Fiction

After the death of her mother, Dulcie, Emily moves in with her grandfather in Mullaby, NC, and learns of her mother's part in the Coffey family tragedy. Fortunately, not everyone holds Dulcie's past against Emily—Julia welcomes Emily with a cake and offers a shoulder to lean on, but Julia has troubles, too. She's working off the debt on her father's restaurant so she can sell it and open a bakery far from the town that dismissed her so easily as a teen. Things may change if the romantic Sawyer can persuade Julia to trust him with her heart or if Win Coffey can help Emily expose the truth of her mother's deepest secret. Wallpaper that changes with mood, a sweet scent to call one home, and boys who glow in the moonlight will make readers jealous they can't live in a magical world like Allen's. VERDICT That it is never too late to change the future and that high school sins can be forgiven—these are wonderful messages, but Allen's warm characters and quirky setting are what will completely open readers' hearts to this story. Nothing in it disappoints. Fans of Allen's Garden Spells will snap this up. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/09.]—Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

With President Sukarno's government in trouble, security forces are rounding up Dutch citizens for deportation, and there is widespread civil unrest (1964 is the "year of living dangerously" in Indonesia). Against this backdrop, teenaged Adam witnesses the police hustling off his adoptive father, a Dutch artist. A search of their house turns up documents linking his father with Margaret, an American professor at the university in Jakarta. Adam strikes out for this teeming metropolis, where he witnesses the brutal riots after Sukarno's Independence Day speech and celebrations and becomes involved with a colleague of Margaret's who turns out to be a radical revolutionary. Meanwhile, Margaret searches for Adam's father with the help of an American embassy attaché who may be undercover CIA. Along the way, Aw (The Harmony Silk Factory) relates Adam's earlier life before his adoption and wrenching separation from his older brother. The novel as a whole unfolds at a leisurely pace, as the author paints a detailed picture of a multifaceted culture subject to the forces of Western imperialism and colonialism, third-world squalor, and political intrigue. VERDICT An intricate and emotional work, this book may be a little too subtle to attract a wide audience. Recommended for literary readers and larger collections.—Jim Coan, SUNY Coll. Lib. at Oneonta

Jesse Bennett briefly escapes into her own world when her mother is admitted into a mental hospital after a suicide attempt. With an elaborately woven epistolary cover, she places her mother on an around-the-world cruise, ostensibly won through a Corn Flakes competition. Word in her small East Yorkshire village travels, though, and Jesse's lie is soon shattered, as is her carefully manufactured life. Beale (Murder in the Castro and winner of the 2007 Poets & Writers California Writers Exchange contest) tackles the dynamics of an extended family drama, a young woman's confusion, secrecy, and pressure, and the moral dilemmas Jesse faces daily in her struggle to become a fully realized person. VERDICT Grappling with issues of sexual identity, mental illness, family conflict, and adolescent angst that lie below the surface, this novel will appeal to all readers.—Julie Kane, Sweet Briar Coll. Lib., VA

In his third novel, Black revisits the small Arkansas town of Swamp Creek, also the setting of They Tell Me of a Home. This is the heartbreaking tale of Perfect, the seventh child born to Gustavus and Emma-Jean Peace in 1941. What should be a joyous occasion is clouded by Gus's conflict over having another mouth to feed. And Emma-Jean has an overwhelming desire to have a girl after giving birth to six boys. Deciding to deceive her family and others, Emma-Jean makes the decision to raise Perfect, born a boy, as a girl for the first eight years of his life. When circumstances force her to reveal the truth, everyone involved has to grapple with the consequences. VERDICT Black courageously delves into such sensitive issues such as sexuality, racism, and family dynamics and enchants readers with strong pacing and Southern imagery. Those who enjoy rich and complex works of literary fiction will be provoked to discuss this novel's many layers.—Lisa Jones, Birmingham P.L., AL

Frankie Bard is a young female reporter in London during the Blitz, working with the likes of Edward R. Murrow and Eric Severeid. Her broadcasts make an impression on the residents of Franklin, MA—Dr. Will Fitch and wife Emma, garage owner Harry Vale, and postmaster Iris James—who in 1940–41 don't know how or if the war will affect them. Harry is sure the Germans are about to land on their beach, while, hearing Frankie talk of an orphaned boy, Emma and Will don't feel the news goes far enough. Iris insists that "there is an order and a reason" to everything, and "every letter sent…proves it." Blake (Grange House) doesn't let her work fall prey to easy sentimentality; this story is harsh and desperate, as indeed is war, but her writing is incisive and lush: a house missing a piece of mortar, "as if it had been bitten"; a distracted Iris, with "sand…dribbling out of the bag of her attention." VERDICT Even readers who don't think they like historical novels will love this one and talk it up to their friends. Highly recommended for all fans of beautifully wrought fiction. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/09.]—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Denny Cullen, returning to Dublin from Wales for his mother's funeral, slides back into old friendships, habits, and dysfunction. In spite of—or perhaps because of—his ready reacquaintance with these sometimes precarious comforts, he becomes slowly aware of an unease threatening his sense of purpose. Byrne brilliantly reveals Denny's trepidations by weaving allusions to supernatural beings and events throughout the novel. Though a rationalist, Denny still fears the banshee's wail and often turns to Irish myths and legends for insights to steady and sustain himself. Denny finally accepts his grief over his mother's death and opens himself to the freedom of moving on. VERDICT Byrne's promising debut is a humane, credible, and wry account of the inner struggles that bind us all as well as a vivid and affectionate portrait of modern Dublin's people and places. At its best, this story calls to mind the opening stories in Joyce's Dubliners and easily rivals the work of Roddy Doyle and Patrick McCabe.—J. Greg Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

In her arresting debut, New Yorker contributor Clay tackles sibling relationships, familial bonds, duty, and honor. Readers meet two sisters with a strained relationship: Knox, who lives on her family's Kentucky horse farm, and Charlotte, who lives in New York City. When the unthinkable happens and Charlotte dies from a hemorrhage after childbirth, Knox leaves her comfortable, familiar life behind to help Charlotte's husband, Bruce, a virtual stranger, care for his twin sons. As they work together through grief, loss, and exhaustion, Knox finds a way to honor the sister she never really knew. VERDICT Highly recommended for those who enjoy themes about family and sibling relationships and fans of women's fiction à la Elizabeth Berg, Anne Lamott, Alice Hoffman, and Jodi Picoult.—Shaunna Hunter, Hampden-Sydney Coll., VA

In a clever and compelling new novel, Coetzee (Disgrace) probes the life of late South African novelist John Coetzee, whom a young English biographer has begun researching. Coetzee draws on fragments from his own journals to tell the story of a writer. Sandwiched between the journal excerpts are interviews with five people—his cousin Margot, a married woman with whom Coetzee had an affair, a dancer whose young daughter Coetzee taught English, a university colleague, and Martin, a man with whom Coetzee had competed for a university position. From these perspectives, the writer emerges as an introspective loner whose lack of concern for others (demonstrated by his inability to care compassionately for his father, who lives with him) verges on misanthropy. His complete misunderstanding of the workings of the human heart generates writing that is technically playful but dispassionate, yet this distance allows him to peer into the human psyche in ways that others cannot. VERDICT Anyone captivated by the themes of distraction and the search for home that characterize the writings of Kafka, W.G. Sebald, Milan Kundera, and Philip Roth will want to travel with Coetzee on this journey toward home. Another brilliant excursion into the nature of writing and the complexities of place and the making of a personal identity. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/09.]—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Evanston, IL

Miles Straker has grown serenely accustomed to being lord and master of his family, company, and expansive Hampshire estate, Chawbury Manor. Only a single ramshackle property on the horizon remains in the hands of private owner Silas Trow. One day, Miles looks out of his drawing room windows to see a full-blown demolition site at Silas's cottage. The reason: Silas has died, leaving his niece the power to sell the property to Ross Clegg, founder and CEO of Freeza Mart, a very middle-class grocery chain. Miles is determined to marshal his unparalleled social and business forces to destroy Ross's business, but his machinations and cutthroat tactics backfire because the appealingly kind and unassuming Ross, oblivious to his new neighbor's brutal designs, makes friends among the gentry. Coleridge's (A Much Married Man) entertaining comedy of manners skewers the pretensions of the British upper class, especially their gut-level aversion to the nouveau riche. It also illustrates the younger generation's pseudorebellion, most hilariously depicted in the caricature of Ross's socialist son, Greg, who derides his father's wealth while ironically enjoying its benefits. VERDICT Despite the echo of Jane Austin in the title, this British social satire more closely emulates the style and substance of Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities. A thumping good read.—Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC

Uhtred the Warlord is the irreverent and conflicted hero of Cornwell's Saxon Tales saga about Alfred the Great. In the fifth volume (after Sword Song), both he and England are in peril. The Saxons and the Danes are at war, and this puts Uhtred in a precarious position. Worse, he is an unrepentant pagan in a world that is becoming aggressively Christian. After tragedy strikes, he is exiled and determines once again to become a Viking, retrieve the mighty fortress that is his heritage, and get away from not-so-merry England. However, fate pulls him back to help protect the kingdom of Mercia from the Danes. Almost unwillingly, Uhtred becomes a major player in an extremely violent and exciting period of English history. VERDICT The prolific Cornwell (Agincourt) has been described as a master of historical fiction, but that may be an understatement. Cornwell makes his subject material come alive. Better, his major protagonist is totally believable and human, if incredibly violent. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/09.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

When Frank Meyer, his wife, and their two sons are murdered in a brutal home invasion, it's personal for longtime family friend Joe Pike. "Frank the Tank" was one of Joe's guys back in their mercenary days, and Pike wants revenge. But he also wants to be sure Frank was clean, since this was the seventh in a string of attacks that targeted people involved in illegal activities. Calling on partner Elvis Cole for detective work and old contacts from his past, Pike discovers a troubling connection between Frank and the Serbian mob, and specifically with Michael Darko, a gangster of great interest to ATF Agent Kelly Walsh. As he designs and executes a scheme with nonstop action, Pike offers himself as bait to two deadly rivals. VERDICT Not a word is wasted in this suspenseful, hair-raising page-turner that also reveals the humanity of Pike, generally a stolid and silent character, as he mourns his friend's death. Crime master Crais (Chasing Darkness; The Two-Minute Rule) is at his best here. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/09.]—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA

Readers in America may not know about the tremendous winter hurricane that hit the Netherlands in 1953, overwhelming dikes not maintained since before World War II. In the tsunami-like surge, 2000 drowned. This novel by master storyteller de Moor (The Kreutzer Sonata) starts with an intriguing premise: two sisters, Lidy and Armanda, who look so much alike that people think of them as interchangeable, swap duties for a weekend. Headstrong Armanda proposes sending Lidy in her place to a family event on the rural Dutch coast, while Armanda stays in Amsterdam and goes to a party. Lidy finds herself running headlong into the unpredicted storm. De Moor carefully interplays the two narratives; Lidy's horrifying ordeal in the storm is clocked almost minute by minute, while the story of Armanda's and Lidy's husbands' lives, wracked by survivor's guilt, unfold over the years. Depictions of Lidy's experiences in the monster storm are terrifying in their realism; knowing she is doomed doesn't lessen the tension. VERDICT Aspects of this novel recall Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, but this powerful fictional account of facing death and living with loss cuts closer to the bone. Highly recommended for fans of quality fiction.—Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA

Originally published in Spanish in two volumes, this work has been pared down in translation to a single volume, but it is still a hefty read. Fuentes (Hemingway in Cuba; Condenados de Condado), a friend of Castro's throughout the most tumultuous revolutionary years, knows his narrator well. In this larger-than-life fictionalized portrait, Castro reflects on everything from his first sexual experience and Che Guevara to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Kennedy assassination. Rarely, however, does he engage in self-reflection. Like other Latin American authors, Fuentes here intertwines the literary with the political, providing, as did Augusto Roa Bastos with I, the Supreme and Miguel Angel Asturias with The President, a distinctive and fascinating perspective on historical events. VERDICT This convincing mock autobiography of the famously long-winded Castro will make an engaging selection for readers with an interest in Latin America and its political leaders. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/09.]—Gwen Vredevoogd, Marymount Univ., Arlington, VA

A wounded healer navigates the uneasy intersections of faith, doubt, and action in this quietly brilliant novel about the mysteries of belief. Tormented by scandal and various addictions, Father Manuel Furtado struggles to heal himself and care for his church, Our Lady of Fatima. With the help of both blood and fictive kin, Furtado is able to put aside his personal demons and minister to the closely knit community to which he's been assigned. The return of a presumed-dead childhood friend, however, leads to a series of events that plunge Furtado, and the town, deeper into its long, dark night of the soul. Will the recovery of a long-lost statue bring grace and healing? Or is the past better left unburied? Readers who enjoy complex characterization will appreciate Father Furtado's complex psychological makeup and admire Gaspar's equally conflicted secondary characters. VERDICT Gaspar, an award-winning poet and novelist (Leaving Pico), triumphs again with his unflinching portrait of doubt and devotion, demonstrating with skill and grace how the two forces simultaneously torment and uplift Fatima's parishioners.—Leigh Anne Vrabel, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh

DI Jack Caffery and police diver Phoebe "Flea" Marley return in Hayder's second thriller in the "Walking Man" series (after Ritual). Caffery, a man plagued by a troubled professional past, and Marley, an insecure risk taker, team up to solve the mysterious suicides that occur in one neighborhood. Caffery begins to suspect something sinister and perhaps even supernatural may be at work. Meanwhile, a missing-persons case turns out to be connected to Marley's brother, forcing her to make difficult and dangerous decisions about how to handle the situation. Hayder's works are usually not for the weak-stomached, and this one is no exception. Readers who can tolerate graphic descriptions will be rewarded with a complex, well-written mystery involving characters on both sides of the law. VERDICT Taut, complex suspense with graphic material, this is especially recommended for those who enjoy Karin Slaughter and John Connolly. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/09.]—Beth Lindsay, Washington State Univ. Lib., Pullman

In Hoag's newest thriller (after The Alibi Man), the year is 1985; DNA evidence and the Internet are distant glimmers on the horizon. In a sleepy California suburb, four children stumble across the body of a dead woman in the park. Young hotshot detective Tony Mendez is convinced the woman is the third victim of a serial killer and solicits the FBI. His call reaches the ears of Vince Leone, a pioneer in profiling, just returning from medical leave. The children's discovery also draws teacher Anne Navarre into the mystery. Once the team is in place, the race is on to find the killer before he strikes again. VERDICT Though it has all the elements of a serial killer thriller, Hoag's latest is really a "family thriller." Intertwining the effects of the crime on her characters, the attempt is satisfactory. Also recommended for those who enjoyed Tana French's In the Woods.—Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

In her second novel (after Pleasure of Believing), Hobbet deftly draws on her travels in the Middle East and North Africa to craft a novel set in Kuwait between the two Gulf wars. Hobbet introduces readers to the small kingdoms of five characters. Mufeeda, an upper-class Kuwaiti woman, seeks to adhere to Muslim beliefs while asserting her role in her household. Emmanuella works in Mufeeda's household to support her family in India. A defiant Arab woman, Hanaan calls Kuwait home, but as a Palestinian she has none of the rights and privileges that Kuwaiti citizens enjoy. Hanaan becomes romantically involved with Theo, an American doctor who has moved to Kuwait for reasons even he can't articulate. Mufeeda's new neighbor, Kit, an unsophisticated American from rural Oklahoma, recently came to the region with her husband and young family so that he can move up the corporate ladder. The group has little in common except their collective anxiety: When will Sadaam Hussein invade Kuwait again? Their interconnections strengthen after Emmanuella reveals the abuse of another neighbor's housemaid. VERDICT Hobbet fills a niche with this portrait of contemporary Kuwait. Her writing will keep readers engaged as they explore the complexity of the Kuwaiti lives dramatized. Recommended.—Faye A. Chadwell, Oregon State Univ. Lib., Corvallis

This is the remarkable culmination of Howard's four-season novel quartet (following A Lover's Almanac, Big as Life, and The Silver Screen). Mimi, in the autumn of her life, searches for a subject for her new redeeming work of fiction. In her daybook, Mimi recounts conversations with her brother and her husband, mourns the loss of soldiers in Iraq, describes her walks in Central Park, reflects on the history of explorers and artists (Columbus, Walter Raleigh, Frederick Law Olmstead), and slips into stories about a mathematician and his artist wife, an amateur historian who loses her husband, and a refugee from Nazi Austria. Mixing fact and fiction, writing several beginnings but stuttering from story to story and finishing none, Mimi continues to search for her last perfect, golden tale. Howard (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award) weaves the stories into Mimi's narrative so seamlessly that the reader has to follow the threads of text carefully to sort out fiction from metafiction. VERDICT Engrossing but not easy; recommended for readers of postmodern works.—Amy Ford, St. Mary's Coll. Lib., Lexington Park, MD

Worlds away from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, this stunning new novel from Jones (after the highly regarded The Outcast) set in 1956 Cyprus might just as easily describe the present. In the lead-up to the Suez Canal crisis, the British occupational forces find themselves amid a terrorist campaign conducted by the EOKA, a group of Greek Cypriots set on independence at any cost via pipe bombs, rock throwing, land mines, and roadside ambushes. For their part, the British employ equally familiar counterinsurgency torture and interrogation measures to maintain order. Against this backdrop, career officer Hal Treherne and his family settle into life on the base, where Hal is charged with routing out terrorists. The daily skirmishes take a toll on Hal and undermine his marriage. VERDICT This richly imagined and warmly atmospheric story convincingly demonstrates that small wars, like all wars, are hell. This is historical fiction at its best. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/09.]—Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Ont.

For the narrator, it's about "how children suffer for their parents, and parents for their children," a statement that articulates the central theme of Kosztolányi's touching and timeless novel. Set in a small city on the edge of the Hungarian frontier at the turn of the 19th century, before the Treaty of Trianon and immediately following the exciting Millennial Celebration in Budapest, the novel is an intimate look at provincial life. Particularly, it is the portrait of two parents dealing with their newfound freedom when their unmarriageable daughter visits relatives for a week. The parents explore their long-forgotten interests, discover new desires, and come to mourn their daughter's station in life and resent her return. Péter Esterházy (Celestial Harmonies) provides an insightful introduction, placing Kosztolányi in the European pantheon. VERDICT Kosztolányi was a masterly writer. Several of his novels have been translated into English (e.g., Anna Edes; Darker Muses), but Skylark is easily the most accessible and poignant. Kudos to New York Review Books for bringing it to a wider audience. This same translation appeared from Central European University Press in 1993.—Kurt H. Cumiskey, Duke Univ. Libs., Durham, NC

In this third installment of his Matthew Corbett series (after Speaks the Nightbird and The Queen of Bedlam), McCammon delivers a twisted tale of pure evil. In 1702 New York City, Matthew and his colleague Hudson Greathouse agree to take on the assignment of transporting evil mass murderer Tyranthus Slaughter from an asylum near Philadelphia to a waiting ship docked in New York. Along the way, Tyranthus strikes an unusual deal with the two men, setting in motion horrific carnage that leads back to Philadelphia. Matthew faces the misery of his mistakes and begins to figure out a battle plan to face this devil. But by the time Matthew catches up to him, a dark plot that reaches beyond the new colonies has been hatched. VERDICT Fans of dark historicals will enjoy this thrill ride, but they should be ready for some heavy-handed violence with a balance of historical context and intrigue.—Ron Samul, New London, CT

Booker Prize nominee McGregor (If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things) returns with this third novel told through a series of broken narratives. At the center of the book is alcoholic Robert, whose body is found shortly after the Christmas holiday. Robert's only companions before dying were a group of heroin addicts who often took refuge in Robert's apartment in exchange for food and company. (McGregor tells their stories as well.) Representing Robert is a group of spirits who act as a chorus filling in details and watching over his body, thereby providing him a sort of eulogy. Most effective is the narrative about Robert and his daughter, Laura, who left Robert with her mother as a child but who as an adult heroin addict found refuge in her father's apartment years later. VERDICT McGregor's stream-of-consciousness prose, written partly in dialect, is challenging, but those who enjoyed Hubert Selby Jr.'s Requiem for a Dream will value the style and the subject matter.—Cristella Bond, Muncie, IN

The Great War is over, but the Gifford women still live in isolated grief. The daughter of the house, Evelyn supports the family by clerking in a lawyer's office at a time when women weren't lawyers. Evelyn is thrown when a woman and child show up on her doorstep. The child is unmistakably the son of her brother James, killed in the war. Meredith, the mother, was James's nurse in a field hospital. Interwoven with this story line is Evelyn's increasingly difficult professional life, which includes fighting to get an impoverished woman's children returned to her and helping defend a man on trial for murder who won't defend himself. Caught between the old guard of English society and the new world of art and jazz, Evelyn teeters on the brink of something very interesting, indeed. VERDICT McMahon's historical novels (The Alchemist's Daughter; The Rose of Sebastopol) are often complex but extremely rewarding in their depth and character development. Her latest is her best novel to date. Strongly recommended for readers who enjoy Sarah Waters, Geraldine Brooks, and Jacqueline Winspear.—Anna M. Karras, Collier Cty. P.L., Naples, FL

An early work by the only Arab writer yet to receive the Nobel Prize in literature, Cairo Modern was originally published in 1945 and was first issued in English in 2008 by the American University in Cairo Press, in the same translation that appears here. His fifth novel overall and the second to be set in 20th-century Egypt, it captures Mahfouz in a fiery, youthful stage. Though largely a work of social realism, the story has strands of the existentialism that would figure heavily in Mahfouz's later novels. Mahfouz explores the lives of several recent university graduates in 1930s Cairo, particularly that of Mahgub, a poor but ambitious young man whose life spirals out of control as he fiercely pursues a place among the upper class. Throughout, Mahfouz displays a mastery of character development and strong control of his themes, mainly the consequences of trying to escape one's fate.

Also appearing in English this fall, Before the Throne (1983) offers a glimpse of a very different side of this author's prodigious talents. In this distinctive work, written largely in dramatic dialog, Mahfouz is concerned with understanding his country's identity through an exploration of its ancient history. The novel is set in a courtroom, with the sun god, Osiris, presiding. One by one, the great leaders of Egypt's past, beginning with King Menes of the First Dynasty, are summoned to defend their accomplishments and explain their faults. Osiris makes the final judgment and determines the fate of each leader's soul for eternity. Those granted immortality remain in the courtroom and may participate in subsequent trials, which leads to such unusual situations as Ramesses II confronting President Anwar el-Sadat. In the heated discussions that inevitably take place, Mahfouz shows how the defining ideals of a nation evolve. VERDICT Cairo Modern reads like a classic, gripping the reader from the first pages, a testament not only to Mahfouz but to translator Hutchins. Newcomers to Mahfouz may wish to start with this more accessible novel or other works like the Cairo Trilogy and Midaq Alley. Despite its brevity and the experimental structure, Before the Throne is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in Egyptian history or literature. It's a small gem.—Forest Turner, Suffolk Cty. House of Correction Lib., Boston

An early work by the only Arab writer yet to receive the Nobel Prize in literature, Cairo Modern was originally published in 1945 and was first issued in English in 2008 by the American University in Cairo Press, in the same translation that appears here. His fifth novel overall and the second to be set in 20th-century Egypt, it captures Mahfouz in a fiery, youthful stage. Though largely a work of social realism, the story has strands of the existentialism that would figure heavily in Mahfouz's later novels. Mahfouz explores the lives of several recent university graduates in 1930s Cairo, particularly that of Mahgub, a poor but ambitious young man whose life spirals out of control as he fiercely pursues a place among the upper class. Throughout, Mahfouz displays a mastery of character development and strong control of his themes, mainly the consequences of trying to escape one's fate.

Also appearing in English this fall, Before the Throne (1983) offers a glimpse of a very different side of this author's prodigious talents. In this distinctive work, written largely in dramatic dialog, Mahfouz is concerned with understanding his country's identity through an exploration of its ancient history. The novel is set in a courtroom, with the sun god, Osiris, presiding. One by one, the great leaders of Egypt's past, beginning with King Menes of the First Dynasty, are summoned to defend their accomplishments and explain their faults. Osiris makes the final judgment and determines the fate of each leader's soul for eternity. Those granted immortality remain in the courtroom and may participate in subsequent trials, which leads to such unusual situations as Ramesses II confronting President Anwar el-Sadat. In the heated discussions that inevitably take place, Mahfouz shows how the defining ideals of a nation evolve. VERDICT Cairo Modern reads like a classic, gripping the reader from the first pages, a testament not only to Mahfouz but to translator Hutchins. Newcomers to Mahfouz may wish to start with this more accessible novel or other works like the Cairo Trilogy and Midaq Alley. Despite its brevity and the experimental structure, Before the Throne is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in Egyptian history or literature. It's a small gem.—Forest Turner, Suffolk Cty. House of Correction Lib., Boston

The first novel in ten years from Australian-born 1996 IMPAC winner Malouf is a moving, lyrical retelling of Achilles' desecration of Hector's corpse and his capitulation to Priam's appeal for proper rites and burial for the Trojan hero. Malouf's prose is triumphantly sure, and his characterizations of the subtle and complex bonds between Priam and Achilles, gods and mortals, wives and husbands, parents and children, nobles and commoners, and beasts and men resonate with authority. This authorial credibility thrums strongest in Malouf's meditation on the relationship between Priam and Somax, the humble carter who bears his ransom to the Greek camp. Their connection is rooted in the novel's great theme of chance and the choices, obligations, and responsibilities it bestows on us. Malouf ultimately explores how chance, or opportunity, serves as the muse of all great storytelling. VERDICT Malouf's masterly return to the novel ably stands with recent versions of Homeric themes such as Seamus Heaney's The Cure at Troy and Christopher Logue's War Music.—J. Greg Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

Ralph Bailey, attaché to the President of the United States, has recently met his soul mate, found the perfect underwear for the President, and been appointed to establish diplomatic relations with the planet Rigel-Rigel. He is also 949th on the list of people who will succeed the President in case of a disaster. This hilarious scenario, complete with scenes of everyday life on Rigel-Rigel and ironic interjections from the narrator, works in service of the moral: it's later than you think, so do what makes your life most meaningful. Mandery's (Dreaming of Gwen Stefani) allegorical portraits of people, governments, life on other planets, and philosophy range from amusing to laugh-out-loud funny. VERDICT Recommended for those who enjoy comedic fiction.—Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Libs., Providence

In his 70th year, not content to live out his golden years with the long-suffering Penelope, his son Telemachus, or his grandchildren, Odysseus sets sail to revisit the lands of his past triumphs—Calypso's cave, Circe's island, a now-thriving Troy—only to wonder if his memories have deceived him. Was there a point to the destruction, the deaths, and the loneliness engendered by 20 years of wandering? Like the lost Gospels of the Bible, these imaginary lost books of The Odyssey enhance Homer's epic tale with alternative scenarios and viewpoints. A finalist this year for the New York Public Library's Young Lions Award, Mason employs clear, crisp prose and a clever sense of humor (at one point he has Odysseus in analysis), to propel the action briskly. VERDICT This will appeal to many types of readers: students studying the original Homer, lovers of ancient history and mythology, those interested in the depiction of the power struggle between men and gods, and readers looking for echoes of Joseph Campbell's work. In the end, however, Lost Books is not so much an engrossing story as a paean to the power of storytelling. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/09.]—Sally Bissell, Lee Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Myers, FL

Maxted makes a grand departure from her chick-lit tales (Getting Over It; Running in Heels) with a twisted and sinister thriller that chronicles the dysfunctions and flaws of the Kent family. A psychotic villain intent on destroying their lives and fortunes secretly stalks Jack; his second wife, Innocence; their birth daughter, Emily; and their adopted daughter, Claudia. Through a convoluted and sometimes confusing chain of events spanning decades, Jack will be forced to realize that though he could afford everything, he has nothing of worth. The only redeeming character is Claudia, who is treated horrifically by her family and by the evil that haunts her. The writing is fast-paced and the plot engrossing but extremely implausible. VERDICT Maxted hits her writing groove in moments, but fans of her previous works should know this is not standard chick lit, as the content is sometimes crude and unpleasant. Fans of Jackie Collins may be intrigued; originally published in Britain under the title Betrayal by Sasha Blake.—Anne M. Miskewitch, Chicago P.L.

Mengiste's debut novel follows the lives of a family of four in the violent environment of prewar Ethiopia in 1974. A recent New York University graduate, Mengiste was voted a "new literary idol" by New York magazine and garnered a Pushcart Prize nomination. Her honors do not belie her skill, for this book is stunning. In graphic descriptions and masterly prose, Mengiste sculpts her characters to reflect different aspects of the revolution, from Dawit, who spouts Marxism, to Hailu, a doctor who must deal with the brutal realities of revolution. VERDICT Although the depictions of brutality are extensive, they are also realistic and captivating, helping place Lion's Gaze into a small cadre of Ethiopian fiction, including Abraham Verghese's Cutting the Stone and Camilla Gibb's Sweetness in the Belly. Fans of historical adult fiction will approve. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/09.]—Shalini Miskelly, Highline Community Coll., Des Moines, WA

Set in Washington, DC, in the late 1990s, this novel answers a college application question: "What are your best and worst qualities?" Given the psychological complexity of its writer, the gifted and disaffected high schooler Addison Schacht, the answer is extensive. A small-time drug dealer and advanced Latin student (he's a devotee of Virgil's Aeneid), Addison is also involved in a "nonrelationship" with the equally gifted but more levelheaded Phoebe "Digger" Zeleny. After the murder of classmate Kevin Broadus, a kid he barely knew, Addison becomes obsessed with solving the murder mystery. When he hears a rumor of an alleged perpetrator, he embarks, along with Digger, on a reckless quest to bring him to justice. VERDICT First novelist Munson, an online editor at Commentary, takes the young, alienated hero/antihero trope à la Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield in a decidedly contemporary direction. However, Addison's negativity and detachment make him less engaging than his spiritual predecessors, and overall the novel is not entirely successful.—Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, North Andover, MA

In Noble's (The Reading Group) fifth novel, the girl next door is always more than she seems. In this nearly yearlong chronicle of the lives of the residents of one Manhattan apartment building, she's newly arrived British ex-pat Eve with the workaholic husband; mousy Charlotte, living vicariously through romance novel heroines; sexy and worldly Madison; romance-shy Emily; brittle Kim, throwing herself into motherhood at the expense of her marriage; golden girl Rachael; and Violet, a regal Englishwoman who holds the world at arm's length until the arrival of Eve stirs old wounds and new joys. VERDICT Covering territory familiar to readers of women's fiction, if in slightly condensed form because of multiple, intersecting story lines, the novel features an overly ambitious cast of characters. However, the vivid primary protagonists and dramatic plot twists full of headache and heartache make this a safe bet for fans of Barbara Delinsky and Jane Green.—Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L., NY

In this memorable first novel by Memphis-born Perkins-Valdez (English, Mary Washington Coll.), four friends meet each summer at a resort in Ohio but can share only snatches of time. Lizzie, Reenie, Sweet, and Mawu are black slaves brought to the resort each year by their vacationing Southern masters as personal servants and sexual companions. Their presence discomfits the Northern whites and black servants in the free state of Ohio, but the real angst lies within each woman's struggles: Mawu is determined to escape her sadistic master; Lizzie admires Mawu's independent spirit but concentrates her efforts on wheedling her master into granting freedom to her own children. VERDICT Readers of historical fiction centering on Southern women's stories like Lalita Tademy's Cane River or Lee Smith's On Agate Hill will be moved by the skillful portrayal of Lizzie's precarious situation and the tragic stories of her fellow slaves.—Laurie A. Cavanaugh, Brockton P.L., MA

In the 13th century, one city stood between the Holy Roman Empire and the Holy Land: Constantinople. In a switch from her Victorian mysteries, Perry (Buckingham Palace Gardens) weaves a complex and richly layered tale against this exotic backdrop. Anna, a young physician, comes to the city disguised as a eunuch to learn the truth behind the exile of her twin brother, who was implicated in a murder. No simple task, it takes years for her to work her way up through the many layers of Byzantine society until she is in a position to gain the truth. As her story unfolds, Constantinople struggles against internal and external forces in order to remain true to the Orthodox faith that set it at odds with Rome, all the while preparing for the next crusade. Like Judith Tarr in The Eagle's Daughter, Perry brings to life a lesser-known time and place. Both the mystery and the love story are enjoyable, but it is the city itself that is the true star. VERDICT Fans of historical fiction and Perry's historical mysteries will enjoy this.—Pamela O'Sullivan, SUNY Brockport

Wyman Ford, hero of Tyrannosaur Canyon and Blasphemy, returns in Preston's latest thriller, where the stakes involve not only the salvation of the world but also the solar system. A young woman in Maine sees a meteorite streak through the sky and decides to find the crater. A scientist working on Mars data finds something so startling that he is murdered to keep the information secret. And Ford heads to Cambodia to investigate the source of a new gemstone on the market that has radioactive properties. When he arrives, he realizes that the mine is an exit hole. How can a meteorite travel through the earth? VERDICT Preston has done it again. The thriller elements mix well with the science aspects of the story, and the author makes even the hard-to-grasp concepts easy to understand. Most readers will consume this in one sitting; not to be missed.—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Sixty-eight-year-old Maj. Ernest Pettigrew has settled into a genteel life of quiet retirement in his beloved village of Edgecombe St. Mary. Refined, gentlemanly, unwaveringly proper in his sense of right vs. wrong, and bemused by most things modern, he has little interest in cavalier relationship mores, the Internet, and crass developments and is gently smitten by the widowed Mrs. Ali, the lovely Pakistani owner of the local shop where he buys his tea. After the unsettling death of his brother, Bertie, the Major finds his careful efforts to court Mrs. Ali (who shares his love of literature) constantly nudged off-course by his callow son, Roger; a handful of socialite ladies planning a dinner/dance at the Major's club; and the not-so-subtle racist attitudes his interest in Mrs. Ali engender. VERDICT This irresistibly delightful, thoughtful, and utterly charming and surprising novel reads like the work of a seasoned pro. In fact, it is Simonson's debut. One cannot wait to see what she does next. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/09.]—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

With 14 novels to his credit, Wambaugh (Hollywood Crows) is an acknowledged master of the police procedural. His patented mixture of gritty realism and dark humor emphasizes how stressful police work is, not to mention dangerous. Cops die in his novels, and their eccentricities are a way to deal with this. In his third book about Hollywood Station, police work doesn't get any weirder as actor wannabe-turned-cop "Hollywood Nate," LAPD veteran Dana, and surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam (pretty good officers, despite their eccentricities) investigate two cases that might be linked. There isn't a lot of detecting here: more often than not, police and criminals connect almost by accident. But that, somehow, only makes it more real. VERDICT For nonstop action and enjoyable characters, it's hard to beat Hollywood Moon. Wambaugh's many fans will read this book with unadulterated pleasure. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/09.]—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Luke May is a high school history teacher in Loring, MS, with a deteriorating marriage. When his childhood friend Maggie returns to town, Luke is drawn into an affair with her. At the same time, he attempts to reconstruct the history of an event from Maggie's past that happened to coincide with the battle over the integration of the University of Mississippi in 1962. Though the large cast of characters and constant jumping back and forth in time require close attention, Yarbrough (The End of California) successfully ties together the various threads of the story. VERDICT In a straightforward and nonjudgmental way, Yarbrough looks at the aftermath of the South's racist history and its impact on the generations after the Civil Rights Movement. Here, there are no heroes or villains, only flawed humans who responded differently to changing times. Broad appeal.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

This is a fearless, harrowing collection of short fiction focusing on relationships in various stages of decay, dissolution, and collapse. Bausch is an acclaimed short fiction writer, and the work collected here clearly shows a master at work. Cumulatively, these stories become a kind of meditation on the ability of love to survive time and change. For Bausch, who explores the relationships here with Jamesian depth and sophistication, the news is not encouraging. In most of these stories, love does not endure. Instead, we find lonely people often driven to desperate action or despair. In "Reverend Thornhill's Wife," for example, a deeply unhappy woman with a kind and supportive husband initiates a sexual relationship in her own home with a stranger she has met on the Internet. In "Blood," a young man develops a perilous and unhealthy obsession with his older brother's troubled wife. VERDICT These are courageous stories about the human desire for connection and the often unrealized search for love. A powerful, disturbing, and significant book for fans of heavy-hitting fiction. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/09.]—Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT

New Zealander Frame (1924–2004), the multiple-award-winning novelist, short story writer, and poet, is as famous for her epic personal history as for her career. Her first collection, The Lagoon and Other Stories, published in 1954, was written while Frame stayed in a mental hospital. This new anthology spans her lifetime and includes the best of four published collections—The Lagoon and Other Stories, Snowman Snowman: Fables and Fantasies, The Reservoir: Stories and Sketches, and You Are Now Entering the Human Heart—plus five previously unpublished stories. Often melancholy but containing wonderful detail, imagery, and emotion, her works cover a wide range of topics like childhood, madness, relationships, identity, and more. Many of the stories are two-page shorts, a testament to Frame's skill in concision and economy of language. VERDICT Highly recommended for poets and short story enthusiasts, this collection may be particularly appealing to writers who have struggled professionally, as they may identify with some of the characters.—Sarah Conrad Weisman, Corning Community Coll., NY

Small-town, economically depressed Moraine, OH, serves as background for these connected stories centering on the awkward coming-of-age of Nate Holland and his relationship with his older brother, Donnie. In Gabriel's first volume of fiction, the bare and austere landscape is reflected in the tightly written, almost stripped, prose. In "Boys Industrial School," the brothers track a boy who has escaped through the snow from the local reform school, hoping for a reward if they turn him in to authorities. Instead, Donnie ends up running off and helping the escapee get away. In the title story, a series of episodes follows Nate and another student who try to make sense of a classmate's death by drowning. In the final story, "Reagan's Army in Retreat," Nate tracks Donnie to their childhood home, only to discover he had left for Texas six months earlier. VERDICT Despite a bleak tone, Gabriel nicely crystallizes a sense of place and ably develops the emotional life of the main characters. For readers of literary fiction.—Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., VA

Schulze's short story collection—which won the Leipzig Book Fair Prize in 2007 upon its original publication in Germany—opens with a tone-setting quote by Austrian poet Friederike Mayröcker: "Then one day followed the next without the basic questions of life ever being solved." The deftly painted slices of life featuring settings as varied as New York City and the Estonian countryside explore love and relationships, life in the postsocialist era (like the advance of cell phones), and the act of storytelling. Each story has a first-person narrator, who occasionally seems to be Schulze himself, but some play with meta-narratives. In "Incident in Cairo," the narrator mentions John Woods, Schulze's translator, making him an active participant in the text in more ways than one. VERDICT While this is a work of serious fiction, it is also approachable. Readers will find much in common with the stories' protagonists. Highly recommended.—Karen Walton Morse, Univ. at Buffalo Libs., NY