. Eight-year-old Ruba Khouri lives with her family in Ein Douwra, outside of Beirut. Her father has isolated himself inside the family home, and her older brother has also withdrawn, becoming involved with some dubious characters. As the war intensifies, so do the tensions within Ruba's home. Her mother becomes increasingly dismayed by her husband's inability to take any initiative with either his business or his children. In one particularly affecting scene, Ruba discovers a troubling incident in her father's past, and her longing to understand what happened reflects her tendency to internalize others' burdens and make herself responsible for her family's welfare. Abi-Ezzi deftly tells this story through Ruba's eyes, allowing the reader to experience her loss of innocence as she learns of the complexities of the world. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/09.]—Cristella Bond, Anderson P.L., IN

In this seemingly autobiographical narrative, Al Neimi mines the depths of Arabic literature in an attempt to revive the forgotten language of sexuality. Her purpose is to show the subtle tension that exists between today's conservative Arab and Middle Eastern cultures and their lascivious literary past. Al Neimi continually underscores her thesis that Arabic is the language of sex by referencing the works of Ahmad ibn Yahya, Ali al-Katibi, and al-Tijani. The anonymous narrator, who works as a librarian, is asked to compile and give a presentation on classical Arab erotica. While uncovering the sensuality of classical Arabic literature, she unlocks her own hidden sensuality through purely sexual relationships. In the novel, the continual oscillation between classical texts and modern society produces humorous chapters dealing with both Viagra and Sex and the City. A best seller throughout the Arab world, this book will have wide appeal, particularly to readers of erotica, women's, studies and contemporary Arabic literature.—Joshua Finnell, McNeese State Univ. Lib., Lake Charles, LA

Set in 2075, this brief novel concerns an isolated island society created as a refuge from an otherwise devastated planet. Founded on the model of Plato's Republic, it stresses security and order over freedom. A young woman named Anax is about to take her entrance examination to the elite Academy, the island's governing institution. Her exam centers on the story of Adam Forde, a soldier who rescued a young girl from an approaching raft (outsiders are to be shot on sight as potential carriers of the plague) in a rare example of freedom of choice. Offering a riskily original interpretation of his trial and sentence (he must work with an advanced robot named Art in order to enhance its intellectual development), she will discover that Adam's story and the Academy itself are far different from what she imagined. Framed as something of a 21st-century Platonic dialog with an sf twist, this deeply philosophical if somewhat didactic novel is ultimately successful in conveying its message about the potential consequences of the interaction of humanity, technology, and the environment. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/08.]—Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, North Andover, MA

Betsy Cooper Phillimore has turned into a very well-finished lady, considering that she had been abandoned as a baby. Luckily, her birth mother had the foresight to leave her on the doorstep of the Phillimore Academy, one of London's last finishing schools, where she grew up learning good manners along with her ABCs. Betsy didn't actually attend the finishing school, instead taking a math degree at university and eventually ending up in Edinburgh running a high-end shoe store. However, owing to some misunderstanding, her adoptive family believes that Betsy is a successful management consultant and asks her to help get the now faltering academy back on the right financial track. Betsy can hardly say no, and there is the added incentive that she might discover her real mother's identity if she is given access to the academy's old records. Being in London also means that she will see more of Jamie, her best friend's brother and her long-time crush, and Mark, the academy's slightly bookish but handsome bursar. Browne (The Little Lady Agency) has written another entertaining and highly enjoyable novel that will appeal to fans of Bridget Jones's Diary and other British chick lit.—Lisa Hanson O'Hara, Univ. of Manitoba Libs., Winnipeg

Art historian Louise O'Neill returns to her native Dublin after living and teaching in the United States for several decades. An old friend resuscitates Louise's memories of a clandestine romance with Peter, a Canadian monk studying in Ireland for a theology degree. Narrated by Louise and loosely based on the tragic romance of medieval lovers Héloïse and Abelard, Callaghan's ninth novel (after The Visitors' Book) subtly exposes the perverse manipulations that may complicate and confound love. Peter, for example, approaches both Louise and his priestly vocation as conquests. Louise initially responds to Peter's zealous ardor with erotic fervor but ultimately rejects the enforced isolation and guilt caused by their impossible relationship. Ironically, it is Louise the lapsed believer, professionally adrift, who exhibits a love that surpasses all understanding. Callaghan is a compassionate storyteller, and her narrative talents, especially for dialog, nuanced character development, and surprising plot twists, are fully evident. Readers of Anne Enright and Maeve Binchy will discover much to admire here.—J. Greg Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

Troubled April and cautious Oliver, former childhood friends, find themselves reconnecting after the sudden, tragic death of April's teenage brother, Buddy. April, blaming herself for Buddy's death, becomes surrounded by Oliver's family as they lend comfort and support. Oliver, who previously dreamed of a music career, is now a law student engaged to be married and seems the polar opposite of reckless April. They were inseparable as children, always compelled to look after Buddy and each other, and now, as they battle their mutual attraction, life appears quite complicated and confusing. April is aware that she should avoid the many rough, abusive men she allows in her life; Oliver acknowledges that a wonderful future awaits him. The opening chapters of this emotional whirlpool of a debut novel are gripping, owing to Callahan's sharp, savvy storytelling. Callahan spins a dark, gritty tale of love, yearning, and choices while presenting engaging characters and substantial action that packs more than a few punches. Wise beyond words. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/09.]—Andrea Tarr, Corona P.L., CA

In his fourth novel in an acclaimed series that includes The Journal of Antonio Montoya, Perdido, and A Santo in the Image of Cristobel Garcia, Collignon returns to the fictional town of Guadalupe, NM, and continues the strange mystery of Madewell Brown, who arrived in Guadalupe one day in the 1950s, lived there quietly for seven years, and abruptly left. A bag with his name on it has been gathering dust in Ruffino Trujillo's garden shed until Ruffino's son Cipriano discovers it and unpacks a photo of a Negro League baseball team and a stamped envelope addressed to Obie Poole of Cairo, IL. Retired baseball player Obie has passed away, and the letter lands in the hands of his friend and caretaker, Rachael, who believes that Madewell is her grandfather. Obie's narrated flashbacks fill in the details as Rachael and Cipriano begin parallel quests to uncover the truth about Madewell's life and death and their ties to events kept hidden for decades. Straightforward prose and well-drawn characters, married to fragmented memories of racism and violence, make for a compelling tale. Think Tony Hillerman with a dash of Cormac McCarthy.—Jenn B. Stidham, Houston Community Coll.-Northeast Lib.

Connelly has done it again. Reporter Jack McEvoy, the hero of Connelly's earlier novel, The Poet, is back in a chilling new mystery. The latest casualty of corporate downsizing at the Los Angeles Times, Jack decides to end his career with a story about a young drug dealer's arrest for and confession to murder. A phone call from an angry relative gets him to investigate the old case further, and Jack stumbles upon a high-profile serial killer case that might save his job, assuming he can survive long enough to solve it. The newspaper industry is on the verge of collapse these days, and ex-newspaperman Connelly here tackles the subject head-on while juggling an intricate mystery at the same time. He wisely focuses on McEvoy to tell the story, with the occasional interlude from the mastermind behind the attacks, making the narrative terrifying and compelling at the same time. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

The first solo effort by James Patterson's coauthor (Beach Road) delivers enough twists and turns for any thriller reader. New York detective Darlene O'Hara shares her hard-drinking ways and renegade streak with many a fictional cop, but there are some things that set her apart. She has yet to make it to Homicide, so she's forced to investigate the murder of Francesca Pena, a 19-year-old NYU student, off the clock and under the radar. Once a teenage mother, O'Hara feels a connection to both Francesca, who survived a troubled childhood, and suspect David McClain, Pena's erstwhile beau. David reminds her too much of her own son for her to believe him capable of the rape, torture, and murder. Instead, she worries at each scrap of evidence until it leads her further. O'Hara comes to some disturbing conclusions, but even after she and her partner make their arrests some questions remain. De Jonge conveys enough texture that it isn't hard to imagine this on the big screen. Here's hoping that we see O'Hara again.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids

In 1857, twins Alice and Lilian are the only surviving daughters of Edwin Talbot, an extremely eccentric, self-centered man whose pride and joy is The Collection, a jumbled mix of anthropological pieces, naturalist objects, and progressive machines that has taken over the family's large estate. The story begins after Lilian is married off in disgrace to a missionary heading to India, leaving Alice the sole caretaker of The Collection, Mr. Talbot, and the elderly aunts. Told from the sisters' perspective in alternating segments, the story shows each facing challenges to her physical and emotional safety as they work toward their reunion. Seeing English society transplanted in rural India through Lilian's unconventional viewpoint and battling Mr. Talbot's unpredictable, focused mania through Alice's independent nature results in a complete and complex story. This debut is ideal for readers who enjoy unconventional historical fiction peppered with interesting, intelligent characters.—Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Eldridge (Unkempt: Stories) carves up the sacred cows of women's experience and leaves the bloody corpses on the slaughterhouse floor for readers to view. Marriage and motherhood take the most punishing blows, but career ambitions and the ever-complicated roles of friend, daughter, and lover are up for dissection as well in this juicy, messy romp through the lives of six middle-class women who struggle to define and articulate their identities and desires. Readers who appreciate vivid characterization will find figures like feisty, foul-mouthed Joyce and her best friend, the ever-so-perfect yet slowly crumbling Bobbie, impossible to forget. The writing style is episodic and fluid, moving freely through time, and designed to appeal to those readers who prefer to have key plot points and relationships revealed gradually. However, the fan of the "problem novel" will benefit most here, as Eldridge forces her readers to take a good, hard look at family planning from every possible angle, not just the ones they might personally agree with. Visceral and stunning.—Leigh Anne Vrabel, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh

Dutch writer and poet Enquist's most recent work is made up of a series of monologs, several of which have been performed in various European theater productions in recent years. The characters in these pieces share little in common except a sense of striving against circumstance. In the first piece, an interior monolog of Alma Mahler, wife of the composer, describes how she subverted her own musical career to serve her composer husband. In another, a Polish man immigrates to America, only to slip into madness and be sent back from Ellis Island. Two pieces take place in Rotterdam during World War II; in another, set in contemporary Holland, a young woman undergoes a quarter-life crisis and tries to put her social and working life in order. All pieces are brilliant examples of spare, modern writing, with set directions often substituting for description, but the lack of context and continuity make it difficult to connect with the characters. Best for readers who enjoy fiction in small doses.—Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA

New Zealander Grace Cleave is a writer living in London. Single, 30, and introverted, she copes dreamily with the outside world, her grasp of reality tenuous at best. When she accepts an invitation to spend the weekend with an acquaintance, Philip, and his wife, Anne, she is hoping that the trip will be good for both her and her stalled novel. But from the outset, she is plagued by regrets, fears, terrible self-consciousness, and the conviction that she has turned into a migratory bird. Each step of the painful weekend—the uncomfortable train ride, the awful surprise that Philip has children, the anxiety about when to go to bed, when to awaken, and what to say in the meantime—triggers childhood memories of New Zealand and the many "shifts" her family made for her father's railroad job. Past and present, self and other, animal and human—all become a poetic tangle in Grace's mind. Frame (An Angel at My Table) wrote this novel in 1963. Now, published five years after her death, this work holds up perfectly, speaking to anyone who has ever felt isolated and different.—Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Univ. Law Lib., Malibu, CA

Freed, who has gained recognition as the author of five novels (e.g., House of Women) and various short stories and essays, here offers an engaging and utterly enjoyable coming-of-age novel set in the years after World War II. Jewish Cressida is the young daughter of a damaged father and beautiful, social-climbing mother. Although she was born after the horrors of the war, Cressida is still haunted by what she learns about it. Most prominent in her education is the war-scarred George Harding, who takes an interest in her mother and then the girl. Her wild and impulsive attitude appeals to him. Cressida is both repulsed by and drawn to the solitary figure, who eventually employs her as a kind of mentor to his timid nephew. As she grows older, George Harding is a constant presence in her life, directing her education and social standing. This presence leads to the pair being connected far more closely than Cressida could have ever imagined. Recommended.—Leann Restaino, Girard, OH

Jo Beckett, the forensic psychiatrist in the excellent Dirty Secrets Club, is back, only this time she is evaluating suspects instead of doing "psychological autopsies." She is called to the airport to determine whether Ian Kanan should be arrested or hospitalized for acting erratically on his return flight from a business trip to South Africa. Apparently Kanan picked up a rare disease called "anterograde amnesia," causing him to forget all new information every five minutes, including the fact that he's carrying "Slick," a highly volatile explosive with devastating side effects. In addition to the rare disease that appears to be spreading and taking lives, this thriller encompasses just about every device used in the genre: a race against the clock with a kidnapped family in peril, high-tech super-deadly explosives, international terrorists, high-speed car chases, and a couple of strong women who can make jokes while outrunning a homicidal maniac. The complete lack of character development and terse writing style makes for a fast-paced story, but not necessarily a good one. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/09.]—Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL

Charlie Chaplin has just been sighted: he's afloat on a skiff off the Northern California shore, without oars or sail and drifting onto the rocks. Before rescue arrives, his boat sinks. A battered black derby floats, alone, on top of turbulent waters. But at the exact same time, he's seen all across America in hundreds of places. Thus begins a three-year roller-coaster ride through an America coming to grips with a war many wished we'd never gotten into and the attraction of a new and revolutionary phenomenon: the movies with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and…Charlie Chaplin, whose efforts to realize his destiny are the center of this fantastic farrago of a novel, which weaves from character to character and always returns to Chaplin. He's unfaithful, lecherous, and a bad son, but he has a genius for visual comedy that cries out to be realized. Gold (Carter Beats the Devil) has written another joyous comic novel that blends fact and fiction to the point where you won't really care what's true and what's not. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

In this short novel by the author of Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow, a young woman named Ahleme searches for work and love in Paris. Although both quests are mostly fruitless, she does end up with a tenuous financial stability. The book's more interesting aspect involves her family: a disabled father and a teenage brother teetering on the brink of delinquency. Her she-wolf love for her brother is especially compelling. Part mother, part bully, Ahleme never relents in her efforts to guide her brother toward the right path. She has had to replace their mother, who died tragically, but that storyline is barely developed; a fuller account would have added weight to a decidedly slight novel. Over everything hangs the protagonist's pining for her native Algeria. This longing is believable if not moving, and the story eventually heads to a satisfying finish.—Evelyn Beck, Piedmont Technical Coll., Greenwood, SC

This novel evolves from a reflective bit of social commentary to somewhat of a crime thriller, with moderate success. It opens with the introduction of J.T., half-Mexican, half-Chickasaw Indian orphan who has recently dropped out of high school and works at a golf course. After his sudden disappearance, we meet Sheriff Martin and Hickson Crider, both of whom are haunted by difficult pasts. Martin's younger brother died when they were both children, and Hickson has struggled to put his life back on track after serving in the first Iraq war. All of these characters seem obsessed with the underground, specifically holes in the earth that lead to the underground. This is especially true of Hickson, who has a seemingly bottomless hole in his backyard. Gwyn's (Dog on the Cross) earthly conceit is successful enough, but he seems to give up on it with a detective-style plot twist in the last third of the book. Though it's entertaining, the reader feels short-changed after becoming emotionally invested in characters Gwyn so carefully constructed.—Kevin Greczek, Hamilton, NJ

Several intersecting strands share a common geography—Australia and the South Seas—and a missing person mystery. A series of diaries, letters, emails, phone calls, and interviews links the stories of Jim Dent, a British detective gone AWOL from his police force in pursuit of a missing rock star, Billy K, last seen off a Cornish hillside; Nelson Babbage, a Fiji native and translator accompanying a party of English missionaries back to Fiji; and Cal, an injured and stranded motorcyclist, writing letters home from the outback. Dent's story shifts from the present and his obsessive need to complete the missing-person investigation, to his youthful past and his flight from a darkly dysfunctional home. While parts of the novel are stronger than the whole, taken together, they represent a journey of self-discovery by men who have lost their way in life. This first novel proves a worthy addition to most public library collections.—Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Kingston, Ont.

When the President is killed in the crash of the Marine One helicopter, while en route to a mysterious meeting at Camp David, the world wants to know why. Mike Nolan, former marine helicopter pilot and lawyer, is tapped by the chopper's French manufacturer to protect them from claims of liability as initial suspicion points at them. But the more Nolan digs, the more he finds. Was it sabotage or mechanical defect? The pilot hated the President; so was it an assassination? Why was the President so desperate to get to Camp David in the first place that he would go during a terrible storm? Why are State Department goons threatening anybody who tries to find out about the secret meeting? And why are people close to Nolan winding up as dog food? Literally. Equal parts thriller, mystery, and legal procedural, Huston's sixth novel is a gripping and fast-paced read. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Can a heartsore and weary CIA veteran juice up fresh, meaty intelligence from buttoned-down Tehran? Does his trusted Secret Intelligence Service colleague have an inside track, and will he share? Who really holds the cards on the nuclear weapons story in Iran? Ignatius (Body of Lies), the Washington Post columnist whose knowledge of spydom and exotic places brilliantly illuminates his espionage novels, imagines an Iran where a young physicist is ready to turn his back on the regime. Agent Harry Pappas works out a plausible lifeline, and the adventure begins. Ignatius floods his latest book with highlights of technology while exploring the dark heart of human betrayal with menacing ambiguity. This masterful and modern-day account of a realistic nuclear threat has already been sold to movie moguls and will be heavily promoted. A sure bet for all thriller collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]—Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA

In Kerala, India, sisters Linno and Anju are raised by their father and grandmother, their mother having suspiciously drowned when they were young. Bad luck seems to follow the family when Linno loses her right hand in a firecracker accident; however, she overcomes her disability by learning to draw, gaining fame by painting pictures on the windows of local businesses. The younger Anju excels in academics and applies for a scholarship at a prestigious high school in New York. During her all-important interview, Anju passes off Linno's artwork as her own, thereby winning the scholarship. She moves to New York to attend the school, but all unravels when Anju's deception is discovered and, in shame, she runs away. While Anju works at a hair salon in order to earn enough money to hire an immigration lawyer, Linno and her father tackle the bureaucratic red tape involved in obtaining a U.S. visa, intent on going to New York to find Anju. This debut paints amusing and disturbing pictures of both cultures, highlighting the struggles experienced by those who find themselves on foreign soil. Sensitively told and completely engrossing. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/08.]—Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Univ. Law Lib., Malibu, CA

"For Sale: Wedding dress. Never worn." This classified ad piques the curiosity of investigative reporter Riley Spartz in this sequel to Stalking Susan. She delves deeper, hoping the story will boost network ratings during the May sweeps, but her relentless quest for a feature report on the runaway groom ensnares her in a missing-persons case fraught with deceit, mystery, and danger. Is the groom who left his socialite fiancée at the altar in hiding, reconciled with a past lover, or murdered? Riley's interviews with members of the wedding party uncover a multitude of secrets, causing the situation to spiral out of control. Meanwhile, competing assignments find Riley exposing a meth operation that hits close to home and involved in a high-profile search for a famous missing fish. Readers who can tolerate a slow start will be rewarded as the book progresses. Once it picks up momentum, it never stops, and the twists and turns keep the adrenalin racing. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/09.]—Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

In his latest, Lasser (All I Could Get) deals with the harrowing aftereffects of 9/11, but this is not the whole story. He skillfully incorporates those awful events into a human story that deals with tragedy but offers hope, making everyone's broken life seem fixable while reminding us that death and loss happen all the time. A single woman, Cat, and her father, Sam, struggle with their relationship after the death of Cat's brother Kyle on 9/11 and with a mystery he left behind: Cat must track down an orphaned infant son she didn't know Kyle had. As the story deepens with flashbacks, remembrances, and surprises, it gains an irrefutable momentum that builds to the last page. In the end, the book clarifies the importance of family and shows us that what really matters after a tragedy is "the year that follows"—how we deal with the consequences. There are few books this reviewer is compelled to finish in one sitting, and this was one of them.—Henry Bankhead, Los Gatos P.L., CA

Six foot eight and dyslexic, Brandon Vanderkool has trouble relating to people, but he's supremely knowledgeable about birds. His dad doesn't think he's cut out for dairy farming, so Brandon ends up in the Border Patrol ruling the divide between Washington and Canada. Though he spends most of his time bird watching, smugglers and illegals keep falling his way, and he soon has a reputation as the patrol's top man. Meanwhile, his father struggles with the farm, his mother struggles with incipient Alzheimer's, a Canadian girl that Brandon's sweet on struggles with her decision to cultivate pot to smuggle across the border, and a new neighbor delights in interviewing everyone. This might sound like an offbeat, aw-shucks comedy or a setup for social tragedy, but, remarkably, Lynch (The Highest Tide) does something different. Playing on our current fears, he show us that the divides among people aren't good, then offers a tenderly convincing ending that's not sentimental. Most readers should love. [See Prepub Alert, LJ /1/09.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

American readers of World War II stories are familiar with the Allied point of view. First novelist McCain reverses that perspective, portraying the war from the viewpoint of a German naval officer. Max Brekendorf begins the war aboard the "pocket battleship" Graf Spee, hunting Allied shipping in the South Atlantic and looking forward to the postwar life he hopes to enjoy with his aristocratic fiancée. The brutality of war and the stodgy German class structure stand in his way, but the most sinister obstacle may be the growing political power of Nazi hard-liners, who seem to become ever more fanatical as Germany's military prospects darken. Exposed to wartime atrocity from both sides, Max may have to choose between loyalty and humanity. No government, Axis or Allied, comes out looking very good in McCain's tale; Brekendorf's moral salvation is up to him alone and could cost him his life and his reputation. A vivid and compelling portrayal of World War II naval service.—Bradley Scott, Brighton Dist. Lib., MI

The unusual thing about McIntyre's debut is its division into sections corresponding to the six steps of the scientific method, a structure that gives support to the various stories of Eula, ID, residents in the 1980s. Two adolescent boys are at the center of the story. Gene and Enrique are smart and bookish and perfect misfits in a school full of bullies and mental lightweights. A science fair project dominates their lives; they want to replicate a phenomenon called a lake overturn. At Lake Nyos in Cameroon, unknown gases from the lake floor were released so rapidly that they enveloped surrounding houses and towns within minutes, silently killing thousands of people. Using the scientific method, Gene and Enrique's crude diorama demonstrates how a similar event could happen near Eula at Lake Overlook. Step seven, the presentation, becomes an epilog resolving many of the entanglements that have kept us engrossed from the beginning. Maybe McIntyre is suggesting that life in Eula is one big scientific experiment, but he illuminates with humor and sympathy the mundane lives of group of vivid characters.—Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO

Sara is annoyed to note purple dots disfiguring the pages of The Blind Owl, a classic she's picked up from a street peddler. Then she realizes it's code; the young peddler wants to meet her. Since this is Iran, post-revolution, simply saying hello has its risks, and as someone who dabbles in banned books and suspect foreign films, peddler Dara is not what anyone would consider desirable company. But they manage a fraught relationship, fueled by a love of literature and narrated by an author who tells their story but also uses it to comment on censorship in Iran and its consequences, even wittily showing readers crossed out lines and boldfacing passages that could be trouble. The result is magisterial metafiction that makes an ordinary love affair astonishing and provides a rich understanding of life under repressive Islamic rule. Iranian author Mandanipour, currently a visiting scholar at Harvard, could not publish in Iran during much of the Nineties; readers will welcome his first full-length book in English. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/09.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

Fredrik Welin is a reclusive ex-surgeon living alone on a tiny island in the north of Sweden. His only companions are a pair of aged pets, and the only society callers to his living room are ants that are transforming his table into an enormous anthill. Every morning, the loner goes out to the frozen lake, cuts a hole in the ice, and then plunges himself into the freezing water to remind himself that he is still alive. Four women enter his life: Harriet, his ex, whom he abandoned years ago; Louise, his unknown daughter; Agnes Klarstrom, the patient who ended his medical career; and Sima, a troubled young woman. By the end of the story, Fredrik no longer takes an icy morning bath to validate his existence; he has undergone redemption with the help of these women. Mankell, the author of the award-winning Kurt Wallander mystery novels, has an ability to create an intimate atmosphere that places the reader directly into the world of his characters, which is nothing short of brilliant.—Lisa Rohrbaugh, New Middletown, OH

Sixteen-year-old Bobby Clark's life spins out of control when he is expelled from school for stealing. Invited to join his older brother Jim in Texas and work in a high-end jewelry store, Bobby quickly learns to do drugs, have sex with Jim's girlfriend, and, above all, sell diamonds and Rolex watches in the sleaziest manner imaginable. Drawn from Martin's 2008 Pushcart Prize-winning story, "The Best Jeweler," this is a fast-moving (and semiautobiographical) examination of the American dream gone awry. Businessmen swindle their customers, employees steal from their bosses, husbands cheat on their wives, and everything, whether cocaine, diamonds, or love, is for sale. Bobby is a difficult narrator to love, and the brutality of people he encounters is universal. No genuinely good people exist, only victims and victimizers. Martin is an associate professor of philosophy who teaches business ethics; his first novel will appeal to readers who enjoy gritty exposés of the underbelly of middle-class life.—Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS

The notorious world of Nigerian email scams is brought to life in this vibrant debut. Kingsley, a recent university graduate in southeastern Nigeria, is unable to find a job in the engineering field. After his longtime girlfriend leaves him for a successful businessman and a series of tragedies leaves his family in dire financial straits, he turns to his uncle Boniface, a.k.a. Cash Daddy, the mastermind behind a gang of "419" scammers. The novel has one foot in the postcolonial African literary tradition—Cash Daddy has some characteristics of larger-than-life political or military leaders—but the technological aspects and exploration of a society obsessed with money give it a postmodern slant. In addition, the plot and themes bear some resemblance to those of urban fiction and should draw in a variety of readers. What begins as an engaging character study driven by sharp satire and colorful, off-kilter dialog eventually loses its way, much like its protagonist, in the murky world of the scammers but remains a unique and entertaining read throughout.—Forest Turner, Suffolk Cty. House of Correction Lib., Boston

The title character in Peale's debut is a gifted artist who paints for someone else. Famous artist Michael Freiburg develops ideas and directs Emma's work, who applies paint to canvas. Through their relationship, working and physical, Emma survives as an artist in New York, but Michael's ego and appetites keep her from her own art. While she has her own appetites—including cigarettes, coffee, wine, chocolate, music, and friends—Emma feels guilt over her empty studio and the old life she abandoned. There is no more swimming, no walks to her Brooklyn studio, no biking, no drawing, and no painting for herself. Already discontented and unsure of Michael, she encounters another successful, magnetic artist named Philip Cleary. Through a powerful connection with Philip, Emma painfully detaches herself from Michael to begin her own career. The reader is drawn deeply into Emma's world as well as the art world of New York, and feels all of the protagonist's highs and lows. Peale's unapologetic style feels bold and genuine.—Shaunna Hunter, Hampden-Sydney Coll., VA

In the fast-paced sequel to The Rossetti Letter, newly minted Ph.D. Claire Donovan is now a temporary lecturer at Cambridge in the same department as historian Andrew Kent, her co-investigator of the Rossetti Letter in Venice. Searching for a new research topic in the depths of the Cambridge Library, Claire stumbles upon the diary of Hannah Devlin, doctor to one of the mistresses of King Charles II. Hannah's entries of 1632 are interspersed with Claire's life in 2008, and the murderer stalking Hannah and the royal court may be linked to today when a fellow historian is found dead on the riverside. Phillips is at her best when retelling Hannah's story; her contemporary plot stumbles with unrealistic faculty interactions, and librarians everywhere will cringe when a key plot point hangs on a librarian releasing patron data. However, the story is highly enjoyable; readers able to suspend disbelief will be in for a thrilling reading experience. An excellent suggestion for the fans of literary historical thrillers like Jennifer Lee Carrell's Interred with Their Bones.—Jessica Moyer, Coll. of Education & Human Development, Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis

This is a powerfully rendered debut about an infamous moment in American literary history: Henry David Thoreau accidentally starting a massive fire that burned 300 acres of woods near Concord, MA, in 1844. Significantly, this happened just a year before Thoreau removed himself from society, built his cabin, and began work on his masterpiece, Walden. Pipkin does an excellent job of bringing the people and environs of historic Concord to life. There are three other major characters in the novel—an orphaned Norwegian farmhand, a Puritan-style preacher, and a bookseller and aspiring playwright—and each ends up influencing Thoreau in some significant way as they fight the fire together. All are skillfully drawn. The novel ends just days after the fire, with the young Thoreau humiliated and the people of Concord outraged, and Pipkin suggests that responsibility for this fire is what drove Thoreau into the woods and into deep reflection about nature, self-reliance, and living. A fascinating fictional exploration of a seminal American event.—Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT

Rodoreda (1908–83), arguably the most outstanding 20th century Catalan writer, has remained until recently largely unrecognized in Spain, despite the wide recognition of her most famous work, The Time of the Doves (1980). Death in Spring, left posthumously incomplete and not published until 1986, is considered by some critics her best work. Set in a mythical village, the story is narrated in its first half by a 14-year-old misfit who, after witnessing the burial of his father in a tree with his mouth cemented, spends his days wandering the cemetery and countryside accompanied by his barely older stepmother. The second half advances to his adulthood as the narrator relates the stoning of his daughter and his own ritualistic death. This bare-bones plot advances at a highly symbolic level in an oneiric, hallucinatory text. Populated by many deformed outcasts who participate in and are victims of cruel and superficially absurd sacrificial rituals, this novelistic world transcends time and place to present a cruel and incomprehensible universe whose inhabitants are obsessed with the omnipresence of death; the symbolic allegory has possible political overtones. Best for committed readers of fiction in translation.—Lawrence Olszewski, OCLC Lib., Dublin, OH

Change vs. stasis is one of several themes in this debut by political essayist Sethi. Zaki Shirazi comes home to Pakistan from his New England college to attend cousin Samar Api's wedding, observing the superficial, Western-influenced changes in Lahore yet realizing that, underneath the surface, life is much the same. Born months after his father's death in the Pakistani air force, Zaki is raised by and among strong women: his mother, Zakia, editor of a feminist journal; Daadi, his conservative paternal grandmother; Naseem, the nurturing servant of unquestioned loyalty; and Samar, a confusing blend of cousin, sister, and friend. Through the prism of Pakistan's tumultuous struggle toward democracy, Sethi examines three generations of lives informed by an inconstant cultural climate. The author deftly employs the eyes of a journalist to exquisitely detail daily life in Lahore but could have been encouraged to edit extraneous material that often prevents the narrative from flowing. Still, the popularity of recent novels out of Pakistan, including The Reluctant Fundamentalist and A Case of Exploding Mangoes, will warrant interest. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/09.]—Sally Bissell, Lee Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Myers, FL

The world is on the brink of World War I in Smith's epic of the Dark Continent. Big-game hunter and British army reserve officer Leon Courtney (of the Courtney family, last depicted by Smith in The Triumph of the Sun) also spies for the British in this graphic, colorful, and vivid novel of intrigue, romance, and violence. In short, Smith is up to his usual exciting stuff. A brutish German nobleman, Count von Meerbach plans to incite hard-line Boers to rebel against England; Courtney tries to stop it and, along the way, falls in love with Meerbach's beautiful mistress, who is also more than she appears to be. Africa in 1913 was a cruel and often brutal land but one of exquisite beauty, and Smith describes it in great detail. He is deeply sympathetic to the native peoples and their dealings with Europeans. Although sometimes overly florid when it comes to the language of romance, Smith here delivers for fans of good, action-filled historical fiction. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Viel rips open the staid conventions of the crime noir novel with his inventive second novel. Crackingly translated into English, Beyond Suspicion reads like a breeze of Hitchcockian invention filtered through the lens of a grim French existential aesthetic. Viel, whose previous novel, The Absolute Perfection of Crime, only hinted at the depths he has since uncovered, writes with an uncanny eye and ear, catching and shaping each character into plausibility within a tale whose over-the-top swerves would undermine a lesser writer. On the surface, a simple kidnapping scheme, the novel goes well beyond the basic templates of such stories, delivering a literary knockout in its exploration of moral quandaries turned quagmires when greed, love, and lust intertwine.—Christopher Bussmann, Visual Arts Lib., New York

This is a fine new collection of 12 short stories by the young Nigerian author of Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun. The stories are set both in the United States and in Nigeria, where things continue to fall apart. A privileged college student gets involved in gang violence; innocent women flee from a bloody riot; some characters are visited by ghosts, while others are haunted by the memory of war. Yet as one character puts it, an easier life in the United States is cushioned by so much convenience that it feels sterile. Relations between the races are awkward at best. The title story probes the emotional gulf between a young immigrant woman and her well-off white American boyfriend. The closing story, "The Headstrong Historian," is a miniature portrait of the colonial legacy in Nigeria. Adichie, a brilliant writer whose characters stay with you for a long time, deserves to be more widely known. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/09.]—Leslie Patterson, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence, RI

Boswell vividly depicts characters whose problems in coming to terms with life and love are complicated by the fact that meanings and perceptions keep shifting in unexpected ways. The title story is arranged as a document written by a man undergoing rehab or seeking a parole from prison. As he confesses to a life of drug-induced confusion and violence, he more than once comes upon someone who appears to be dead, only to have that person come surprisingly to life. That he remains under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms for much of the story only partially explains his misperceptions. Some of the stories are very short sketches or vignettes of brief encounters of a sexual or violent nature, while the longer stories are more novelistic and include large casts of characters and complex narratives. Boswell, whose style and subject matter is somewhat reminiscent of Tobias Wolff and Robert Stone, is a virtuoso of descriptive prose, and handles the psychological and emotional imagery with skill.—Jim Coan, SUNY Coll. at Oneonta

In this book of eight short stories by Bosnian American writer Hemon (The Lazarus Project), the bold, humorous, and unpredictable writing makes readers forget that love has been coupled with other nouns in book titles so frequently that it's become cliché. The same narrator links the stories; some characters are recurring; and, as in some of Hemon's earlier fiction, a common theme is the narrator's active role in shaping his own persona, an endeavor that transcends nationality. In "Death of the American Commando," the narrator tells a young woman interviewing him for a documentary a grotesque fabrication from his childhood that counteracts the charming stories his mother told her when she visited his family. In "The Noble Truths of Suffering," the narrator, after some success himself as a writer, is barely able to hide his affected aloofness in the presence of a Pulitzer Prize winner. In both stories, the narrator loathes and craves their adulation. Readers who've enjoyed Hemon's earlier fiction won't be disappointed; readers who are new to Hemon will be grateful that they've discovered a refreshingly uncorrupted voice. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.]—K. H. Cumiskey, Duke Univ. Libs., Durham, NC

Selections from five previously published books are anthologized in this collection, chosen from narratives that "bear the traces of oral stories and, at the same time, initiate a new aesthetic convergence of literary art." Selections from Stephen Graham Jones's 2005 collection Bleed into Me provide stark word pictures of lives on the edge and how quickly that line can be crossed. Eric Gansworth's Mending Skins provides a series of disjointed ramblings: presentations at a conference on Native art, and freewheeling stream of consciousness from members of the audience. Frances Washburn's Elsie's Business begins with the discovery of Elsie's body, followed by confession, suicide, and the discovery of a mummified baby. With each passing day we learn more of Elsie's life, but these excerpts end before the who and why of her death are discovered. Excerpts from Gerald Vizenor's Hiroshima Bugi: Atomu 57 and Diane Glancy's Designs of the Night Sky complete the volume. This collection provides a good introduction to some little-known writers, and should help spark a larger audience for their work.—Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati State Technical & Community Coll.

What would you do if a loved one began text messaging you after her death? Is someone playing a bizarre hoax on the Pickett family? Sheridan, Joe Pickett's older daughter, begins receiving text messages from someone saying she's April, the foster child killed in the Waco-style raid six years earlier (as recounted in Winterkill). "April" seems to be a hostage of a deranged ecoterrorist and his father, and they're headed straight for Wyoming. Once again, game warden Pickett plunges into the middle of a topical environmental issue, putting his and his girls' lives on the line. Wyoming's immense spaces make a fitting background for another tense thriller, with the iconic Devils Tower holding court over a frantic chase through the tangled back roads of the Black Hills. Box's series is the gold standard in the western mystery subgenre (Blood Trail), and his latest is just as addictive as the others. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 2/1/09.]—Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Cty. Lib., Fairfield, CA

An 11-year-old solving a dastardly murder in the English countryside in 1950 wouldn't seem to be everyone's cup of tea. But Flavia Sabina de Luce is no ordinary child: she's already an accomplished chemist, smart enough to escape being imprisoned by her older sisters and to exact revenge, forthright and fearless to the point of being foolhardy, and relentless in defending those she loves. When she spies on her father arguing heatedly with a strange man late at night and the next morning finds that man buried in the cucumber patch, she sets out, riding her bicycle named Gladys, to make sense of it all. And when her father—a philatelist and widower for a decade who still mourns his wife—is arrested, Flavia's efforts are intensified. She delves into the backstory, involving the death of her father's beloved teacher years earlier and the loss of a rare stamp, and puts together the pieces almost too late. The stiff-upper-lip de Luce family is somewhat stereotypically English, but precocious Flavia is unique. Winner of the Debut Dagger Award, this is a fresh, engaging first novel with appeal for cozy lovers and well beyond. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 1/09.]—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA

This is a sometimes uneven but ultimately worthwhile collection of short stories from female mystery writers. Each involves one or both of the two "deadly sins" of lust and greed. Standout stories include "Can You Hear Me Now?," Marcia Talley's revenge fantasy about obnoxious cell phone users; Linda Barnes's "Catch Your Death," notable mostly for clever Sherlock Holmes references; Gillian Linscott's "Enough to Stay the Winter," a gripping suspense tale set in the south of France in 1921; and newcomer Barbara Fryer's sexy, pulse-quickening "The Runaway Camel." Unfortunately, two of the weaker stories start off the book, so readers should feel free to skip around rather than read cover to cover. Surprisingly, editor George's own story falls apart in its conclusion, an unusual slip for one of modern mystery's best. Overall, this anthology is a great way for mystery lovers to enjoy less time-consuming works from favorite authors and discover new ones.—Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens