Fiction

Ackroyd, Peter. The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Oct. 2009. c.368p. ISBN 978-0-385-53084-2. $26.95. F

In Ackroyd's new page-turner, readers are taken on a heart-stopping journey through early 19th-century England, where, at Oxford, a young Victor Frankenstein is befriended by budding poet/atheist Shelley. Both men must experiment—Shelley with his revolutionary lyrics and ideas and Frankenstein with theories about the creation of life from electricity. Writing in beautiful prose with a voice appropriate to the era, Ackroyd allows Frankenstein to narrate the tale of his experiment gone horrendously awry. As the body count mounts, Frankenstein tries to undo his work, all the while mingling with the likes of Lord Byron, Shelley's wives, and other notables. And when the reader comes to the end of the novel, the question remains: was there actually a monster, or was it all a function of the creator's dementia? VERDICT Noted novelist/biographer Ackroyd specializes in speculative novels (e.g., Chatterton) in which historical figures, supernatural beings, and madmen mingle together on the streets of London. As in Laurie Sheck's recent A Monster's Notes, the reader is here encouraged to sympathize with the monster. Essential for Ackroyd fans and readers who can't get enough of Frankenstein's monster. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09.]—Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib. Overland Park, KS

Thirteen-year-old Cristiano Zena lives in the small industrial town of Varano, Italy, with his unemployed father, Rino, an alcoholic neo-Nazi. With friends Quattro Formaggi and Danilo, Rino decides to liberate an ATM machine from the local bank by driving a vehicle into it. But on the fateful night, in the midst of a torrential rainstorm, things do not go as planned. The ATM is not stolen, three people end up dead, Rino lies in a coma, and Cristiano's life is unchanged forever. Like David Lida's Travel Advisory: Stories of Mexico, this book shows the gritty side of life not seen by tourists heading to a popular destination. The issues raised here range widely, from alienation, violence, drug use, hunger, and joblessness to the role of religion in today's world, which would make this an excellent book discussion choice; fortunately, a reading group guide is included. VERDICT A powerful novel, cinematically written, with touches of unsentimental emotion and comedy, this international best seller won the prestigious Strega Prize. The masterly Ammaniti (I'm Not Scared) creates powerful characters not easy to forget. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/09.]—Lisa Rohrbaugh, formerly with East Palestine Memorial P.L., OH

It's with both elation and consternation that this reader picks up any book based on a beloved Jane Austen novel. In the latest incarnation of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennett is a trial attorney in Meryton, a small town near San Francisco, where she's reluctant to face the stern but well-respected Judge Fitzwilliam "Will" Darcy. But the two are brought together by Dr. Bingley and Dr. Jane Bennett during a two-week sojourn at Darcy's home in England. They fall in love but are driven apart by their work, as it's unethical for a judge to date a trial lawyer. Independently, they realize that they are only complete as a pair, but can they compromise enough to find their happy ending? VERDICT This "modern" version has that deep connection, mutual respect, and love of family that P&P fans crave. Minor adjustments were cleverly made by assigning familiar names to new friends and coworkers, but the most significant change comes in the graphic sex scenes. If this book were made into a TV miniseries, it would be shown on HBO, not A&E. Austen readers with delicate sensibilities, be warned.—Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Never one to rest on her laurels, famed Canadian author Atwood redeems the word sequel with this brilliant return to the nightmarish future first envisioned in Oryx and Crake. Contrary to expectations, the waterless flood, a biological disaster predicted by a fringe religious group, actually arrives. In its wake, the survivors must rely on their wits to get by, all the while reflecting on what went wrong. Atwood wins major style points here for her framing device, the liturgical year of the God's Gardeners sect. Readers who enjoy suspense will also appreciate the story's shifting viewpoint and nonlinear time line, which result in the gradual revelation of key events and character relationships. Atwood's heroines seem uniformly grim and hollow, but one can hardly expect cheerfulness in the face of the apocalypse, and the hardships of their lives both pre- and postflood are moving and disturbing. VERDICT Another win for Atwood, this dystopian fantasy belongs in the hands of every highbrow sf aficionado and anyone else who claims to possess a social conscience. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09.]—Leigh Anne Vrabel, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh

Baker has a gift for writing novels about the unlikeliest of subjects. In his first novel, The Mezzanine, he wrote about buying new shoelaces, while Vox concerned an intimate phone conversation. His newest work of fiction is about poetry. The narrator, Paul Chowder, is a poet who is struggling to write the introduction to an anthology of rhyming poems he's collected. He's also trying to win back Roz, the woman who has just left him. These dilemmas make for some enlightening, absorbing reflections on poetry, the creative process, and life itself. While Chowder admits that he despises teaching, the narrative offers a wonderful explanation of what poetry is and the relationship between form and meaning. In the process, Chowder comes to understand himself better and pulls out of a slump. The novel's subtle sense of humor comes through as Chowder deals with injured fingers, a misbehaving dog, and the perils of reading his poetry in public. VERDICT Recommended especially for readers who appreciate—or would like better to appreciate—poetry.—Evelyn Beck, Piedmont Technical Coll., Greenwood, SC

Dylan Raines slaughtered his family with an ax when he was 11 years old; trouble is, he can't remember doing it. Richard, his surviving older brother, protects Dylan, and when the chance to relocate from Minnesota to New Orleans opens up, they head south to start anew. Divorced Tulane professor Polly Deschamps survived her own sordid childhood and has made a perfect life for her two daughters in the Big Easy. But years later, as these characters' lives intersect, a tarot card reader predicts mayhem and death. Polly's new husband exhibits troubling behavior, and his brother confuses her even more. The interspersed newspaper snippets about infamous mass killers heighten our feelings of dread and inevitability. Perhaps we understand Dylan's tortuous plight—or is something more sinister going on? Barr's first stand-alone since her 1984 debut, Bittersweet, is stunning and a true break from her Anna Pigeon series (e.g., Borderline). VERDICT Keep the lights on while reading this intense psychological thriller. The tension's so tight you'll be rethinking every motive and clue up to the finale. Much like Nancy Pickard in The Virgin of Small Plains, Barr forces us to look beyond the obvious to the hidden evils we may have overlooked.—Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Cty. Lib., Fairfield, CA

In Berry's latest page-turner after The Charlemagne Pursuit, Cotton Malone discovers a Secret Service agent breaking into his Copenhagen bookstore. The agent, Sam Collins, was sent by Cotton's friend Henrik Thorvaldsen to seek his help in getting revenge against the person Henrik has discovered to be responsible for his son's death. The guilty party has ties to a secret organization that plans to take down the global economy with help from a secret Napoleon carried to his grave. A race to solve historical riddles while staying alive ensues. VERDICT Berry has written another amazing blend of suspense and history. Fans will love it, and for newcomers it's the perfect place to start. With the September release of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, savvy readers looking for more along those lines cannot go wrong with Cotton Malone. This will be Berry's biggest seller yet. [Library marketing campaign.]—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

This debut novel from award-winning short story writer Boudinot is a coming-of-age-with-a-vengeance tale. Cedar Rivers is called to snowbound Albany by a former girlfriend to vet her memoir, which recalls events that took place during their summer romance—some of it written from his perspective. Reading the memoir takes Cedar back to that painful time of adolescent awkwardness, the breakup of his parent's marriage, his overwhelming obsession with sex, and the deadly result of his misconception of the events that overtake him. Using an interesting and innovative construct—the reader doesn't at first realize that the opening is actually a chapter from the memoir—Boudinot captures the confusing and sex-driven nature of adolescence (to an extent that it is almost tedious) while addressing issues of poverty, child abuse, and the foibles of memory. VERDICT This book will appeal to a wide range of fiction readers, especially those who enjoy coming-of-age stories. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/09.]—Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Libs., Providence

Set in the not-too-distant future, this short novel finds protagonist Hatcher McCord in Hell—which tends to resemble Earth, with the addition of midday sulfur storms. A network news anchor in life, he's in the same role in the afterlife, hosting the Evening News from Hell. He's involved with Anne Boleyn, who still longs for the man who done her wrong, and encounters a variety of famous personages, from Virgil and Humphrey Bogart to various U.S. presidents (Richard Nixon is the Devil's chauffeur). Along the way, he hears that a new harrowing of Hell may be imminent and sets about trying to be included by making amends with those he wronged in life (primarily his three ex-wives). In the end, however, Hatcher learns that you can quite literally "make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven." VERDICT One can imagine that Pulitzer Prize winner Butler (A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain) had a grand time writing this endlessly witty and inventive novel. Readers will find it wildly comic and thought-provoking. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/09.]—Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, North Andover, MA

A girl places some diminutive folk she's discovered into her doll house, then is imprisoned by a giant child herself. A prince discovers that he alone has no shadow. No, these aren't plot points in this masterly new work by the author of Possession but children's stories written by one of its protagonists, Olive Wellwood. There are, or course, actual children in the book—Olive's, with blustery banker-turned-crusader husband Humphrey; the Wellwood cousins; Julian, son of a keeper at the South Kensington Museum; Philip, the wayward boy discovered living surreptitiously in the museum, whom Olive brings home to her country estate; the family of brilliant but selfish master potter Benedict Fludd, who takes in the talented Philip as an unpaid apprentice; and more. Like the children in Olive's stories, these children have their notions quietly disabused; one small instant—say, a parent's overheard comment—and life is changed forever. It's the late 1800s, with new ideas in the air—and it's all rushing toward World War I. VERDICT Pitch perfect, stately, told with breathtakingly matter-of-fact acuteness, this is another winner for Byatt. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

Just two months after serial killer Gretchen Lowell, aka the "Beauty Killer," escapes from police custody (see Sweetheart), body parts begin showing up in random Portland, OR, locales. Meanwhile, devastated Det. Archie Sheridan continues to languish in a mental hospital, while irrepressible journalist Susan Hunt longs to save him and her story. Her story—and the essence of this thriller—goes beyond Gretchen's certifiable status as a psychopathic killer and instead examines society's morbid glorification of gruesome, ritualistic killings. Have Gretchen's despicable acts spawned more evil? Archie reemerges, determined to kill Gretchen this time, but then puzzling inconsistencies suggest that a copycat killer is at work. Archie and Susan match their wits against the opposition, meeting people who defy all the rules and experiencing horrors beyond comprehension. VERDICT This sequel can't top the jaw-dropping horror of Cain's Heartsick, but her snappy pace and sustained creepiness keep the pages turning at a steady clip. Not for the faint of heart, this addictive thriller will be quickly devoured by serial killer addicts. Gretchen Lowell has taken on a persona not unlike Hannibal Lector. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/09; library marketing campaign and 200,000-copy first printing.]—Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Cty. Lib., Fairfield, CA

Cameron's debut is a story about the love of learning, the love of family, and the love of religious tradition. Set in Europe during the 13th century, it traces the life of Shira, a young Jewish woman, from her sheltered childhood to her life as the wife of a prominent rabbi. Cameron cleverly imagines that Shira's father, a rabbi, allowed her to sit in on his daily lessons to his students, unknowingly educating her at a time when teaching a woman was strictly forbidden. But with reading and writing comes her ability to reason for herself, which causes Shira social and personal challenges. Cameron's famed 13th-century ancestor Meir ben Baruch was the catalyst that set this novel in motion, and the rich details show; historical facts are included, from the burning of every copy of the Talmud in Paris to the increasing anti-Semitism that threatens every Jewish family's way of life. VERDICT Readers who appreciated Maggie Anton's "Rashi's Daughters" trilogy will be entertained.—Marika Zemke, Commerce Twp. Community Lib., MI

Carhart, author of the best-selling nonfiction Piano Shop on the Left Bank, revisits the coming of age of Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, the son of Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau, translators for Lewis and Clark. Born in the wilderness in 1805, Baptiste spends much of his childhood in St. Louis with William Clark but also stays in a Mandan village for part of each year, struggling to come to terms with his divided identity. At 18, he is invited to Europe by a young nobleman to assist with preparations for a book on the natural history of the American frontier. Despite the change in setting, the novel continues to explore themes of dual identity, particularly through Baptiste's affairs with two different women, themselves outsiders from conventional society. Most of what drama there is revolves around whether Baptiste will return to America and with whom. VERDICT The list of novels chronicling the Lewis and Clark expedition is long, but few (with the exception of Colin Sargent's Museum of Human Beings) have focused on Baptiste's story, and Carhart provides a fresh perspective. Fans of historical fiction with a romantic story line, such as the novels of Anya Seton, should enjoy this.—Douglas Southard, CRA International, Boston

African Canadian writer Clarke is a Giller Prize- and Commonwealth Prize-winning author whose works can be expected to bring the reader into the mind of the protagonist, and he doesn't disappoint with his new novel. The titular "more" is a metaphor for the dreams and aspirations of black Caribbean people looking for prosperity in the great White North: they want "more" education, "more" money, "more" employment opportunities, and higher social status. These are the dreams of the novel's protagonist, Idora Morrison, who works at the University of Toronto as an assistant manager in the kitchen. Idora wants her son BJ to be a university scholar instead of engaging in a life of crime. Clarke cannily uses flashbacks to show that Canadians have a long way to go in addressing race relations issues. VERDICT This tough and affecting novel will shatter American misconceptions about Canadian race relations. A good option for serious readers.—Orville Lloyd Douglas, Brampton, Ont.

Warren Spooner bears an uncanny resemblance to his creator, National Book Award winner Dexter. Like Dexter, Spooner was raised in Georgia, worked as a newspaper reporter in Philadelphia, and was almost beaten to death in a bar fight. More conclusively, Spooner is also the author of a revisionist Western titled Deadwood (1986). Dexter follows his alter ego from childhood to semiretirement on Whidbey Island in Washington. This hilarious fictional memoir has little structure or plot and even less romance. Spooner devotes entire chapters to his favorite dogs but manages only a few dismissive sentences for the shadowy "Mrs. Spooner." Bar fights, bad divorces, car repossessions—the man's life is a 500-page country-and-western song. The glue that holds it all together is the relationship between Spooner and his stepfather, a cashiered naval officer aptly named Calmer. VERDICT There is too much material here, but it is difficult to see where it could be cut. Dexter's prose is razor sharp, and every page has at least one zinger. The Georgia section in particular will remind readers of the great Harry Crews. Don't miss this.—Edward B. St. John, Loyola Law Sch. Lib., Los Angeles

A young man leading a privileged life in early 1900s New York goes blind. His brother goes to war and returns home a different person, reckless yet reclusive after being gassed. Their parents, never a strong presence in their lives, languish and die, and so Homer and Langley are left on their own in a Fifth Avenue apartment that slowly decays as Langley stacks it with all manner of rubbish he lovingly collects. Langley has mad schemes—he wants to publish a newspaper that needs only one issue, encapsulating all that's worth knowing—but he sees with stark clarity what's wrong with the world. Homer, a sensitive pianist, sticks with Langley. Together, through Homer's failed liaison with a housemaid, the death of longtime servants, and the internment of their Japanese housekeepers during World War II, the brothers age, their lives summing up a fading 20th-century America. This novel defines quiet desperation, captured with such precision by the unerring Doctorow that it can be a dispiriting read—as, one thinks, the author intended. The ending is wrenchingly poignant. VERDICT Doctorow in a minor key but as accomplished as ever. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

Bawdy Susan Rose grows up in Victorian England watching her mother serve as a wet nurse to supplement her drunken father's wages. She knows that her homeliness and impoverished background relegate her to a lowly status, but, seeking a better life, she works as a maid at the Big House. Never one to turn down pleasure, she becomes the young master's lover, which results in pregnancy. What is an uneducated, unwed mother to do, aside from engaging in the lucrative profession of wet-nursing? But temptation leads Susan astray again, and a second illegitimate child is sent away by her father. Frantic, Susan sets off to locate the baby and lands in the foster home where he has been placed—as his wet nurse. VERDICT Susan is blatantly immoral, but readers will be charmed by her lively voice. This and the cast of quirky characters, along with a fascinating glimpse into the underbelly of Victorian life, make up for a somewhat thin plot. Recommended for fans of Philippa Gregory (see review on this page), although this novel is lighter fare. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/09.]—Jamie Kallio, Thomas Ford Lib., Western Springs, IL

Seen in Volk's Game and Volk's Shadow, Volk is a Russian agent who works in the violent intersection between espionage and crime. In this third outing, Russia's state secret organs are intent on a 1942 cable named Venona, still hoping to identify "19," code name for the person who fed key Allied decisions to Stalin. Volk gets looped in because this may be his chance to rehabilitate his father, long reviled as a defector. At the heart of this agonizing saga, Volk finds an American spymaster deeply enmeshed in his own secret history of betrayals. VERDICT Ghelfi expertly portrays the seamy undersides of Moscow and L.A. while capturing the brutality of Volk's profession. The pace, plot, and dialog are intensely accelerated, yet the intricate emotions and motives evoked in the quest are also deftly folded in by Ghelfi's rare talent. A sure bet for thriller fans. [Library marketing campaign; see Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA

Equal parts update of Beau Geste and gonzo parody, Girardi's (A Vaudeville of Devils) latest novel is his first American publication in ten years. It's the tale of three French Foreign Legionnaires: de Noyer, an aristocratic, Satie-worshipping French officer suffering from insomnia and genetic insanity; Pinard, a French-Canadian noncom with an oboe and an ugly past; and John Smith (his real name, not the alias chosen by many comrades), a failed American musical comedian just becoming aware of his life's vapidity. All three adore Sophie, de Noyer's bright but suicidal wife. And all three are forced into battle with Al Bab, the imam of a new sect destabilizing the dreary war between Morocco and the Saharoui Arab Democratic Republic. Despite odd moments when thoughts and actions are ascribed to soldier characters that seem more appropriate to the writer, this work delivers vivid characters and wild adventure while skewering both Western powers and Islamic terrorists. VERDICT Fans of political commentary or violent dark humor will find much to enjoy, but others may take offense or just not get it. [Library marketing campaign.]—Neil Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

Godwin's latest novel (after Queen of the Underworld) is a convoluted tale of intrigue at a girls' boarding school that spans generations. Mount St. Gabriel, an exclusive academy in the North Carolina mountains, was founded by two nuns at the beginning of the 20th century. The school's sheltered atmosphere promoted rigorous academic and religious education but allowed adolescent jealousies to fester unchecked. The story's major characters attended the school in the early 1950s, when the school's headmistress was the manipulative Mother Ravenel, herself an alumna from the 1920s, as were some of the students' mothers. The story hopscotches in time from the school's founding to the near present, when the elderly Mother Ravenel dictates her memoir and aging classmates reunite to reminisce. It's a chore to keep the many generations of characters straight, especially when so many are superficially drawn. The promise of uncovering Mother Ravenel's involvement in a past incident of seeming import to one of the families lures the reader on, but the denouement, though tragic, reveals little motivation beyond schoolgirl pettiness. VERDICT Of interest to die-hard Godwin fans.—Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA

A lovely young widow, Elizabeth, stands by the side of the road, hoping for a boon from the king against whom her husband fought. Her ultimate prize is far more—marriage and a crown, power, and influence. Edward of York risks much by marrying this commoner, but their union (and his new wife's fertility) brings an interlude of peace to an England tired of ongoing war. Then, Edward, never defeated in battle, is felled by a chill, leaving a child to inherit the throne. His brother Richard is to be protector, but Elizabeth does not trust him. She takes her brood into sanctuary, but her son Edward is captured en route to London. In this recounting of events leading up to Richard III's accession to the throne, Gregory shows a sure touch from beginning to end, weaving a compelling story with vivid characters. VERDICT This series launch will delight fans of Jean Plaidy and Sharon Kay Penman's The Sunne in Splendour as well as readers of sweeping historical sagas, especially those fascinated by the War of the Roses and the mystery of the princes in the Tower.—Pam O'Sullivan, Coll. at Brockport Lib., SUNY

What does it take for a white, middle-class American to become an Islamic suicide bomber? How long does it take for those closest to him to realize that their son, their lover, their friend is about to become one of seven martyrs detonating deadly explosions in the New York subway? Jonas is a loving, sensitive, 21-year-old with strong intellectual curiosity. Unfortunately, "his ability to spot the wizard behind the curtain had for years plunged [him] into periodic depressions." Drawn to Islam's disciplined daily routine, he takes up with Masoud, who offers him a path to make the ultimate difference. Hamilton (The Camel Bookmobile) lets the tension build as each chapter counts down Jonas's last hours, alternating points of view among the clearly delineated characters. Hamilton slowly strengthens the connections from character to character and their links to the subway—the setting for Jonas's final deed. VERDICT Hamilton's novel raises many thought-provoking questions, which makes it a strong choice for book clubs and for readers who enjoy character-driven fiction with contemporary political relevance.—Christine Perkins, Bellingham P.L., WA

Hart's affecting new work opens with the extraordinary monolog—desperate and fragmented—of a teenaged boy who's just been blown apart in an explosion he has innocently engineered. "Turn me over quickly. Don't let my mother see me," he thinks. That's one sign of love. Another sign is how devotedly husband and daughter watch over the mother after the boy dies, the daughter even engaging in some fiercely well-meant tough talk when the mother is hospitalized, unable to bear the loss of her son after the earlier death of a daughter. The husband even persuades Mr. Middlehoff, a German who lives in town, to part with a gate that seems a fitting memorial. And then the mother revives and goes on, this being stolid small-town Ireland in the early 1960s, where difficulties are meant to be survived. But as the daughter, Olivia, realizes, Ireland is changing, and Mr. Middlehoff is there to add a depth of understanding that others lack. VERDICT Poignant, engrossing, and deftly realized, this is a more nuanced read than the author's still excellent Damage and should be considered by most fiction readers.—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

In Hitchcock's latest engaging comedy of manners cum mystery (e.g., Social Crimes), the "Beltway Basher" serial killer strikes, and Detective Gunner enlists the help of well-bred divorcée Reven Lynch because he believes the killer may be among her social class. She is tasked with keeping her eyes and ears open while attending embassy lunches and galas at famous Washington, DC, institutions. Reven confides in her best friend, Violet Bolton, and they become absorbed in trying to solve the mystery. Hitchcock knows DC and amusingly skewers the capital city's pretensions, foibles, and scandals. Her characters include well-drawn portraits of a folksy senator, a wealthy playboy, and, best of all, a husband-chasing, social-climbing philanthropist. Her descriptions of notable DC institutions such as the Folger Library, the Kennedy Center, and the Freer and Sackler galleries, as well as more intimate insider establishments, lend authenticity and will delight Washingtonians. VERDICT Hitchcock merges a "Real Housewives" of DC soap opera with a serial killer whodunit to supply fun, fast summer reading.—Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC

Fans of Hornby's light but filling High Fidelity will be excited to learn of his return to a pop culture-infused story about mucked-up modern romance. Nearing middle age in a dingy English seaside town, Annie pines for children but has no future with longtime boyfriend Duncan, who channels all his passion into a web site dedicated to an obscure American singer/songwriter named Tucker Crowe. Change comes, kerblam!, when Annie posts a brilliant pan of Juliet, Naked, a stripped-down version of Crowe's breakup masterpiece album. Duncan, bored and threatened, cheats on Annie; Crowe, now fiftysomething, living in obscurity in rural Pennsylvania, and depressed about messing up his upteenth relationship, begins an email flirtation with Annie. Fast-forward to London, where our transatlantic correspondents meet after Tucker is summoned there to attend to an estranged daughter after a miscarriage. VERDICT Hornby narrowly avoids a schmultzfest but leaves readers with too many questions about what happened between Annie and Tucker. The author's deft humor is mostly absent in what boils down to a well-intentioned rejection of Cupid as panacea that seems to have overwhelmed its creator. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Heather McCormack, Library Journal

In 1981, Patsy MacLemoore is a smart, functioning alcoholic. A professor at Hallen College in Altadena, CA, she is known for loud and lascivious behavior at faculty parties and for missing the occasional class after a night of drinking and taking pills. When Patsy, who has a suspended license, is arrested and jailed for hitting and killing a mother and daughter—both Jehovah's Witnesses—in her driveway, she doesn't remember the accident. After two years in prison, Patsy quits drinking, eventually returning to her old job but not her old ways. Patsy's sober life is carefully unfurled—new connections forged, old relationships changed, a constant background of remorse and shame—but the book's promotional copy somewhat spoils this talented author's (Jamesland) carefully nuanced, sharply focused narrative by trumpeting a plot twist that isn't even hinted at before page 220. VERDICT Recommended to readers who enjoy literary novels like Sue Miller's Lost in the Forest and Laura Moriarty's The Rest of Her Life that examine how a tragic accident irrevocably changes life's course. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/09.]—Laurie A. Cavanaugh, Brockton P.L., MA

GI Ben Collier comes to Hollywood in 1945 to make a documentary about the concentration camps. The son of a filmmaker executed by the Nazis, Ben, who has ties to Continental Pictures as well as the German émigré community, is ideal for the project. His task is immediately complicated, however, when his brother falls from an apartment window. Ben soon learns that he had Communist sympathies and might have been murdered. But was he working for or against a grandstanding, Red-baiting congressman? To uncover the truth, Ben will have to untangle his family's murky past. With his usual mastery of historical milieus and the subtleties of complex characters, Kanon (Alibi) immerses the reader in the glamour of Hollywood just before it comes under investigation. VERDICT While not as engrossing as some of Kanon's earlier efforts (e.g., Los Alamos), especially for those without a healthy background knowledge of the period, this ambitious novel is for anyone interested in Hollywood in the late 1940s or the film industry's response to the era's congressional witch hunts.—Ron Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson

On the day Warren Harlan Pease comes home from the Iraq War, he meets Jesus on the beach in his New Hampshire hometown. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Jesus introduces himself as Ray, and together they visit Warren's friends and family: his girlfriend, Bethie, whom he wishes he had married, and their daughter; his best friend, who now lives with Bethie; his forlorn, neglectful father; and his dead mother. Ray acts as a mediator, smoothing the way for Warren to reconnect with the people he loves. In alternating sections, Warren recounts his experiences as a sniper in Iraq, giving stark descriptions of the bloody horrors and sick ironies of war, which are offset by his biblical observations. VERDICT Although this novel focuses on Christianity, it is not Christian fiction per se. Debut novelist Landis's creation of Jesus as a regular guy with amusing yet wise words and Warren's blend of sensibility and spirituality turn a potentially proselytizing work into a powerful story of one young man's faith, failings, and redemption.—Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Univ. Law Lib., Malibu, CA

"Behind the illusion there's nothing" spills forth from the ramblings of Perkus Tooth—Lethem's latest in a line of colorful characters—and succinctly captures the essence of the author's eighth novel. Set in Manhattan, the story focuses on an unusual friendship between Perkus, a wayward cultural critic with a penchant for marijuana and conspiracies, and former child actor Chase Insteadman. Holed up in Perkus's clapboard apartment, the duo try to weave together the chaotic events occurring in the city by way of virtual worlds, ghostwriters, and Marlon Brando. The stunning and unexpected conclusion calls into question whether the two are casual observers of the elaborate ruse or its central characters. VERDICT As with his other novels, the pleasure of this work is derived from the inventiveness of Lethem's characters and his verbal dexterity in description. Although the novel is slow to gain momentum, fans of Lethem's work (e.g., Motherless Brooklyn) will be rewarded for their patience with insight into the truthfulness of reality. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09.]—Joshua Finnell, Denison Univ. Lib., Granville, OH

This fourth entry in the Dexter series (after Dexter in the Dark) provides more of what our favorite killer's fans expect—plenty of descriptive gore, a clever murderer to match wits with Dexter, and abundant doses of dark humor. When his police-officer sister is stabbed during the course of a homicide investigation into corpses being posed artistically around Miami, Dexter's desire to protect his family—surprisingly—kicks in. But while Dexter hunts for his latest nemesis, the killer also turns the tables on our hero and goes on the offensive, leading to an inevitable clash. Dexter is funnier than ever, and the interactions he has with both his sister and the suspicious Sergeant Doakes offer plenty of opportunities for the humor to shine through. VERDICT The story is pretty simple, and there are no real surprises, but that doesn't make Lindsay's latest any less enjoyable. This will no doubt be another best seller, and with good reason. Fans of both the books and the Showtime TV series will eat it up.—Craig Shufelt, Fort McMurray P.L., A.B.

Relatively new to the literary scene, Argentine lawyer and professor Lisé sets her novel early in General Videla's repressive regime, a seven-year era following Isabel Perón's overthrow in 1976 that became known as the Dirty War, when thousands of political victims were imprisoned or killed or simply disappeared. Berta Rojas watches helplessly as her boyfriend, Atilio, is hurled from a Tucumán balcony to his death for his outlawed union activities and immediately realizes that her own life is in danger. She hides out first with her uncle and aunt in La Rioja and then at her Uncle Tristán's farm in Olpa, eventually heading for Buenos Aires, determined to leave the country. Lisé's thinly veiled work of fiction reads like a personal diary, as we eavesdrop on Berta, who at any moment risks being denounced. Ultimately, Berta, who risks everything, symbolizes how a national crisis affects innocent citizens at the individual level. VERDICT A well-written and engaging story of one person's escape from tyranny whose appeal goes beyond the implicitly narrow focus of the publisher's name, extending to a wider audience of Latin American historians and buffs of historical fiction.—Lawrence Olszewski, OCLC Lib., Dublin, OH

Mathilda is rebelling against everything and making up her own version of reality, hoping to come upon something more meaningful and less painful than the world in which she lives. Along with her parents, this intelligent and hyper-imaginative young teenager is trying to come to grips with the death of her older sister a year earlier. Presented in a first-person, present-tense onslaught of conversations, fantasies, and confrontations, the novel follows Mathilda as she begins the new school year and immediately gets into trouble with the principal. Later, she invites friends to her house for an all-night survival exercise in her basement, since this a world in which sisters incomprehensibly die and terrorists attack. Mathilda carries on a personal investigation of her sister's life, hacking into the sister's former email account and messaging a boy she figureds was involved with her sister. VERDICT Engaging and humorous yet grappling with serious issues, this novel details a girl's distorted view of events and the people around her. The treatment is mature and literary, but this title could almost be a YA novel. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/09.]—Jim Coan, SUNY Coll. Lib. at Oneonta

Is it possible to love your mother too much? Even at age 15, Charlotte Sanders worries about her mother. Astrid Sanders is a glamorous American socialite in 1970s Paris, and Charlotte hovers in her shadow. The family's sophisticated lifestyle comes to a sudden end when Astrid is arrested in Poland after following her lover to Warsaw. Astrid's selfish infidelity causes the irrevocable breakup of their seemingly happy family. After a quiet divorce, Astrid moves with Charlotte to New York, where Charlotte takes refuge from her pain in the arms of men—many men. She bounces from a private high school to Yale, from one-night stands to a semiserious relationship with a Pakistani grad student. But even as she grows up, Charlotte can't escape the heartbreak her parents' divorce—and her mother's betrayal—caused. VERDICT Full of lush language and startling imagery, this book initially reads like Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle, while the second half is full of drama and angst reminiscent of Jhuma Lahiri's The Namesake. Fans of Lahiri and Diane Johnson will find a similar transcultural reading experience in McAndrew's second novel (after Going Topless).—Anika Fajardo, St. Catherine Univ. Lib., St. Paul

A new cop and a seasoned cop: the formula's old as the hills, but it still works. Joe Rizzo has 26 years on the force; he's a good cop but makes his own rules, as he tells new partner Mike McQueen. Mike's only recently been jumped to the rank of inspector, and he's not sure he wants Rizzo as partner. Internal Affairs thinks that Rizzo is dirty, and Mike doesn't want any blotches on his record. Then they're placed on assignment to find an underhanded politician's missing mentally ill daughter; when he gets hold of her, Daddy wants to put her away in a loony bin where she can't hurt his chances for reelection. The two cops learn to respect each other as they face off a half-insane biker leader and a slimy Mafia boss and deal with assorted lowlifes in their search for the girl. But the ones they have to watch out for most are in City Hall. VERDICT With Ed McBain gone, there's need for a quality New York City police procedural series, and Manfredo could fill the bill with this debut featuring two appealing cops. This may attract fans of McBain and Joseph Wambaugh, but Manfredo is his own man, and his novel should have broad appeal. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 6/1/09; with a 100,000-copy first printing and library marketing.]—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

This novel is mistitled. It strings together the memories of Edward Day, with gaps that make the narrative feel choppy. The story centers on being an actor in the 1970s, but details pertaining to the era and the profession are sorely lacking. The sex and drugs prominent in 1970s New York are never mentioned; homosexuality and AIDS are but only in relation to minor characters, and theater details such as auditions and rehearsals are glossed over. The focus is the love triangle among Edward, Madeline Delavergne, and Guy Margate, who supposedly resembles Edward and saves his life the same weekend Madeline and Edward fall in love. Edward then feels bound to Guy. VERDICT This could have been interesting (think of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley), but it goes nowhere and lacks mystery and finesse. Throw in a murky Oedipus complex that never comes together, and the result is a quick, disappointing read. Not recommended.—Meredith Wittmann, Wisconsin Regional Lib. for Blind & Physically Handicapped, Milwaukee

It's been almost 30 years since the heyday of giant epics in the grand tradition of Edna Ferber and Barbara Taylor Bradford, but Meacham's debut might bring them back. This story of two founding families in a small East Texas town spans the 20th century. When Mary Toliver inherits her family's cotton plantation, Somerset, in 1916, it tears apart her family; her mother turns to alcohol, and her brother leaves. Mary's obsession with Somerset even causes her to lose the love of her life, timber magnate Percy Warwick. By the time she's 85, Mary is determined that the family curse will not continue and, despite her grandniece's love of Somerset, plans for the plantation to be sold after her death. Mary Toliver and Percy Warwick can't share anything more than friendship, but Mary's actions might allow Rachel to see past Somerset to the man who loves her. VERDICT Readers who like an old-fashioned saga will devour this sprawling novel of passion and revenge. Highly recommended.—Lesa Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ

When Emma le Roux, a wealthy Cape Town advertising consultant, sees a TV photo of a man wanted for murder, she believes it is her brother, who disappeared 20 years earlier in Kruger National Park. After barely eluding three armed thugs who invade her house, she hires Lemer, a professional bodyguard. In ten years he's never lost a client, so when Emma is shot and left in a coma, Lemer seeks revenge. This leads to encounters in the veld with game rangers, more deaths, and angry police and officials in high places who go to extremes to prevent his discovering decades-old secrets. Like fellow South African crime writer James McClure, Meyer (Heart of the Hunter) is skilled at creating memorable black and white characters while also bluntly depicting the violent past that affects modern South Africa. In his fifth novel, he draws on his experience as a reporter to present striking characters and vivid African settings and to provide an honest look at South Africa's troubled political history. VERDICT Full of page-turning tension, this will strongly appeal to mystery and suspense fans seeking intelligent, hard-boiled action. Readers who like their crime fiction in exotic locations may also enjoy this excellent thriller. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/09; a best seller in South Africa and Germany, Blood Safari won the Inaugural ATKV (South Africa) Prize for Best Suspense Fiction.—Ed.]—Roland Person, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale

Though identified as a "novel" on the title page, this is more accurately a collection of loosely related short stories, all set in or near Twisted Tree in western South Dakota. The central event binding the stories is the murder of Hayley Jo Zimmerman by a serial killer who targets anorexics after befriending them online. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, not all of whom knew Hayley Jo personally, though all know of the event. Other "ghosts" haunt the characters' lives, whether memories of lost loved ones or painful echoes from the past. We're in dark territory here, with little humor to relieve the grim tone. But Meyers has great respect for the diversity of his characters' rich internal lives and experiences, though they might appear outwardly stoic and unemotional. VERDICT Recommended for readers of good literary fiction set in the American West.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

In this sequel to The Deep End of the Ocean, Mitchard returns to the Cappadora family. It's been 13 years since Ben was returned to his family after being abducted at age three. Now, the family is gathered to watch the premiere of oldest son Vincent's documentary about abducted children. As they watch the film, his parents are hurled back into their troubled past. As much as they would like to leave all the turmoil behind, the family is thrust once again into the spotlight as the documentary earns an Oscar nomination. And then another child is abducted. VERDICT While the original novel focused poignantly on the inner world and grief of Beth Cappadora, the sequel is firmly in suspense and adventure territory. Family dynamics are skillfully drawn, but the overall feel and pacing of the novel are closer to the action and drama of Mitchard's Still Summer. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09; library marketing.]—Jan Blodgett, Davidson Coll. Lib., NC

Just months after 9/11, college student Tassie Keltjin, the brilliant daughter of a Midwestern farmer, becomes a part-time nanny for an older white couple who have adopted an African American baby. Enjoying her delightful young charge and reveling in her love affair with her Brazilian boyfriend, Tassie has a growing suspicion that her employers are somehow off. When their identities, as well as her boyfriend's, are blown, Tassie heads home, only to be hit with another, more devastating shock. VERDICT Moore uses the same kind of poetic precision of language found in her dazzling short story collections (e.g., Birds of America) to draw the reader into her long-awaited third novel (after Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?). The challenge for readers is to reconcile the beautiful sharpness of her language with two wildly improbable plot threads. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

Thanks to William Shakespeare, Richard Burton, and Elizabeth Taylor, nearly everyone in the Western world is familiar with the tragic tale of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. But the story of their children is less well known. In Moran's third historical novel (after Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen), narrator Kleopatra Selene and her twin brother, Alexander, are just ten years old when Egypt falls to the armies of Octavian and their parents commit suicide rather than submit to the humiliation of Roman rule. The surviving three children, Selene, Alexander, and Ptolemy, are taken to Rome to prevent them from ever rising to power and challenging Rome. Though Ptolemy doesn't survive the sea voyage, his older siblings are adopted into the household of Octavia, Octavian's sister. Here, amid the turmoil of Rome torn apart by external warfare and internal conflict and living under the cloud of their parentage, the children learn to navigate the political and societal eddies into which they have been tossed. VERDICT Dramatic, engrossing, and beautifully written, this is essential reading, and Moran is definitely an author to watch.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage P.L., AK

Shehzad, aka Chuck, arrived in New York as a naïve student of literature, but it didn't take him long to form a tight-knit community of family, friends, hangouts, and hipsters. His two closest friends are Jimbo and A.C. The three flourish in New York, not rich and not poor but having a tremendous time until September 11, 2001. Suddenly, the city they know and love is no longer the welcoming place of endless possibilities that it was. They are all Pakistanis (via New Jersey for Jimbo), but really they are New Yorkers—New Yorkers viewed with suspicion, even hatred, literally overnight. An ill-advised road trip to check on a friend not heard from since 9/11 sets into action a chain of events that changes the lives of all three men forever. In this coming-of-age story and a novel about a modern immigrant experience, Naqvi provides a unique perspective and intelligent insight into a very tense time in American history. VERDICT Original, well researched, and sharply observed, this debut is recommended for modern fiction readers and fans of memoir.—Shaunna Hunter, Hampden-Sydney Coll. Lib., VA

Anna Sinclair is a senior editor for an imprint at a prominent New York publishing company. Although she had left the Caribbean island where she grew up to attend college and then settle in the United States, she routinely returns to visit her parents. During one lengthy stay her mother, Beatrice, reveals that she has a large tumor in her breast. While Beatrice begins treatments for cancer, Anna and her father attempt to persuade her to have surgery in the United States, but she flatly refuses. During her weeks at her parents' home, Anna finds herself increasingly conflicted by both her parents' culture and her adopted one. She does not identify with her parents' upper-class status on the island, but she does not feel American either. Further, she is mystified by her parents' complete dedication to each other while her own marriage ended in divorce. VERDICT Nunez, an award-winning author of seven novels (e.g., Prospero's Daughter), has created a moving and insightful character study while delving into the complexities of identity politics. Highly recommended for fiction collections.—Cristella Bond, Anderson P.L., IN

Fans of Chicago sleuth V.I. Warshawski will cheer her return (after Fire Sale) as she handles a case steeped in local politics and civil unrest. V.I. accepts a cold missing-persons case and immediately begins to unearth memories that might better stay buried deep in the past. Her own family is brought up in this investigation: her father was the arresting officer on a related case; her young cousin Petra (in town working for a rising-star politician with family ties to V.I.'s uncle) takes a sudden interest in Warshawski family history and Vic's life; and V.I. has to balance her solitary bristle with a desire for connection with the past. VERDICT Packed with Chicago history and racial and personal conflict, this story picks up quickly and is a finely honed mystery with serious depth. Expect high demand from series fans. This will also appeal to any local-crime or social- issue mystery readers. Race riots, police brutality, political bribery, Chicago's dirty history—this one has it all. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Julie Kane, Sweet Briar Coll. Lib., VA

Angel Tungaraza runs a cake business from her apartment in the multicultural Rwandan city of Kigali. She drives a hard bargain for her beautiful cakes, but the advice she gives her varied clientele over tea is on the house. As a Tanzanian, Angel is easier for Rwandans to confide in—she is a fellow African yet does not share their terrible past. Angel is a businesswoman and wife, neighbor and confessor, matchmaker and righter of wrongs, and grandmother and mother to her five grandchildren since the deaths of her son and daughter. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series will enjoy the setting and this engaging main character, though readers who look for in-depth character development will be somewhat disappointed that we don't get to know some of Angel's customers and neighbors more fully. Parkin's first novel is not without moral complexity, yet it is ultimately a story of hope and recovery for a country torn apart by genocide and AIDS. VERDICT Recommended for all glass-half-full readers with an interest in Africa. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Gwen Vredevoogd, Marymount Univ. Lib., Arlington, VA

Pernice has already established himself as a successful musician (The Pernice Brothers, The Scud Mountain Boys); as Nick Hornby has recently observed, "Now it turns out he can write fiction, too." And it's true: this novel is very good indeed. It compares to the nouveau coming-of-age stories exemplified by Adam Rapp's The Year of Endless Sorrows in which the protagonists, unlike the Holden Caulfields of yesteryear, are twentysomethings in the midst of that postcollege slump. The novel alternates between flashbacks of the narrator's past—in which he meets and dates his future wife, Jocelyn, just after graduating from UMass—and present—in which he has just left Jocelyn before their honeymoon and is hiding out at his sister's place on Cape Cod, where he sometimes takes care of her boy, Roy. Soon he begins to rethink his marriage (despite a genuine friendship/small fling with a neighbor). VERDICT Funny, unself-consciously quirky, with touches of unironic sadness, this is for readers who enjoy coming-of-age tales.—Stephen Morrow, Athens, OH

So Doc Sportello, inveterate doper and sometime private eye, is sitting around hazy L.A. at the end of the Sixties when he gets a visit from former flame Shasta. Seems she's been seeing developer-turned-visionary Mickey Wolfmann, whose wife and boyfriend are cooking up a scheme to kidnap Wolfmann and want to cut her in. Meanwhile, black ex-con Tariq wants Doc's help in hooking up with Glen Charlock, a White Aryan he did business with behind bars, and he's pretty bummed that Channel Vista Estates, Wolfmann's latest development, has wiped out his neighborhood. Doc heads for Channel Vista, where he might have encountered Charlock had he not blacked out (it's those drugs?). Instead, Charlock winds up dead; Doc has another run-in with friendly nemesis Lt. Det. Bigfoot Bjornsen; and Wolfmann disappears. So, for that matter, does Shasta. And it gets even more complicated as Doc is off on one very weird acid trip of an investigation. VERDICT With whip-smart, psychedelic-bright language, Pynchon manages to convey the Sixties—except the Sixties were never really like this. This is Pynchon's world, and it's brilliant. The resolution is as crisp as Doc is laid-back. Highly recommended.—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

In Rice's latest, an assassin meets an angel who puts him to work for God. Although "Lucky the Fox" has always justified his contract killing by letting himself believe he was really working for the proverbial "good guys," the seraph takes Lucky back to the 1200s and gives him the task of preventing a pogrom against Jews accused of ritually murdering Christian children. Readers of Rice's "Vampire Chronicles" and "Mayfair Witch" sagas develop a deep connection with protagonists Lestat and Rowan Mayfair, but it is hard to relate to Lucky. However, the novel is more fluid and action-oriented than Rice's recent trilogy about Jesus. At the heart of this odd mix of metaphysical thriller and historical novel is one man's rediscovery of his religious beliefs. VERDICT While smoothly written and full of Rice's noted descriptive detail, this title may disappoint fans of her wildly popular series about vampires and witches, while Christian readers who know Rice only as a paranormal writer will probably avoid it unless they have read her Jesus novels. Finding the proper audience may prove to be the hardest battle for this intriguing book. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09; with a 250,000-copy first printing.]—Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA

Another best-selling Swedish crime thriller translated for American audiences, this book is the work of TV personality Roslund and former criminal and current youth worker Hellström. Their dark and gritty tale revolves around Lithuanian sex slaves Lydia and Alena, vicious and rarely convicted mob enforcer Jochum Lang, and Hilding Oldeus, a desperate heroin junkie. Their stories converge when cranky, old-fashioned police inspector Ewert Grens is assigned to the investigation of Lydia's horrific murder by her pimp, Lang and Oldeus get out of jail, and Grens resumes his crusade to put Lang away permanently. Bleak and pessimistic, even for Scandinavian crime stories, this international best seller has a style reminiscent of the classic Maj Sjöwall and Per Walöö Martin Beck mysteries and is also set in downtown Stockholm. VERDICT This excellent crime thriller is bound to please fans of Stieg Larsson's The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo and Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander series. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/09.]—Jessica Moyer, Univ. of Minnesota, Coll. of Education & Human Development, Minneapolis

Joy and Jack Griffin head to Cape Cod to attend a friend's wedding, where their daughter Laura announces her own engagement. Sensing the malaise in their 30-year marriage, the Griffins decide to reconnect by visiting the B & B where they once honeymooned. Their arrival in separate vehicles seems symbolic of the discord in their hearts and minds. Jack, still coming to terms with his father's death and bristling at his mother's constant criticism, feels restless in his career as a college professor, wondering whether he should have left a lucrative screenwriting gig in L.A. Joy, chafing at Jack's implicit displeasure with her sunny disposition and maddening family, longs for an empathetic listener. Russo lovingly explores the deceptive nature of memory as each exquisitely drawn character attempts to deconstruct the family myths that inform their relationships. VERDICT The Griffins may not find magic on old Cape Cod, but readers will. Those who savored Russo's long, languid novels (e.g., Pulitzer winner Empire Falls) may be surprised by this one's rapid pace, but Russo's familiar compassion for the vicissitudes of the human condition shines through. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/09.]—Sally Bissell, Lee Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Myers, FL

At an age when many authors are pushing stylistic walkers, 68-year-old Savage is just hitting his stride. His new work is every bit as engaging and original as his debut, Firmin. Protagonist Andrew Whittaker, like the rat Firmin, is something of a literary lowlife. He's a writer who is a legend in his own mind, the vexing editor of a marginal literary journal, an incompetent slumlord, an increasingly tired and tiresome bore and boor, a man about to crash from his own imaginary space into a very unforgiving earth. This novel consists of everything he has written over four months: mostly letters but also remnants of his tortuous prose, shopping lists, and diary entries. VERDICT Set in the early Seventies, this book will certainly appeal to boomers and seniors, but it would also be a great read for young adults. Its best audience would be other writers and creative individuals generally, and it would be a delightful reading-group choice. Great for holiday gift-giving, too.—Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. Lib., Chico

Trevor's first novel since 2002's Booker-shortlisted The Story of Lucy Gault beautifully reveals the summer love that blooms between Ellie Dillahan, an orphan who has become a farmer's wife, and Florian Kilderry, a bachelor haunted by his muse yet lacking any means of expressing his art. Ellie and Florian meet in Rathmoye, a small Irish town where the influential and tragic Connulty family owns several concerns, including a burned-out cinema and a boarding house. Only Miss Connulty and her brother, Joseph Paul, remain to enact the final scene of their family's drama, into which the young lovers have unwittingly stumbled. Trevor directs his characters to a stunning conclusion that affirms love's sustaining influence even in the midst of heartache and profound disappointment. VERDICT Trevor's latest is rich in dazzling imagery, especially variations on light, illumination, and reflection, and unforgettable characters like Orpen Wren, a potentially senile librarian. This is another masterly work from one of our greatest contemporary novelists. —J. Greg Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

The battle between brothers Michael and Gabriel Corrigan comes to a head in this final "Fourth Realm" trilogy installment (after The Traveler and The Dark River). The brothers are the last of the Travelers, a line of prophets with the ability to travel to parallel universes. Michael continues to cooperate with the Tabula, a group of wealthy international elite in pursuit of world domination. He travels to the fifth realm, where ultimate control of the population is instilled through fear. Upon his return, Michael begins to take control of the Tabula to start his own worldwide campaign of fear. Gabriel has been gathering his own forces, known as Free Runners, individuals who have noticed the growth in invasive technologies that curtail true freedom. With their lives constantly in danger from the Tabula, Gabriel, his friend Hollis, and Harlequin bodyguards Maya and Linden must find a way to thwart Michael's plans. VERDICT Twelve Hawks is able skillfully to expand further on his characters and keep the rapid pace for a satisfying conclusion to this technological fantasy-thriller amalgamation. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09.]—Joy Gunn, Henderson Libs., NV

It takes White fewer than ten pages to completely draw the reader into this tautly written suspense thriller, perhaps his best to date. He introduces suspended Colorado police detective Sam Purdy, a friend of Alan Gregory (from the best-selling series that includes Dead Time). The action centers on a building at Yale where students held hostage by unknown individuals are being released at intervals, some relatively unharmed and others killed in horrible ways. Along with Purdy, those trying to figure out who is responsible include a federal agent still dealing with the effects of the Oklahoma City bombing and so many police that it's a challenge to keep them in order. There isn't a great deal of shoot-'em-up action, with White choosing instead to string the reader along in trying to unravel the puzzle he creates. The characters are well developed and suffer from frailties that readers don't always get from their heroes. After such a suspenseful ride, White thankfully doesn't wrap things up too neatly. VERDICT This is an outstanding book that should prove popular and may increase demand for White's previous titles. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/09; previewed under the title The Man in the Tomb.]—Craig Shufelt, Fort McMurray P.L., A.B.

First novelist Wyld offers the moving tale of a man's search for inner peace and escape from everything that haunts him. The interesting twist is that this is really the story of two men—father and son—fighting the same inner turmoil in different time periods. Frank leaves the city for the oceanside shack in eastern Australia once owned by his grandparents. Forever changed by his experiences in Vietnam, Leon is on a journey of his own. In an alternating narrative, the reader sees how Leon's son Frank becomes more like him and yet further apart, so that they are unable to reconcile. Leon, once an aggressive man completely taken over by the horrors he has experienced, eventually becomes a gentle Bible follower, while Frank starts out as an often-neglected boy but becomes a man who beats up his girlfriend. VERDICT With mental tension, war, missing children, and the daily struggles encountered in the Australian bush, there is plenty to keep the reader engrossed. A definite page- turner that will appeal to those seeking a good escapist read.—Leann Restaino, Girard, OH

Zuiker, the creator of the television crime drama CSI, dubs this thrilling series debut the world's first "digi-novel." In an effort to inspire audiences not just to "read" the book but to "experience" it, the authors offer a unique, integrated mashup of both literary text and cinematic clips to tell the story of serial killer profiler and tracker Steve Dark. As the head of a highly classified governmental agency that hunts the world's most violent serial killers, Dark has the ability to assume the killers' mindset as he tracks them down and brings them to justice. Readers are encouraged to visit a web site (www.level26.com) where they can watch supplementary video clips. The three-minute clips, while not essential to the story line, are of high quality and designed to engage readers further in the novel. This forward-thinking blend of text and video risks coming off as gimmicky, but readers will find the meat of the story intriguing enough to stand alone without the online content. VERDICT Resembling the thrillers of Thomas Harris and Jeff Lindsay (see review on p. 69), this experimental crossover novel, coauthored with crime novelist Swierczynski (The Wheel Man), will attract a diverse following and could change the future of publishing with its interactive content. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Carolann Curry, Mercer Univ. Medical Lib., Macon, GA

The author of well-regarded novels like Crash and Empire of the Sun, which were made into films, British author Ballard was (he died earlier this year) a master of dystopian sf. The 1,216 pages in this collection are an astonishing record of a vibrant and vital mind at work. This volume includes 92 stories, most of which are set in some kind of nightmarish future world or alternate "visionary present," to use Ballard's phrase from his introduction to the book. The variety of stories here is impressive, even dizzying: "Manhole 69," for example, is about a scientific experiment to free human beings from sleep. "Prima Belladonna" is a disturbing story about a relationship between a singing orchid (with a 24-four octave range) and a beautiful, mysterious mutant woman. "Zodiac 2000" updates the Zodiac signs to include "The Sign of the Clones" and "The Sign of the Cruise Missile." Ballard is every bit the equal of Vonnegut, Orwell, and Huxley. VERDICT A revelation; essential reading. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/09.]—Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT

The film Trainspotting (based on one of Welsh's short stories) is best watched with subtitles; few Americans can follow the Scottish characters' slang, accent, and speed of delivery. Welsh's fiction, of course, comes with no subtitles, and readers will have to "ken" phonetically what's happening. Welsh's scenarios flash lurid as the lights at dance clubs: a snort of drugs and haze of drinks mixed with a promise of sex. The writing's all dialog driven, and you'll be hard-pressed to find even a bare description such as "vanilla sand." We get eight stories here, seven of which are reprints from Welsh's prefame and novel-writing days. The book's title and cover art of a rat fleeing the scene should clue you in as to what to expect. The stories carry much of young men's pitfalls—violence, homophobia, and overindulgence but with a reckless, dangerous charisma. But the last story, "I Am Miami," strikes a more mature note with its aging characters reconsidering the DJ scene. VERDICT Readers of cult fiction with a specific, male, lurid sense of place—Hubert Selby Jr., Nelson Algren, or even Chuck Palahniuk—will enjoy the lacerating humor here.—Travis Fristoe, Alachua Cty. Lib. Dist., FL