Fiction Reviews, January 2011
Jan 15, 2011
Appanah, Nathacha. The Last Brother. Graywolf. Feb. 2011. c.176p. ISBN 9781555975753. pap. $15. F
In this lyrical and quietly moving work, an old man recounts an event from childhood that has marked him irrevocably. In December 1940, a ship carrying 1500 Jews was turned away from Palestine and sailed on to Mauritius, an island off Africa’s southeast coast. Nine-year-old Raj’s father is a guard at the Beau-Bassin Prison, where the Jews were housed. The lonely Raj, whose two brothers had died in a terrible storm, ends up at the prison infirmary after his father beats him yet again. There, he forms an astonishing bond with blond-haired David, who seems, in that stale phrase revivified here, like Raj’s better self. The description of their friendship is idyllic, but readers know from the start that something terrible happened to David, and the suspense can be unbearable as the story slowly unfolds. In a crucial scene, Raj intervenes to keep David from helping a fellow Jew being beaten (in essence, keeping David for himself), setting the stage for the tragedy to come. VERDICT Don’t look for splashy writing in this first novel by Appanah, a Mauritian-born journalist of Indian descent who has long lived in France. Instead, she offers a lovely little gem of a meditation on how humans can love and, inexplicably, hate.—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Atkinson, Kate. Started Early, Took My Dog. Reagan Arthur: Little, Brown. Mar. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780316066730. $24.99. F
Jackson Brodie returns in Atkinson’s fourth novel (Case Histories; One Good Turn; When Will There Be Good News?) featuring the former policeman. Jackson (semiretired at 50) is doing some private detective work and trying to come to grips with his personal life, which includes a teenage daughter from his first marriage, a son with a former lover, and a second wife who stole his savings. Jackson adds a small dog to the mix by rescuing it from its abusive owner as he undertakes an “innocent” request from a woman in Australia: Could Jackson help her find her birth parents in England? In this literary mystery on the theme of missing children, nothing is innocent or simple. The intricate narrative, composed with deftness and humor, moves among scenes set alternately in 1975 and the present and contains a cast of well-drawn characters whose relationships unfold like the layers of a peeled onion. VERDICT This book will not disappoint Atkinson and Jackson Brodie fans, but it might be a stretch for some readers to keep up with the multifaceted plot, though it is well worth the effort. [Five-city author tour; see Prepub Alert, 12/13/10.]—Nancy Fontaine, Dartmouth Coll., Hanover, NH
Bakopoulos, Dean. My American Unhappiness. Houghton Harcourt. Jun. 2011. c.288p. ISBN 9780151013449. $24. F
It is 2008 in Madison, WI, and detached, cerebral Zeke Pappas, age 34, is desperate to find a wife. He coolly narrates his disastrous attempts to woo and propose to three women and even manages to contact and possibly alienate Sofia Coppola, his fourth and very distant marriage prospect. Yet dwindling romantic opportunities cannot deter Pappas from his obsessive pursuit of “The Inventory of American Unhappiness,” a project sponsored by the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative, the agency Pappas ultimately leads into federal audit and investigation. While the delusional Pappas’s odyssey through one personal tragedy after another is sometimes funny, his circumstances remain overwhelmingly sad. Yet his optimism, affirmed in the book’s conclusion, suggests that hope always transcends misfortune. VERDICT The narrator of Bakopoulos’s second novel (after Please Don’t Come Back from the Moon) is neither wholly likable nor easily disdained, and his dogged persistence provides a credible, humane antidote to the postconsumerist wasteland in which he lives and works. Bakopoulos writes with great heart and a cold eye, and his limpid, ironic prose will appeal to those who like the early work of Martin Amis, especially The Rachel Papers.—John G. Mathews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Ben Jelloun, Tahar. A Palace in the Old Village. Penguin. Jan. 2011. c.192p. tr. from French by Linda Coverdale. ISBN 9780143118473. pap. $15. F
In this modern parable, Mohammed has worked for 40 years in an automobile assembly plant in northern France to support his wife and five children. Now retired, he has built a huge house in his small Moroccan village and is waiting for his children to come and celebrate a holiday with him. As he waits day and night by the only access road leading into the village, he slowly sinks into the sandy soil and dies. The devout Mohammed did not communicate much with his children when they were growing up—perfectly normal in his culture but clearly dysfunctional by the French standards to which his children were accustomed. The tilting “palace” Mohammed has built sums up the family situation: it’s “as big as his heart” but has never been occupied. VERDICT IMPAC Award winner Ben Jelloun (This Blinding Absence of Light) here uses poignant examples to explore the cultural/language divide, with one character eventually concluding, “Over there our values are nothing”—a lament sung lyrically throughout. Beautifully and concisely written and well translated, this novel is a superb addition to the genre of “exile literature.”—Lisa Rohrbaugh, National Coll. Lib., Youngstown, OH
Binchy, Maeve. Minding Frankie. Knopf. Mar. 2011. c.384p. ISBN 9780307273567. $26.95. F
Fans of Irish author Binchy will welcome the return of some familiar faces (from Quentins; Heart and Soul; Scarlet Feather ) and also enjoy meeting new characters in her latest. Frankie is a little girl born as her mother Stella is dying of cancer. During the last stages of her life, Stella contacts Noel, a one-night stand whom she claims is the father. Noel has a host of his own problems but decides to pull things together for the child. Friends and family help out, but the social worker assigned to the case cannot accept the arrangements. Having never dealt with her own troubled childhood, she works to find proof that Frankie would be better off in foster care. The brief appearances of so many characters from previous works might be annoying, but the stories of Noel, his cousin Emily, and his friend Lisa, along with the social worker who wants to pull them apart and the little girl who pulls them together, make this novel fresh and appealing. VERDICT An enjoyable novel about life, love, and second chances. [300,000-copy first printing; see Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/10.] —Beth Blakesley, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Block, Lawrence. A Drop of the Hard Stuff. Mulholland: Little, Brown. May 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780316127332. $25.99. F
This 17th installment of Block’s long-running series about New York private detective Matthew Scudder (the first since 2005’s All the Flowers Are Dying) has Scudder reflecting on an old case from the 1980s, less than a year after he joined Alcoholics Anonymous. Scudder’s childhood friend (and fellow AA member) Jack Ellery is murdered while trying to make up for past deeds as part of his 12-step program, and Scudder is hired by Ellery’s AA sponsor to investigate. Meanwhile, Scudder struggles to maintain his nascent sobriety. As with all of Block’s Scudder novels, the mystery here is engaging but secondary to the author’s sharp insights into human nature and life in the big city. The deftly handled nostalgic tone this time around adds to the appeal. VERDICT Fans will certainly appreciate this entry, which recaptures the feel of the best Scudder mysteries of the 1980s and fills in part of the series chronology. That said, it will also likely work well as an introduction to the detective for new readers. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/10.]—David Rapp, Library Journal
Boyle, T.C. When the Killing’s Done. Viking. Feb. 2011. c.369p. ISBN 9780670022328. $26.95. F
Boyle is no stranger to environmental fiction. His 2000 novel, A Friend of the Earth, chronicles the exploits of Tyrone O’Shaughnessy Tierwater, an ecological martyr. Here, Boyle delves deep into environmental philosophy by creating two characters passionate about saving animals but in diametrically opposed ways. The tension is centered on the population of rats on the Channel Islands off the coast of California. Alma, a biologist, is attempting to exterminate the rats to prevent further damage to the fragile ecosystem on the island. Dave, an animal rights activist, is equally passionate about all the inhabitants of the island, including the rats. Boyle’s characters are challenging, to say the least, for they are complicated and often inconsistent. While the desire to preserve and protect nature does not defuse many of the conflicts between the two, their ethical similarities invite the reader to question where these two ideologies ultimately clash. Boyle uses the conflicts between his characters to explore the changing philosophy of human and animal relationships. VERDICT Whether we regard this work as environmental fiction or a philosophical treatise on land ethics, Boyle has delivered yet another quandary to ponder. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/10.]—Joshua Finnell, Denison Univ. Lib., Granville, OH
Childress, Mark. Georgia Bottoms. Little, Brown. Feb. 2011. c.288p. ISBN 9780316033046. $24.99. F
Georgia Bottoms is a real piece of work. An Alabama beauty in her thirties who goes to church for appearance’s sake, she is juggling a lot of balls (pun intended): she is caring for her mother, Little Mama, who is slipping further into dementia; trying to keep her charming but worthless brother out of jail; and struggling to maintain their crumbling Southern home by sleeping with six town fathers, each assigned one night a week, who leave her “a little something” after their rendezvous. Oh, yes, then there’s the matter of her son from a forbidden high school romance with an African American classmate, whose appearance is part of the unraveling of Georgia’s carefully constructed house of cards. VERDICT Childress (Crazy in Alabama) is a master of regional detail—his portrayal of shallow, narcissistic Georgia (she’s annoyed that 9/11 derails her annual ladies’ lunch) is an amusing tale of small-town naughtiness that should please most readers. Just be sure to be up on notable U.S. events, or the last page may sail right on by you. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/10.]—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Clayton, Meg Waite. The Four Ms. Bradwells. Ballantine. Apr. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9780345517081. $25. F
Mia, Ginger, Laney, and Betts met in law school in 1979, when they were nicknamed the Ms. Bradwells by a professor citing an antiquated ruling that denied women the right to practice law. Twenty years later, the four friends have supported one another through marriage, motherhood, divorces, and death. Both Mia and Ginger have left the law to pursue writing, Laney is running for public office, and Betts is a law professor. When Betts is nominated to the Supreme Court, the Senate hearing exposes a suspicious death that occurred during a vacation weekend at the home of Ginger’s mother, a renowned feminist lawyer. In multiple perspectives, the four Ms. Bradwells reveal secrets they’ve kept for decades. VERDICT As she did in her best-selling The Wednesday Sisters, Clayton here explores female relationships but far less engagingly. Instead of true characterization, Clayton resorts to literary quotes, legalese, and Latin verbiage to give her characters unique voices. Still, fans of Elizabeth Noble, Ann Hood, Elin Hilderbrand, and other luminaries of female friendship fiction will find much to captivate them. [Author tour; library marketing.]—Jeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., NY
Conlon, Edward. Red on Red. Spiegel & Grau. Apr. 2011. c.442p. ISBN 9780385519175. $26. F
NYPD detective Conlon follows up his first-class memoir, Blue Blood, with this superb first novel. Set in upper Manhattan’s Dominican-dominated Washington Heights, it is a police procedural with a potent mix of strong story line, police jargon, crisp dialog, black humor, bleakness, gangs, drugs, shootings, murders, and suicide, with complicated romances thrown in. The protagonists are the detective duo of Meehan (Irish American) and Esposito (Latino), who grow closer as they interact with and react to each other during an intensive and widening investigation of a suicide, multiple murders, and an undercover operation to trap a serial rapist. Esposito is drawn to action, exertion, and excitement, while Meehan is more introspective, cerebral, and somber (well-known Irish traits!). Former cop and author Joseph Wambaugh (The Onion Field) has praised this book, and it is easy to see why. The only weakness is Esposito’s idealized marital philandering and an unrealistic portrayal of a 13-year-old girl. VERDICT This superb debut novel has all the prerequisites of a best seller. It is authentic, gritty, bleak, fast-paced, and lyrical. [Author tour; library marketing; see Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/10.]—Seamus Scanlon, Ctr. for Worker Education, City Coll. of New York
Crocker, Gareth. Finding Jack. St. Martin’s. Feb. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780312621728. $23.99. F
In 1972, a despondent Fletcher Carlson joins the U.S. Army after the deaths of his wife and daughter. Despite his almost-suicidal depression, he bonds with the men in his platoon and becomes a good soldier in the final days of the Vietnam War. While on patrol, Carlson and his unit are approached by a stray dog. Wounded and ill, Jack is nursed back to health by Carlson and his buddies and trained to help them on missions by detecting mines and snipers. When the cease-fire ends combat, Carlson discovers that the military considers dogs surplus equipment to be left behind. Distraught at the thought of yet another loss, Carlson decides to do what any dedicated dog owner would do: walk with Jack to the safety of Thailand, hundreds of miles to the west. VERDICT Loosely based on the actual canine units that served with the American troops in Vietnam, this first novel should appeal to fans of both dog and military fiction. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/10.]—Dan Forrest, Western Kentucky Univ., Bowling Green
Davys, Tim. Tourquai. Harper: HarperCollins. Feb. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9780061797453. $19.99. F
The sloppy, binge-eating Inspector Bloodhound and his Odd Couple detective duo—Anna Lynx and Falcon Ecu—need to find Oswald Vulture’s head. For Davys’s third installment in the Mollison Town quartet (after Amberville and Lanceheim), the stuffed-animal world is again rocked by crime and deceit. The prominent venture capitalist Vulture has been found decapitated in a room with one exit, yet no animal has come in or out. With the seducing secretary Emanuelle Cobra, art thug Igor Panda, inventor Oleg Earwig, and mysterious Jasmine Squirrel all vying for top suspect, the crack team starts to fray at their (literal) seams. To complicate matters further, art forgeries, a high-scale prostitution ring, and a roving gambling casino are all carelessly tossed into the plot. In this third novel of a planned quartet, the pseudonymous Davys attempts to satirize humanity through the zoological cotton-stuffed figures, but this conceit adds little to the resurrection of overused stereotypes and scenarios from detective fiction. VERDICT While the whimsical idea of stuffed animals as characters may lean toward YA, this novel is at times intense and contains adult references. Recommended for adult fans of oddball detective fiction, but beware of the predictable plot.—Jennifer Funk, Southwestern Illinois Coll. Lib., Belleville
Edgarian, Carol. Three Stages of Amazement. Scribner. Mar. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9781439198308. $25. F
Lena Rusch and Charlie Pepper rely on their deep love to hold back the multiple assaults on their marriage—Charlie commutes from San Francisco to Boston to perform surgery while trying to secure an infusion of venture capital to fund his revolutionary medical robotic device. Lena holds down the fort in California, tending to their delightfully mature, oddball five-year-old, Theo, and sickly Willa, who, at 11 months, is a surviving twin and in need of frequent hospitalizations. To add to the stress, it is early 2009, the new President is trying to put the brakes on the country’s economic freefall, and the only source of big, big VC bucks is Lena’s despised Uncle Cal, who, decades earlier, had an affair with Lena’s mother, detonating the family. VERDICT Edgarian (Rise the Euphrates) spares no emotion in this big, lovely second novel about decent people falling apart under the demands that there be more than 24 hours in a day and more than parental determination to juggle life’s realities against the heart’s desire. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/10.]—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Ellis, David. Breach of Trust. Putnam. Feb. 2011. c.432p. ISBN 9780399157103. $25.95. F
Dirty politics, Chicago style, is front and center in this sequel to Ellis’s acclaimed series debut, The Hidden Man. Jason Kolarich, still grieving the loss of his wife and baby daughter in a car accident, decides to pursue what happened that night; he feels guilty that he wasn’t with his family because he was waiting for a call from Ramirez, an informant. Ramirez was also killed that night, and Kolarich decides that solving that case may bring him some peace. He starts digging and, through a former client, finds his way into a lucrative contract as a state attorney to get closer to the files he needs. The next thing he knows, he’s in the middle of an FBI investigation of the governor. Forced into a position he never sought, Kolarich turns informant as he works his way into the governor’s innermost circle while searching for Ramirez’s killer. VERDICT The reality of ex-Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich’s trial (Ellis was the impeachment prosecutor) lends credibility to this intense, suspenseful tale set in a political cesspool. Ellis has turned out a sharp political thriller that should appeal to fans of David Baldacci and Vince Flynn. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/10.]—Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL
Fairstein, Linda. Silent Mercy. Dutton. Mar. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780525952022. $26.95. F
Fairstein’s newest thriller (after Hell Gate) commences at the scene of a grisly fire at a historic Harlem Baptist church. Assistant D.A. Alexandra Cooper and NYPD colleagues Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace investigate the badly burned and beheaded body of a woman on the porch of the church behind a locked gate. After a second corpse is found mutilated at a landmark Catholic cathedral and a recent unsolved murder in a Kentucky Pentecostal church is discovered, possible connections among the victims arise. Before another dies, can Cooper and her colleagues apprehend this killer who is literally and figuratively silencing women? Fairstein’s 30 years as a New York City prosecutor and a gift for suspense have enabled her to craft a riveting novel that thrusts readers into the darker side of religion and bigotry against the backdrop of some of New York’s oldest churches. VERDICT The 13th entry in Fairstein’s series is a tightly wound mystery that delivers an adrenaline rush with its fast-paced, nail-biting manhunt across several states. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/10.]—Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights
Fitzgerald, Laura. Dreaming in English. NAL: Penguin Group (USA). Feb. 2011. c.432p. ISBN 9780451232144. pap. $15. F
Fitzgerald’s sequel to Veil of Roses begins a day after Tami Soroush’s impromptu Vegas wedding to charming American Ike. Reality comes to dampen her happily-ever-after ending via Ike’s mother, who is determined to see the marriage annulled and have Tami deported to Tehran; the reappearance of an old lover of Ike’s; and Tami’s struggles with not having her parents and her pregnant sister near her. She must also deal with her anxiety as her immigration interview approaches. Tami has to learn that if she truly wants to satisfy her own claim to freedom, she needs to stand up and fight for what she wants and find her voice in this new world. VERDICT This appealing novel takes a passionate look at freedom and identity and will inspire and move readers of immigration and coming-of-age stories.—Anne M. Miskewitch, Chicago P.L.
Gardner, Lisa. Love You More. Bantam. Mar. 2011. c.368p. ISBN 9780553807257. $26. F
Tough-gal detective D.D. Warren (Live To Tell) is grappling with her own personal issues when she is assigned to a case that makes her life seem easy. State trooper Tessa Leoni overcame a difficult childhood and alcoholism to become a loving single mom to her daughter, Sophie, and a respected police officer. After three years of marriage to merchant mariner Brian, everything seems to be going great, despite his erratic work schedule. So why is D.D. called to a crime scene where Brian’s been murdered, Tessa’s nearly beaten to death, and Sophie’s missing? Things get even more interesting when Tessa confesses to the murder but has no idea where her daughter is. D.D. knows that Tessa’s spinning a web of lies, but getting to the truth will take quite a bit of work. VERDICT Gardner’s characters are fully drawn (this reviewer was not even aware that Warren is a series character), and her taut storytelling and dizzying plot will appeal to fans of Harlan Coben. [Author tour; library marketing.]—Rebecca Vnuk, Forest Park, IL
Hagedorn, Jessica. Toxicology. Viking. Apr. 2011. c.225p. ISBN 9780670022571. $25.95. F
All the characters in Hagedorn’s (Dream Jungle) addiction-laden novel are involved in contentious relationships and struggle to survive their own self-destructive natures. Mimi, the filmmaker of the cult horror movie Blood Wedding, has done nothing since except drugs and booze while she desperately tries to finance her next movie. Her elderly lesbian neighbor, Eleanor Delacroix, is a famous writer who nurses her loneliness with gin and cocaine after her lover dies. Asked to read at a local bookshop, she struggles to write something new but instead retreats into drug-induced memories of Mexico and old lovers. Violet, Mimi’s rebellious 14-year-old daughter, decides she wants to live with her mother and shows every sign of becoming just like her. VERDICT This is an eclectic mix of differing voices, dream sequences, interviews, and snippets of memoir, as well as straight narrative all overlaid with Hagedorn’s darkly humorous perspective. Her characters are complex and sympathetic, and each has a distinctive voice full of pain, longing, and love. Recommended for readers of edgy, urban fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 10/25/10.]—Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Univ. Law Lib., Malibu, CA
Hale, Benjamin. The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore. Twelve: Hachette. Feb. 2011. c.578p. ISBN 9780446571579. $25.99. F
Our evolutionary understanding of language is deeply rooted in the study of genetics; the few genes present in humans but lacking in chimpanzees are thought to be responsible for language. However, Hale’s debut novel (winner of the Michener-Copernicus Award) forces us to reconsider our linguistic abilities in terms of love. Written as the memoir of the world’s first speaking chimpanzee, Bruno, the story follows the extraordinary chimp from language acquisition to his eventual imprisonment. Highly intelligent and articulate, Bruno has an ever-expanding vocabulary dwarfed only by his love for the university primatologist. This is a love story. In his exploration of communication, Hale deconstructs human language within a larger continuum of communicative processes universally shared among all living beings. As a corollary, readers should be prepared to suspend willingly the artificial boundaries and taboos that exist between the species. VERDICT An ambitious, enjoyable, and lengthy debut novel; much will be written about its more controversial aspects, but Hale’s prowess as a storyteller should not be ignored. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/10.] —Joshua Finnell, Denison Univ. Lib., Granville, OH
Herron, Rachael. How To Knit a Heart Back Home: A Cypress Hollow Yarn. Avon A: Avon. Mar. 2011. c.368p. ISBN 9780061841316. pap. $13.99. F
In her engaging sequel to How To Knit a Love Song, Herron revisits the community of Cypress Hollow and its familiar faces as well as new characters who are as entertaining as they are complicated. When Owen Bancroft, a man with an unhappy childhood, a tarnished police career, and a mother suffering from Alzheimer’s, returns to town, he isn’t expecting to be captivated by bookstore owner and compulsive knitter Lucy Harrison. Quite unexpectedly, the two find themselves working frantically to rescue a car accident victim. It isn’t a surprise that the pair quickly discover they are physically attracted to each other, and they rather timidly begin a sweet romantic relationship with more than its share of difficulties. Knitting love and lore play a major part here; each chapter opens with a knitting quote, and the author’s love of the craft shines through with an intensity that only adds to the plot. Even nonknitters might be intrigued enough to pick up a pair of needles as they turn pages. VERDICT Herron’s second novel will earn her a well-deserved place in the ever-expanding knit-chick lit genre. Patrons who in the past have clamored for the novels of Debbie Macomber, Kate Jacobs, or Gil McNeil will definitely find this a good read.—Margaret Hanes, Civic Ctr. Lib., Warren, MI
Holman, Sheri. Witches on the Road Tonight. Atlantic Monthly. Mar. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9780802119438. $24. F
This new novel by Holman (Mammoth Cheese) centers on Eddie Alley, raised by his mother in the mountains of rural Virginia during the Depression while his father works away from home. Cora isn’t like other mothers—there are rumors that she’s a witch. Their isolated life is disrupted when a writer and a photographer working for the WPA arrive in town. They open Eddie’s eyes to the wider world, and eventually he leaves Virginia for New York and begins a career in television. Becoming Captain Casket, horror-movie host, he marries and has a daughter, Wallis. When Wallis is 12, the family takes in a troubled teenage boy who unsettles the normalcy of the Alleys and deeply affects Eddie and Wallis. Wallis becomes curious about her mysterious grandmother, and she and Eddie must step back into his strange childhood before they cope with their present. VERDICT Fans of Appalachian fiction and/or novels with supernatural themes should enjoy this eerie, often tense read. [See Prepub Exploded, BookSmack! 9/16/10.]—Shaunna Hunter, Hampden-Sydney Coll., VA
Isaka, Kotaro. Remote Control. Kodansha, dist. by Oxford Univ. Mar. 2011. 343p. tr. from Japanese by Stephen Snyder. ISBN 9784770031082. $24.95. F
Winner of the Sugoro Yamamoto Prize and the Japan Bookseller’s Prize, this dynamic and complex political thriller is set in a near-future Japan, where high-tech security pods monitor every move. When the new prime minister is assassinated in a complicated conspiracy involving a remote-control helicopter, the perfect patsy is Masaharu Aoyagi, a flawed hero who gained notoriety after saving an actress from a robbery. His brief moment of fame was enough to expose his life to those who want to manipulate him. In a 48-hour thrill ride, Aoyagi is accused of murdering the prime minster, has to dodge security pods and stave off trigger-happy authorities, and find the real assassin. Around every corner are the conspirators who set him up. VERDICT With a plot that parallels the JFK assassination and the feverish hunt for Lee Harvey Oswald, this is sure to appeal to fans of conspiracy mysteries.—Ron Samul, New London, CT
Jackson, Lisa. Devious: A Bentz and Montoya Novel. Kensington. Mar. 2011. 441p. ISBN 9780758225658. $25. F
A nun is found murdered, and New Orleans detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya (Malice) are on the case, one that reminds them of a decade-ago crime spree. The same day that Val Houston learns her sister has been murdered, her estranged husband, Slade, shows up. Against the wishes of the detectives, Val and Slade throw themselves into solving the crime while reigniting their marriage. But there’s evil out there that wants to separate them in a permanent way. VERDICT One of the many things that keep this fan coming back are Jackson’s subtle hints of what’s to come. Her seventh title starring Bentz and Montoya is more thriller than romantic suspense and will satisfy series fans as well as readers who enjoy JT Ellison, Lisa Gardner, and Linda Fairstein.—Debbie Haupt, St. Charles City-Cty. Lib. Dist., MO
Johansen, Iris. Eve. St. Martin’s. (Eve Duncan Trilogy). Apr. 2011. c.384p. ISBN 9780312651206. $27.99. F
Shedding light on forensic sculptor Eve Duncan’s (Quicksand; Stalemate) past, Johansen’s latest thriller brings to the forefront the father of Eve’s missing daughter. When Eve tries to find out if John Gallo had anything to do with Bonnie’s disappearance, she ends up as bait in a perilous game between Gallo and dangerous ex-military men. Helped by her boyfriend, Joe Quinn, and CIA agent friend Catherine Ling, Eve escapes with her life, but the answers she seeks are elusive. Whereas earlier works danced around the details of Eve’s personal history, much is revealed in this satisfying first entry in a forthcoming trilogy. If Quinn (Jul. 2011) and Bonnie (Oct. 2011) provide as much background and pieces of the puzzle as this one does, fans are sure to be pleased. The suspense and action will entertain all, even those new to the series. VERDICT Essential for series followers and enjoyable enough to attract new fans. [400,000-copy first printing; see Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/10.]—Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA
Johnson, Mat. Pym. Spiegel & Grau. Mar. 2011. c.322p. ISBN 9780812981582. $24. F
Johnson, the author of fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels, playfully explores race in America in his latest genre-jumping work. In the early chapters, filled with hilarious asides and footnotes, professor Chris Jaynes, a mixed-race African studies professor, is denied tenure at a prominent college after chafing at his role as token. Following a bender with an old childhood friend, now an unemployed bus driver, Jaynes uses money from the college’s out-of-court settlement to begin researching Edgar Allan Poe’s only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym , in the belief that it holds a key to understanding race relations in America. However, the novel soon goes south, literally, when Jaynes gathers a crew of associates and travels to Antarctica, setting of the Poe novel’s fantastic adventures. A global apocalypse ensues, and this leaves the group cut off from the known world while they fight a race of white, Sasquatch-like beings. Told in utilitarian prose, the spiraling events take on a comic-book quality. VERDICT An amusing read, but comic-book fans may lament the absence of graphics, while fans of satirical fiction will wish Johnson had hewn to the witty racial commentary of the early chapters. —Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA
Joyce, Graham. The Silent Land. Doubleday. Mar. 2011. c.240p. ISBN 9780385533805. $23.95. F
Tragedy threatens Zoe and Jake on a ski holiday in the Pyrenees when they are buried in an avalanche. Against all odds, they free themselves from the snow and make it back down the mountain to the safety of their hotel. Once there, they are left with many questions. There are no people in the hotel or town, and something seems to be preventing them from leaving on their own. Alternating between waiting for help and trying to find a way out, Zoe and Jack have the run of their abandoned town. But time seems to be moving more slowly than it should; food does not spoil, and candles do not melt. This latest tale of supernatural suspense by O. Henry Award and British Fantasy Award winner Joyce (How To Make Friends with Demons; The Tooth Fairy) will keep the reader intrigued. Its slow pace and beautiful prose build to a clever apex. VERDICT Fans of the supernatural will enjoy this original love story.—Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA
Khemiri, Jonas Hassen. Montecore: The Silence of the Tiger. Knopf. Feb. 2011. c.320p. tr. from Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles. ISBN 9780307270955. pap. $25.95. F
Award-winning Swedish author Khemiri’s novel contains such complex layers that at first it is confusing and off-putting. But patient readers will be rewarded. The main character, who shares the author’s name, is the increasingly rebellious son of a Tunisian immigrant in Sweden, known here as Abbas. Abbas, a well-known photographer, has disappeared, and his best friend, Kadir, has initiated a correspondence with Abbas’s son. Kadir, whose language is stilted and pretentious, wants to write a book in praise of Abbas and enlists Jonas, who is a writer. But their views of Abbas are quite different, and Kadir constantly berates Jonas for his warts-and-all portrayal of his father. Some of the book is amusing, such as the way that Abbas’s struggles to succeed as a photographer finally pay off when he decides to specialize in portraits of dogs. Some is inflammatory, especially the depiction of racism regarding immigrants and those of mixed race. The ending is a stunner. VERDICT Recommended for readers who enjoy novels about the struggles of immigrants such as those by Zadie Smith and Monica Ali.—Evelyn Beck, Piedmont Technical Coll., Greenwood, SC
Lansdale, Joe R. Devil Red: A Hap and Leonard Novel. Knopf. Mar. 2011. c.288p. ISBN 9780307270986. $24.95. F
It’s easy to imagine a young Joey Lansdale, aged about 12, huddled under the covers, reading the Hardy Boys by flashlight. Right then, he knows that someday he will write like that, and so he has. This eighth Hap and Leonard mystery (following Vanilla Ride) opens with the duo investigating a series of murders in their patch of east Texas. Each murder site is signed with a drawing of a red devil’s head (a nice Hardy Boys touch), and suspects are as thick on the ground as pine needles before the adrenaline-stoked shoot-out of a conclusion. Nobody’s better at smacking us with the look, feel, and smell of derring-do. Along the way, there is the usual camaraderie, banter, and sex (this is the Hardy Boys for the 21st century, after all). VERDICT Lansdale has deservedly swept up nearly every award for genre writers there is, and fans will welcome this latest addition to the canon. For those unfamiliar with the series, and mercifully free of delicate sensibilities, with a hankering for smart, and smart-mouthed, adventure yarns, there’s a lot here to relish.—Bob Lunn, Kansas City, MO
Lee, Cavanaugh. Save as Draft. S. & S. Feb. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9781439190692. $23.99. F
Izabell Chin is a former struggling actress and newly minted lawyer just hired at a large Atlanta firm. As she begins life in her new city, she also makes her foray into online dating. Seemingly well matched with Marty, Izabell realizes she is interested romantically in her best friend and fellow lawyer, Peter. Presented entirely in emails, text messages, and tweets, this first novel shows the romantic dialog among Izabell, Marty, and Peter, both in what is written and sent and what is held back. Lee, also a former struggling actress–turned–lawyer, has penned a semiautobiographical novel that suffers from its very format—it feels like a gimmick that renders the story abrupt, intense, and shallow. Those who have ever viewed their own full inbox as a harrowing prospect will understand why the voyeuristic thrill wears off quickly here. VERDICT While the idea that the words we don’t say—those we save to our draft folder—are the more important ones is interesting and sometimes heartbreaking, this remains a marginal story of a confused woman trying to figure out what she wants out of love.—Jennifer Beach, Rice, VA
McEwen, Helena. Invisible River. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Feb. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9781608192663. pap. $15. F
Marking her U.S. debut, McEwan’s third novel (after The Big House and Ghost Girl) narrates the richly colored journey of Evie, a budding painter who leaves her alcoholic father for the first time since her mother’s death to go to an art school in London. Initially worried over how both will take the transition, Evie is quickly swept up in vibrant new friends, harsh art critiques, expeditions around the city, and an uncertain crush on a mysterious sculptor. After her father appears at her door, still drunk and unable to fend for himself, Evie finds herself caught between past and future. Evie’s love for her father is strong, and her decision to stop taking care of him has heartbreaking consequences, both for Evie and for her paintings. VERDICT A quick read with an eclectic ensemble of characters told in a quiet voice full of artistry and color, this will appeal to fans of literary coming-of-age novels.—Mara Dabrishus, Ursuline Coll., Pepper Pike, OH
McKean, Erin. The Secret Lives of Dresses. 5 Spot: Grand Central. Feb. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780446555722. pap. $13.99. F
Now in her last year of college, Dora is wandering aimlessly through life, majoring in liberal arts—a subject that allows her to delay contemplating her future—and taking whatever opportunities come along. When her grandmother Mimi suffers a stroke, Dora rushes home to Forsyth, NC, where she runs the vintage dress shop in Mimi’s absence and slowly transforms into the woman she never thought she was, one who feels at home in vintage dresses. In distracting herself from the pain brought on by her grandmother’s illness, Dora soon finds herself doing exactly what she has always avoided: making decisions about her future. Lexicographer McKean interweaves an involving tale about vintage dresses that have “secret lives” with her underlying theme of finding oneself during times of turmoil and loss. VERDICT In this quiet debut novel, fans of McKean’s blog (www.dressaday.com) will be especially captivated by her ability to effectively spice up a consistently steady plot with a heaping of the “secret lives” they have enjoyed for years. It will also appeal to readers who enjoy coming-of-age tales.—Natasha Grant, New York
Meeropol, Ellen. House Arrest. Red Hen. Feb. 2011. c.212p. ISBN 9781597094993. $20.95. F
When visiting nurse Emily Klein learns her next assignment will be monitoring the pregnancy of a cult member whose first child froze to death during a sacred ritual, her immediate instinct is to ask whether someone else can do it. Then she meets 21-year-old Pippa Glenning, whose spiky yellow hair frames a round face that is both strong and vulnerable. Meeting at the Family of Isis’s tidy house in a rundown neighborhood, Emily becomes intrigued with Pippa and her story—a runaway saved from street life by a loving group led by a charismatic male leader, Tian. Tian is now in jail awaiting trial, while Pippa endures house arrest. Soon Pippa asks Emily to make a decision that will risk her nursing career. Emily is forced to come to terms with her past, particularly in regard to her parents, who made a similarly difficult decision years ago. VERDICT Although this first novel has awkward moments and telegraphs its ending, fans of Jodi Picoult’s ethics-heavy suspense may find it a suitable readalike.—Christine Perkins, Bellingham P.L., WA
Meldrum, Christina. Amaryllis in Blueberry. Gallery: S. & S. Mar. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9781439156896.pap. $15. F
This introspective novel by YA author Meldrum (Madapple) tells the story of Dr. Dick Slepy, his wife, and four daughters who move from Michigan to West Africa in 1976 to continue his family’s medical missionary heritage. It is the reasoning behind this trip that pulls the reader into questioning the motivation and conviction of each of the characters. Meldrum’s plot, chapter by chapter, delves into the self-centered beliefs of the Slepys as they find themselves in a remote, dusty community full of ritual and tradition. Amaryllis, the youngest daughter, has the best insight thanks to her synesthesia. Meldrum keeps the reader wanting to know more about the family through carefully intertwined story lines. VERDICT Readers will compare this work to Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible—and that is OK. It involves a different family in a different set of circumstances but with the same satisfying result.—Joyce Sparrow, Kenneth City, FL
Michaud, Jon. When Tito Loved Clara. Algonquin. Mar. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9781565129498. $23.95. F
For 15 years, Tito Moreno has carried a torch for Clara Lugo, his lost love. Shortly after high school graduation, Clara escaped an abusive home in their New York City Dominican neighborhood and completed her education. Now she lives in the suburbs, married with a child, working as a librarian, while Tito, still living with his parents, is in the same dead-end job he had in high school. Alternating chapters follow both protagonists through the crises that will briefly reunite them. At the same time, in each chapter there is a flashback to their childhoods and the events that separated them. This bittersweet first novel by the head librarian at the New Yorker creates a vivid if somewhat depressing portrait of the Dominican émigré community in this tale with no genuine happy endings. Nonetheless, the author has drawn an indelible portrait of a woman doggedly overcoming every obstacle in her path. VERDICT With the popularity of Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, this novel will attract those interested in reading about the hardships of life for emigrants from the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands. [See Prepub Alert, 11/8/10.] —Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS
Miller, A.D. Snowdrops. Doubleday. Feb. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9780385533447. $24.95. F
A sense of foreboding pervades this quietly intense novel, set in a freewheeling Russia of the early 21st century. British narrator Nick Platt describes two intersecting experiences of corruption and duplicity. One is his naive involvement in a scheme to bankrupt an innocent babushka. Distracted by his love affair with one of the con artists, Nick does not allow himself to realize that he is being used for his lawyerly skills. The other con occurs when the bank he represents is lured into releasing $500 million for a seemingly legitimate oil project. It is obvious that bad things are going to happen on both fronts, and the story becomes strangely gripping as the final details are revealed. VERDICT Martin Cruz Smith’s Three Stations meets J. Robert Lennon’s enigmatic but similarly paced Castle in this new work. A lesson in the art of self-delusion and the dog-eat-dog society of post-Soviet Russia, it’s sure to be an instant success. Essential for committed readers of fiction and a discussion feast for book clubs.—Henry Bankhead, Los Gatos P.L., CA
Mukherjee, Bharati. Miss New India. Houghton Harcourt. May 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9780618646531. $25. F
The acclaimed author of The Tree Bride explores the clash between traditional and contemporary India in this story of a young woman from the provinces trying to make her way in the booming city of Bangalore. Anjali Bose, the daughter of a railway clerk, is facing a disastrous arranged marriage. In a long and harrowing bus journey south, she flees her provincial town in northern India, hoping to find work in a call center in Bangalore. Here, Anjali’s story takes as many surprising twists and turns as a Dickens novel; she even finds lodging in a decaying old mansion owned by Bangalore’s version of Miss Havisham. VERDICT With its fast-paced story and sympathetic portrayal of a young woman trying to make it on her own against all odds, this novel is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary Indian and Indian American fiction. For those new to the genre, Anjali’s story is a good place to start. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/10.]—Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA
Newmark, Elle. The Sandalwood Tree. Atria: S. & S. Apr. 2011. c.357p. ISBN 9781416590590. $25.99. F
Set in India, Newmark’s second novel (after The Book of Unholy Mischief) is the story of a troubled marriage after World War II and a scandalous love affair during the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857. Martin and Evie Mitchell come to India with their young son Billy after Martin returns from the war damaged psychologically. Martin is on a Fulbright scholarship to study the politics of modern India, and the house assigned to the Mitchells by the university contains hidden letters describing the lives of two women (Felicity and Adela) who lived there 90 years earlier. Evie, weary of trying to reach the man her husband had once been, becomes obsessed with the story of these women. Newmark describes India so vividly readers can almost see and smell its sights and fragrances, and the epistolary tale of Felicity and Adela will intrigue readers as much it does Evie. VERDICT This novel is more historical women’s fiction than romance and will appeal to readers who enjoy Anita Desai, Keith Heller, and perhaps even Anita Shreve.—Susan Hayes, Chattahoochee Valley Libs., Columbus, GA
Newton, Heather. Under the Mercy Trees. Harper: HarperCollins. Jan. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780062001344. pap. $13.99. F
Martin Ownby is a debt-ridden, gay alcoholic writer living in Manhattan who has always avoided going home to Willoby County, NC. But when his older brother, Leon, disappears from the old homestead, Martin accepts a community college teaching job and steps back into the family fray. His sister, Ivy, is a diagnosed schizophrenic who sees and converses with family ghosts. Bertie, his sister-in-law, holds onto an old secret about Leon and tiptoes around the obvious clues that her youngest son, Bobby, may have done Leon harm. For Martin, there is much unfinished business to settle with Liza, his best friend in high school who has never really gotten over her unrequited love for him. VERDICT Told from these four characters’ points of view, this first novel builds nicely toward many revelations and resolutions. Newton is skilled at revealing a world of hurt, and fans of family dramas will appreciate it.—Keddy Ann Outlaw, formerly with Harris Cty. P.L., TX
Obreht, Téa. The Tiger’s Wife. Random. Mar. 2011. c.338p. ISBN 9780385343831. $25. F
In the torn-up Balkans, as medic Natalia is preparing to cross what was once not a border to help vaccinate orphans, she learns that her distinguished physician grandfather has died in an obscure clinic not far from where she’s going. No one knows what he was doing there, though Natalia does know he was seriously ill. This incident opens up Obreht’s dizzyingly nuanced yet crisp, muscularly written narrative by allowing Natalia to introduce two stories (fables? truth?) that her grandfather related to her. One concerns the “deathless man” her grandfather sometimes encountered, who collected the souls of the dead. The other concerns a tiger that escaped from the zoo during World War II and made its way to the village where her grandfather lived as a boy. Attempts to kill the tiger fail, but the butcher’s abused, deaf-mute wife seems mystically connected to the great beast, rousing the villagers’ fear and anger. That tiger—and others seen later at the zoo—looms here as a symbol of defiant, struggling hope as the deathless man continues his task. VERDICT Demanding one’s full attention, this complex, humbling, and beautifully crafted debut from one of The New Yorker’s 20 Under 40 is highly recommended for anyone seriously interested in contemporary fiction. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/10.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
O’Connor, Joseph. Ghost Light. Farrar. Feb. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9780374161873. $24. F
In theaters during a play, the sole light left burning is called the ghost light. For washed-up actress Molly Allgood, the sole light left burning is the memory of her former lover, the actual touted Irish playwright John Synge; the bulbs of reality and truth have been extinguished. Synge has been dead of cancer for nearly 50 years, so we instead witness a day in the life of Molly as she narrates her journey from a shabby London apartment to the BBC, where (according to her) she’s scheduled to perform. But to O’Connor’s (Star of the Sea) credit, Molly is unreliability at its best. In fact, her narration is so full of the mirage of success perpetuated by her glowing self-regard that we almost miss the hints of alcoholism and destitution. We are too enamored of her charm and acerbic wit and understand too readily her chronic suffering as reexperienced by her memories of Synge and his angry, prejudiced mother, who kept the lovers apart. Eventually, though, we must abandon feeling and question the logic of Molly’s reality. And this—the subtext—is just one of the many pleasures of Ghost Light. VERDICT Forbidden love, humor, and O’Connor’s attention to the sentence highly recommend this. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/10.]—Stephen Morrow, Ohio State Univ., Columbus
O’Donovan, Gerard. The Priest. Scribner. Mar. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9781451610604. $25. F
This promising series debut introducing Irish detective Mike Mulcahy and journalist Siobhan Fallon by journalist and CWA Debut Dagger short-listed author O’Donovan is as much about sin and hope of redemption as it is about crime. Set in a post-Celtic Tiger, mid-pedophile-priest-scandal Dublin, the novel is breathlessly overbilled by the publisher as a battle with “a religion-obsessed serial killer” (not technically accurate, as there is only one death in the book, and that one is an accident). Hyperbole notwithstanding, characterization is spotty: the two protagonists and several of the female victims are well described, and other actors are merely paper dolls. Nonetheless, this is a gripping and atmospheric tale of obsession, violence, and inspired detective work, as Fallon and Mulcahy, working both together and at odds with the bureaucracy, flawed colleagues, and each other, seek to stop the serial rapist known as The Priest. VERDICT While leaving room for improvement, this first novel is a strong start to a promising fictional collaboration/relationship between Mulcahy and Fallon. For fans of European crime fiction and psychological thrillers. —David Clendinning, West Virginia State Univ. Inst. Lib., Charleston
Picoult, Jodi. Sing You Home. Atria: S. & S. Mar. 2011. c.466p. ISBN 9781439102725. $28. F
After years of infertility, it looks as if Zoe and Max Baxter are finally going to have the baby they’ve longed for. But when their hopes are dashed by a miscarriage and their marriage collapses, Max escapes, first into alcoholism then into religion, while Zoe concentrates on her career as a music therapist. While working with a troubled teen at a local high school, Zoe begins a friendship with Vanessa, the school guidance counselor, which unexpectedly blossoms into love. Zoe again begins thinking of starting a family, specifically with the three embryos she and Max have in cold storage at the fertility clinic. VERDICT Never one to shy away from controversial issues, this time Picoult (House Rules) tackles gay rights, reproductive science, and the Christian right. She forces us to consider both sides of these hot topics with her trademark impeccable research, family dynamics, and courtroom drama. Sure to be a hit with her myriad fans and keep the book clubs buzzing; includes a CD of original songs by Picoult and musician Ellen Wilber, which correspond to the chapters in the book.—Jeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., NY
Preston, Douglas & Lincoln Child. Gideon’s Sword. Grand Central. Feb. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780446564328. $26.99. F
Preston and Child have written 14 thrillers featuring somewhat restrained investigators (FBI Agent Pendergast and Lieutenant D’Agosta). Here, the duo kick off an action-packed new series introducing Gideon Crew, a brilliant young physicist and con artist on a mission to avenge his father’s murder. Upon earning his doctorate, Crew works at the Los Alamos Labs as a high-explosives engineer. Simultaneously, he designs and executes a cunning plot to vindicate his slain father. Eli Glinn, the director of an engineering firm, recognizes Crew’s skills and hires him as an independent contractor to analyze and prevent dangerous problems. For his first assignment, Crew must find a Chinese scientist soon to arrive in the United States with plans for a powerful and dangerous weapon. Crew must legally steal the plans for Glinn. The entertaining and engaging plot showcases Crew’s sarcastic wit, impulsiveness, and unpredictable luck. VERDICT This exciting action/adventure with a hero reminiscent of Indiana Jones will be a treat for adventure/thriller fans. Paramount Pictures and Michael Bay will produce the movie version. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/10.]—Jerry P. Miller, Cambridge, MA
Prose, Francine. My New American Life. Harper: HarperCollins. May 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780061713767. $25.99. F
Desperate to stay in America—she’s in New York on a tourist visa that’s close to giving out—26-year-old Albanian Lula accepts a job in suburban New Jersey as caretaker to woebegone teenager Zach, whose crazy mother upped and left on Christmas Eve. He and his father have since lived in mutually befuddled silence, though Mister Stanley, as Lula calls Zach’s dad, is doing his best. The kindly Mister Stanley even arranges for a lawyer friend to assure Lula’s legal status. Then, the day after she’s got her papers, a black SUV pulls up in front of the house, and the three young men who pile out lay claim to Lula’s attention because they’re Albanian, too. Lula goes along with their request to hide a gun, then goes along for a ride and falls for the ringleader, Alvo. Soon she’s doing what’s she’s done all along to survive, fabricating at will to explain her relationship to Alvo while trying to steer Zach away from the abyss. Her hopefulness and initiative contrast sharply with the lassitude and utter cluelessness of her host family. VERDICT Does Lula get the new American life she wants so badly? In this sparkling new work by Prose (Blue Angel), she’s on her way. An illuminating and ultimately upbeat look at America’s immigrant situation that all fiction readers will enjoy. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/10.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Rankin, Ian. The Complaints. Reagan Arthur: Little, Brown. Mar. 2011. c.448p. ISBN 9780316039741. $24.99. F
The many fans of Rankin’s John Rebus series that ended with Exit Music will welcome this stand-alone work that again brings to life the mean streets of Edinburgh. DI Malcom Fox, “a bear of a man,” works in Complaints and Conduct, which means he investigates other cops. His boss assigns him to sniff around DS Jamie Breck for possible child porn trafficking. Meanwhile, Fox’s sister is in an abusive relationship with a man who turns up brutally murdered, and Fox himself is a prime suspect. As he and Breck become acquainted, both realize they are being framed in a complicated plot that involves mobsters, wealthy developers in trouble, and possible police treachery. Like Rebus, Fox is a complex character with a strong moral sense. This sense sometimes is flawed; his trust is betrayed, and sorting out the villains is a bittersweet victory. VERDICT Rankin, an Edgar and Diamond Dagger winner, is back in top form here. Few authors equal his character-driven crime fiction that pulls the reader into such vividly drawn place and plot. Highly recommended. [Ten-city author tour.]—Roland Person, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
Robb, J.D. Treachery in Death. Putnam. Feb. 2011. c.384p. ISBN 9780399157035. $26.95. F
In this latest series entry (after Indulgence in Death), Lt. Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, investigate a case of crooked cops. Peabody has just wrapped up her first case as lead detective—an elderly store owner murdered by a trio of junkies—when she decides to end the day in the precinct’s gym. Alone in the locker room’s shower stall and without access to her weapon, she overhears two cops in a heated argument. It’s very clear that they are both involved in a long-running scheme of corruption and murder. Even more shocking is the identity of one of the cops; Lt. Renee Oberman is the only daughter of a highly respected former police commander. Now Dallas and Peabody, along with Dallas’s husband, Roarke, and internal affairs man Webster, must find a way to bring a ring of dirty cops to justice. VERDICT It’s always fun when Dallas manipulates her enemies and watches them slowly unravel. Fast-paced and humorous, with just the right amount of romance, this is sure to please fans of this highly addictive series. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/10.]—Makiia Lucier, Moscow, ID
Rosenfelt, David. On Borrowed Time. Minotaur: St. Martin’s.Feb. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780312598365. $24.99. F
Is freelance journalist Richard Kilmer losing his mind? How else can he explain the disappearance of his fiancée, Jennifer, after a roll-over accident with Richard at the wheel? His friends in New York seem to think she never existed, claiming that events he clearly remembers never took place. When he publishes an article about his experience, illustrated with an artist’s re-creation of Jennifer’s appearance, a woman named Allison telephones to say Jennifer looks like her twin sister, Julie, now gone missing. With Allison’s help and that of trusted friends, Richard sets out to track down his past as an investigative journalist and the powerful individuals now manipulating not only every aspect of his life but also the state of his mind itself. VERDICT This bald plot summary fails to do justice to Rosenfelt’s skill at throwing one baffling curve ball after another in a gripping thriller driven by questions of identity, the reliability of memory, and the difficulty of distinguishing between reality and fantasy. The author of seven Andy Carpenter novels (Dog Tags) offers yet another outstanding stand-alone novel (after Down to the Wire), sure to please his many fans. Anyone who enjoyed Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island will love this mind-boggling tale.—Ron Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tuscon
Russinovich, Mark. Zero Day. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin’s. Mar. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780312612467. $24.99. F
Russinovich is a Technical Fellow in the Windows Division at Microsoft, which makes this book, although fiction, a little scary. Jeff Aiken, an expert in computer security, is hired to investigate a system-wide failure at a law firm and uncovers one of the worst virus attacks he’s ever seen. At the same time, Daryl Haugen is probing a virus that hit the computers at a New York hospital, causing a number of deaths. Former colleagues, the two begin talking and realize that there are similarities in their cases and that seemingly random system failures experienced around the world might be related and could lead to the worst “zero-day” cyberattack the world has ever faced. VERDICT Despite the somewhat stilted writing and the sometimes predictable plot, Russinovich’s debut thriller is worth a read; conspiracy theorists will thoroughly enjoy it. [Library marketing.]—Lisa O’Hara, Univ. of Manitoba Libs., Winnipeg
Shone, Tom. In the Rooms. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin’s. Apr. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780312622787. $24.99. F
In a sharp, funny, and ultimately touching debut novel from a British film critic and journalist, Patrick Miller, a literary agent transplanted from London to New York, sees the opportunity of a lifetime when he spots his novelist hero, the reclusive Douglas Kelsey, on the street. He follows Kelsey into what turns out to be an AA meeting. Despite not being an alcoholic himself, Miller begins attending meetings to befriend Kelsey, with the hope of getting him to publish again, with Miller as his agent. Shone’s depiction of AA meetings and their attendees is darkly humorous. His gradual revelations about Miller’s real character are what keep the book humming along until a surprising and satisfying ending. Along the way, Shone also introduces us to Felix the eccentric and Lola the love interest, both strong supporting characters. VERDICT Recommended for readers of Nick Hornby and Joshua Ferris.—Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens
Simmons, Kelly. The Bird House. Washington Square: S. & S. Feb. 2011. c.273p. ISBN 9781439160930. pap. $14. F
Family secrets of infidelity drive this domestic tale set in Gladwyne, PA, and narrated by 70-year-old Ann Biddle. Her short-term memory is not as sharp as it once was, but she is still able to recall the skeletons in her relatives’ closets as she bonds with her eight-year-old granddaughter, Ellie, and helps her complete a family history class assignment. This stroll through the mists of time allows the reader to learn about tragic events that occurred in 1967. Tensions between Ann and Tinsley, Ellie’s overprotective mother and Ann’s daughter-in-law, drive the plot. It is Ellie, the observant child, who is stuck in the middle of the family strain. VERDICT Simmons’s second novel (after Standing Still) is a great title for book groups that enjoy fiction with strong female characters. It may also appeal to fans of Lisa Genova’s Still Alice.—Joyce Sparrow, Kenneth City, FL
Urroz, Eloy. Friction. Dalkey Archive.2010. c.440p. tr. from Spanish by Ezra E. Fitz. ISBN 9781564785497. pap. $16.95. F
Citing Spanish playwright/poet Antonio Machado’s observation that “art is a toy,” Urroz substitutes “friction” for “fiction” to describe the clash between reality and imagination. Narrator Eusebio Cardoso is bored in the rolling hills of Virginia, where he teaches the “Novel of the Mexican Revolution” at Millard Fillmore University in Madisonburg. Hounded by family troubles and by coprophilic colleagues, he is your host for the secondary story about you, the “Reader,” here presented as a businessman in the Mexican capital, which in 2022 has a population of 56 million. “Reader’s” wife, Matilde, is investigating the disappearance of a famous politician but is strung along by the vanished man’s son, who wishes to seduce her. Meanwhile, “you” ask an old artist friend to paint Matilde, and this time you really risk losing her. By novel’s end, a defeated Eusebio reports a sweaty horde of fictional and historical characters assembling along the coast of Baja, CA. VERDICT Mexican Urroz, author of 12 books and one of the signatories to the famous “Crack Manifesto” urging Latin American authors to break from literary tradition, is certainly clever (one of Eusebio’s friends teaches at “MFU”), but his pet emphases on academic bickering and fecal matter get old fast. Recommended more for wit than substance.—Jack Shreve, Allegany Coll. of Maryland, Cumberland
Wallace, Carol. Leaving Van Gogh. Spiegel & Grau. Apr. 2011. c.270p. ISBN 9781400068791. $25. F
Parisian psychiatrist Paul Gachet receives an appeal from Theo van Gogh on behalf of his brother, Vincent. A gifted painter with a tortured soul, Vincent has been in and out of asylums for years—perhaps Dr. Gachet, renowned for his work concerning nervous diseases, could provide the medical help that has thus far been lacking? Gachet, himself an amateur painter who believes in the fundamental treatments of good nutrition, fresh air, and a stable atmosphere, invites Vincent to become a guest in his own home in Auvers. Theo has difficulties of his own, yet he unfailingly provides his brother with ample supplies of paint and canvas. Despite their best efforts, Vincent cannot find relief from his maladies. As he becomes increasingly despondent and loses his ability to paint, we see that the end will come too soon for a man with a miraculous talent and far too much sensitivity for this world. Wallace (coauthor, The Official Preppy Handbook) successfully characterizes the inner lives of both the painter and his troubled physician as their paths briefly cross, then diverge. VERDICT While discomfortingly sad, this in-depth look at the final few months of van Gogh’s life offers insight into that damning, draining combination of genius and madness. Read this with a volume of van Gogh reprints at your side for reference. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/10.]—Susanne Wells, P.L. of Cincinnati & Hamilton Cty., OH
Yager, Jan. The Pretty One: A Novel. Hannacroix Creek. Feb. 2011. c.202p. ISBN 9781889262703. pap. $19.95. F
If clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Taylor seems confident when she appears on a talk show to discuss her latest best seller, it is only on the surface. At age 50, she’s struggling with an eating disorder, obsessed with food, eating compulsively, and bingeing when her routine is disrupted. Her TV appearance and a trip to Europe send her spiraling further out of control. In order to change her patterns of self-destruction, Emily finally must face her past, one of sexual abuse and feelings of neglect. However, there is no clear indication why she finally overcomes her eating issues, or whether she actually succeeds for good. It’s also amazing that a woman who is an emotional mess and distant from her own family is a clinical psychologist. She’s a self-centered character, with little appeal. VERDICT Cold, unemotional, and lacking character development, this debut novel by the sociologist author of Friendshifts can’t decide whether it’s a self-help manual, a diary, or the story of a woman who succeeded despite herself. Not recommended.—Lesa Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ
SHORT STORIES
Drabble, Margaret. A Day in the Life of a Smiling Woman: Complete Short Stories. Houghton Harcourt. May 2011. c.208p. ed. by José Francisco Fernández. ISBN 9780547550404. $24. F
Written over a span of 50 years, the stories collected here chronicle relationships in all their messy variations, from first meetings through marriages, love affairs, betrayals, abuses, and estrangements. From the Fifties to more recent times, Drabble has always skillfully depicted the experiences of women in their eras. “Hassan’s Tower,” for instance, deals with a disastrous honeymoon where magnified misunderstandings and unexpressed resentments underline how very little love exists in this new marriage. “Crossing the Alps” is the tale of a long-planned illicit getaway for a pair of lovers that goes terribly wrong when an illness makes one of them incapable of romance. In the affecting title story, a popular television personality who appears to balance work and life cheerfully and capably, actually lives with an abusive husband and is suffering from a serious malignancy. In “The Merry Widow,” the titular character, who had silently endured years with an insufferable husband, takes herself on a much-anticipated holiday to attempt living life on her own terms. VERDICT These sharp and poignant stories will have broad appeal but will be especially nostalgic for readers who came of age in the heady dawn of feminism and who cut their literary teeth on the likes of Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, and Drabble herself.—Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Ont.
Heathcock, Alan. Volt: Stories. Graywolf. Mar. 2011. c.208p. ISBN 9781555975777. pap. $15. F
This debut collection is a high-voltage reading experience one won’t soon forget. The stories are set in an imaginary American town called Krypton that has a prairielike feeling of desolation and high wind. Several are driven by an unnatural death that takes place outside of the narrative frame, and often outside of the law, and the enveloping grief—as unpredictable as the weather—dictates the actions to come. A father sets off on a walk across several states after accidentally mowing down his son with his tractor. A middle-aged woman whose elderly mother has been killed in a hit-and-run accident is possessed of a manic energy that frightens her own daughter. A veteran of a war characterized by great expanses of sand goes AWOL in a cow pasture. VERDICT Heathcock is a writer to watch; each of these subtle stories will thrill readers with an element of surprise that will make them want to go back and see how it happened and what they missed along the way.—Sue Russell, Bryn Mawr, PA
Laken, Valerie. Separate Kingdoms: Stories. HarperPerennial. Feb. 2011. c.224p. ISBN 9780060840945. pap. $14.99. F
In this second offering (after the well-received Dream House), Laken presents stories set partly in the United States and partly in Russia (where the Pushcart Prize winner has lived and worked). The stories capture ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. A group of American exchange students are trapped in the new Russia as the Soviet Union is crumbling. A lesbian couple visits a Russian “baby home,” hoping to adopt a child. A woman who lost a leg in a car crash is pressured by her husband to enter a golf tournament for amputees. Another sits vigil at the hospital bedside of the father with whom she was never close. The title story is told in two voices, presented side by side on the page and occasionally blending into one story for a line or two. The first half is the third-person story of Cole, holed up on a couch in front of the television and dealing with the effects of a devastating industrial accident. The parallel story is the first-person account of his 12-year-old son, Jack, struggling with neighborhood gossip about his father’s injury, as if ordinary adolescent angst weren’t enough. It’s a challenging but rewarding read. VERDICT Vivid and evocative, these stories will appeal to readers of both popular and literary fiction.—Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati State Technical & Community Coll. Lib., OH
Packer, Ann. Swim Back to Me. Knopf. Apr. 2011. c.240p. ISBN 9781400044047. $24.95. F
This new collection from Packer (The Dive from Clausen’s Pier) is framed by two stunning first-person narratives that introduce readers to two academic families briefly converging in and around Stanford in the 1970s. In each case, the narrator comes from the second generation. The opening story, “Walk for Mankind,” captures the viewpoint of the teenage son of an established Stanford history professor, while the closing piece, “Things Said and Done,” gives voice to the adventurous daughter of a visiting instructor taking a step down from Yale for a one-year appointment in Palo Alto. In each instance, Packer pulls the strings in such a way that the itinerant father, doomed by his difficult personality to a life perpetually lived off the tenure track, becomes the focal point. Unfortunately, or perhaps inevitably, the other four stories in the volume, though well crafted and engaging, have the feel of problems solved rather than lives fully lived. VERDICT Whereas some great short story writers stumble with the sprawl of a novel, Packer, who occasionally works on a smaller scale, appears to be a novelist at heart. Still, these California stories are expansive and open-ended. It’s hard to let them go. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/10.]—Sue Russell, Bryn Mawr, PA
