Fiction Reviews, May 1, 2011
May 1, 2011
Abbott, David. The Upright Piano Player. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Jun. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9780385534420. $21.95. F
This debut novel by a founding partner of Britain’s largest ad agency follows the life of Henry Cage, a successful executive at a management consultancy, as he tries to cope with the changes in his life brought on by a sudden, involuntary retirement. The opening chapter, actually at the end of the story chronologically, portrays the aftermath of a terrible tragedy involving Cage’s grandson. The chapter sets a melancholic tone for the rest of the book. Abbott proceeds to delve into Cage’s past, detailing his unsuccessful attempts to hold his life together after retirement. When Cage is attacked by a thug while watching the New Year’s fireworks celebrations, it sets in motion a whole series of events, including a growing reconciliation with his family. But the prolog has foreclosed any chance of redemption for Cage. VERDICT Readers who can make it through the gruesome opening scene will be rewarded with a powerful and well-written portrayal of loss and grieving. Highly recommended.—Douglas Southard, CRA International, Boston
Bostwick, Marie. Threading the Needle: A Cobbled Court Novel. Kensington. Jun. 2011. c.358p. ISBN 9780758232175. pap. $15. F
In alternating chapters that deftly move the story along, Madelyn and Tessa narrate Bostwick’s fourth series entry (after A Thread So Thin). Tessa and Madelyn formed an affinity as young girls, but circumstances and time eventually destroyed their bond. Years later they find themselves living in the same small Connecticut town. Madelyn is now disgraced and broke after her husband went to prison for serious financial shenanigans. Tessa and her husband, Lee, struggle with their own financial challenges, including Tessa’s herbal shop. Not unexpectedly, the two old friends end up in the same quilting class. Bostwick nicely incorporates characters from the previous novels into this story, and readers who haven’t read the previous titles won’t be confused. There is a lot here about female friendships, marriage, mistakes, choices, regrets, and forgiveness, but these all fit together nicely as Madelyn and Tessa rediscover the value of their relationship. VERDICT Bostwick’s series continues to introduce interesting characters and compelling stories that show an appreciation for female friendship as well as a love for the art of quilting. Readers who have exhausted Jennifer Chiaverini’s “Elm Creek Quilt” novels or Clare O’Donohue’s “Someday Quilt” mysteries will definitely enjoy Bostwick.—Margaret Hanes, Warren P.L., MI
Burke, Alafair. Long Gone. Harper: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. c.368p. ISBN 9780061999185. $24.99. F
Alice Humphrey’s life is looking up since she landed a job as an art gallery manager. She arrives at the gallery one morning to meet her boss, Drew Campbell, only to find the place cleaned out, save for Drew’s corpse. She’s bewildered when Drew’s ID doesn’t check out, nor does the background of the gallery or the primary artist it represents. But when the police show up with a photograph of her doppelgänger that suggests she and Drew had more than a business relationship, Alice realizes she’s been placed at the center of a nefarious plan. But whose? And why? Beginning to dig, Alice finds herself circling ever closer to home, her discoveries threatening everything she’s ever known about family and identity. Burke’s (212) first stand-alone novel is a fast-paced, plot-driven nail-biter. Ripped-from-the-headlines hooks from the world of celebrity and culture are twisted into a knot of seemingly unconnected story lines dramatically resolved to a surprising, out-of-nowhere ending. VERDICT Highly recommended for Burke’s Ellie Hatcher fans as well as general suspense and mystery readers. [See Prepub Alert, 1/3/11.]—Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L., NY
Chance, Megan. City of Ash. Broadway. Jun. 2011. c.448p. ISBN 9780307461032. pap. $15. F
The latest Gilded Age epic from historical novelist Chance (Prima Donna) concerns Geneva Langley, a Chicago heiress trapped in an unhappy marriage. In an attempt to rekindle her distant husband’s interest, Geneva feigns an affair with a sculptor. The only remedy for the ensuing scandal is exile to Seattle, still a backwater frontier town. Unfortunately for Geneva, Seattle society has already learned of her scandalous behavior, and the matrons she expects to befriend snub her. Mr. Langley, meanwhile, has taken up with Beatrice Wilkes, a Seattle actress seemingly destined for a lifetime of playing second fiddle to ingenues. Inspired by a fellow societal outcast and a charismatic but poor playwright, Geneva decides to try her hand at acting—and encounters her husband’s mistress in the process. The story that ensues has as many twists and turns as a soap opera. VERDICT Chance’s sharp writing, believable and detailed historical setting, and strong female characters keep her latest from descending into melodrama. Historical fiction fans are likely to be familiar with Chance, but the focus on women’s relationships means crossover potential for women’s fiction readers.—Nanette Wargo Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL
Cook, Thomas H. The Quest for Anna Klein. Houghton Harcourt. Jun. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780547364643. $27. F
Cook (The Last Talk with Lola Faye) is a master of the box-within-a-box story, revealing more of character than crime. His new novel, about a young man’s search for a woman he meets, loves, and loses in the tumultuous early 1940s, is one of his best. Anna Klein was slated to assassinate Hitler; the plot was exposed, but is she dead or not? Thomas Danforth spends 40 years hunting for her. At age 91, he sits with a young man from a Washington think tank to talk about it. “I was young like you,” he says, “It was a very good feeling, I recall.” The denouement doesn’t work—too complicated—but once you pick up the book, it’s hard to put it down. Halfway through, the old man remembers a passage he memorized as a child: “Though boys throw stones at frogs in sport, the frogs die in earnest.” It’s a good epitaph for a disturbing but classy novel. VERDICT Cook demonstrates his genius in writing this kind of novel of obsession. His fans will welcome this new addition to his corpus. [See Prepub Alert, 1/24/11.]—David Keymer, Modesto, CA
Cullerton, Brenda. The Craigslist Murders: A Satire. Melville House. May 2011. c.224p. ISBN 9781612190198. pap. $14.95. F
In her thirties, single, beautiful, and stylish Charlotte Wolfe is not your ordinary interior designer. Her clientele consists entirely of the upper echelon of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. She satisfies their pre–financial crisis need for envy-inducing extravagances by dealing exclusively with sumptuous materials, rare fixtures, high-end appliances, and custom-milled or costly antique furniture. Most unusual, however, is her secondary calling as a serial murderer of a specific type of woman whom Charlotte finds all too appallingly common among the stupendously rich: the petty, rancorous, clueless, narcissistic trophy wife. She considers them monsters and believes her role to be executioner. Rather than bite the hands that feed her, however, Charlotte saves her fireplace poker for those who aim to sell their most pretentious possessions via Craigslist. The mystery in this tale of multiple murders is not who did it, but why and whether this intelligent, gifted culprit will be exposed. VERDICT This suspenseful romp for mystery lovers offers an informed peek inside the magnificent homes and lives of New York socialites, illuminating instruction on the finer things of life, and an absorbing character study of a darkly engaging murderess.—Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC
Donnelly, Gabrielle. The Little Women Letters: A New Generation of Sisters. Touchstone: S. & S.Jun. 2011. c.368p. ISBN 9781451617184. $25. F
Donnelly’s (The Girl in the Photograph) latest chronicles the lives of the descendants of Louisa May Alcott’s March family. Specifically, Donnelly explores what the great-great-granddaughters of the dynamic Jo would be like. Sisters Emma, Lulu, and Sophie are all as different as can be, but they struggle equally to determine what types of lives they want. Lulu in particular feels she doesn’t have the same luck in love as her older sister, Emma, nor the same direction for a career as her younger one. When Lulu stumbles upon the letters of Jo March, a new world that is different in time but similar in its themes is revealed to her as well as a kinship to the relative she never met. VERDICT Donnelly starts with a great premise, but readers have to keep track of lots of characters. The dialog and plot are sometimes slowed by contrived transitions. Still, fans of Little Women may enjoy this reinterpretation.—Anne M. Miskewitch, Chicago P.L.
Dunn, Matthew. Spycatcher. Morrow. Aug. 2011. c.432p. ISBN 9780062037671. $25.99. F
Will Cochrane is an arrogant, physically and mentally superior secret agent recognized as a dangerous wild card by the chiefs of Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency and the CIA. He is tasked with saving humanity from monstrous terror plotted by a mysterious Iranian. But Cochrane also has a personal agenda for catching this man—to avenge his agent father’s death in Iraq 25 years ago. Despite his repeated failures, Cochrane’s supporting cast is faithful and competent. A bulked-up version of 007, our spycatcher suffers an impressive collection of personal wounds while amassing an astonishing body count of evildoers. Dunn, himself an ex–MI6 agent and writing under his real name, reveals few of his agency’s operational techniques, subsuming them under the unique methods of his protagonist, who is both restrained and hard-driven as much by vengeance as by duty. VERDICT This very uneven novel features a pace that seesaws between leisurely and frantic. The literary style and level of violence is comparable to David Stone. Dunn eschews sex, but indulges occasionally in 007-ish mentions of five-star hotels, powerful motor cars, fashionable dress, and trendy beverages. Recommended for spy fiction enthusiasts. [See Prepub Alert, 1/31/11].—Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ. at Stanislaus, Stockton
Grant, Helen. The Glass Demon. Bantam. Jun. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780385344203. pap. $15. F
Curl up on the couch with a few gothic fairy tales—the dark, brutal sort. Follow this with a murder mystery, deep and rich with symbolism. Then grab a young adult novel with a strong female character, Lin, with an eclectic academic upbringing. Grant (The Vanishing of Katharina Linden) rolls all of these into the shadowy corners of a secluded German forest, complete with castle ruins steeped in superstition. Lin’s family is uprooted by her father’s obsessive drive for academic success, which leads them on a search for the haunted windows of a medieval stained-glass master. The locals are fiercely protective of their secrets, refusing to welcome the family or answer any questions. As details about the glass are revealed, an ancient evil stalks Lin and her family. She struggles to solve the mystery before all is lost. VERDICT Page-turning and portentous, mysterious and chilling, this will attract readers who loved Pamela Dean’s Tam Lin and fairy tales and legends in modern settings. [See Prepub Alert, 1/17/11.]—Jennifer Anderson, Texas A&M Univ.–Corpus Christi
Hickey, Christine Dwyer. Last Train from Liguria. Atlantic Bks. UK, dist. by IPG. Jun. 2011. 392p. ISBN 9781843549888. pap. $12.95. F
Thank heavens this UK paperback is getting U.S. distribution! It’s Irish author Hickey’s (Tatty) fifth novel, a mesmerizing read that transports us to 1930s Italy, where protagonist Bella, a young woman originally from Ireland, is sent to be a governess at the direction of her widowed father, who wants a life without his spinster daughter. Most of the novel is told from the third-person present-tense perspective of Bella. Readers will feel the unhurried rhythms of local and expat life in coastal Bordighera and the growing divide between Italian and foreign sensibilities there, with Mussolini’s rise lurking first at the story’s edges and then advancing toward its core. Cutting away from this absorbing, meticulously observed narrative are briefer framing sections that take place in Dublin, past and present, told by two other characters. One of these is violent, but for the most part this is a subtle story that grows quietly in power. Hickey shows rather than tells, allowing readers to grasp meanings and import on their own as they follow Bella’s relationships with her young charge, Alessandro, and with Edward, an elusive, live-in music teacher. VERDICT A haunting novel that will stay with you long after you’ve put it down—or urged it upon a friend. It will appeal to readers who have enjoyed the themes of Andrea Levy’s or William Boyd’s novels.—Margaret Heilbrun, Library Journal
Holohan, Kevin. The Brothers’ Lot. Akashic. 2011. c.300p. ISBN 9781936070916. pap. $15.95. F
What is the lot of the Brothers of Godly Coercion for Young Boys of Meager Means, fraught as they are by celibacy, repression, and guilt? Sadism, masochism, child abuse, more guilt, self-flagellation, alcoholism, paranoia, chain smoking, hypocrisy, and skullduggery. The benighted brothers and a variety of generally less sadistic lay teachers operate a school that is both figuratively and literally falling apart. They need a miracle to survive, and when a statuette of their founder, the Venerable Saorseach O’Rahilly, appears to bleed after a giant structural collapse, the Brothers start a campaign to save the school by proposing him for sainthood. Eventually, by actual miracles, good triumphs over evil at scores of similar schools. VERDICT Increasingly satirical, Holohan’s writing seems informed by Frank McCourt, Flann O’Brien, and both Kingsley and Martin Amis, but he possesses his own distinct voice. Especially useful as therapy for recovering Catholics or to tweak apologists of the church, this impressive debut is highly recommended. —Jim Dwyer, Univ. of California Libs., Chico
Kohler, Sheila. Love Child. Penguin. Jul. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9780143119197. pap. $15. F
In her seventh novel, Becoming Jane Eyre, Kohler imagines the Brontë sisters’ life of genteel poverty. In her new sharply detailed book, she portrays a slightly disreputable white woman in Johannesburg who came of age, married, had children, and was widowed, all within the confines of South Africa’s English enclave. Unlike the Brontës, hers is a life circumscribed by wealth. Rounds of cocktails muffle feelings of being trapped; South African independence is a distant and unlikely concern. When the book opens, in 1958, the disapproving family lawyer is pressing the widow, Bill (a former tomboy), to make her will. At age 48, languidly considering how best to distribute her fortune, Bill recollects her life, especially her brief elopement with a Jewish man when she was 17. Distant from her sons and tired of supporting her brothers and sisters, Bill looks back and questions the choices that were made for her. VERDICT A strong portrait of a weak woman. Recommend this to readers of Damon Galgut and J.M. Coetzee. For all literary fiction collections.—Laurie A. Cavanaugh, Wareham Free Lib., MA
Krivak, Andrew. The Sojourn. Bellevue Literary. May 2011. c.192p. ISBN 9781934137345. pap. $14.95. F
When a family tragedy strikes in a Colorado mining town, young Jozef Vinich and his father return to pre–World War I Austria. Together they live in poverty, working as shepherds and hunting to support themselves. When Jozef’s cousin Zlee joins them, a strong bond grows between the two young men. Despite the pastoral setting, Jozef grows increasingly discontent with his rural lifestyle. Eventually Jozef and Zlee join other Austrian men on the Italian front. They not only confront the horrors of combat but also contribute to those horrors through their skill as expert marksmen. This is Krivak’s first novel; his earlier work, A Long Retreat: In Search of a Religious Life, is a memoir about his experience in a Jesuit formation program. VERDICT An unsentimental yet elegant look at a character’s coming-of-age as well as his survival of the Great War’s brutality. With ease, it joins the ranks of other significant works of fiction portraying World War I—Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front or Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms.—Faye A. Chadwell, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis
McKeon, Belinda. Solace. Scribner. May 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9781451610543. $24. F
Tom Casey farms a small parcel of land near Edgeworthstown in rural Ireland. His son, Mark, lives in Dublin, where he struggles to finish a dissertation about the fiction of the 18th-century Anglo-Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth. Though bound by blood and common experience, both men live in separate worlds. The distance between them contracts when a devastating tragedy throws them together. Through the Caseys’ complicated relationship, McKeon addresses sobering themes: parenthood, identity, vocation, and the limitations of love. By the book’s conclusion, father and son seem to have brokered an uneasy but livable peace rooted in the hopes they share for Mark’s young daughter. VERDICT McKeon’s debut novel heralds a powerful new voice in contemporary Irish fiction, displaying a deliberateness and quiet strength that provides a notable contrast to the frenetic depiction of everyday lives evident in much modern fiction. McKeon’s command of description and pacing are especially impressive. Colm Tóibín’s stylistic influence is evident throughout, though McKeon’s treatment of romance and relationships calls to mind Anne Enright’s best work.—J. Greg Matthews, Washington State Univ., Pullman
McLean, Margaret. Under Fire. Forge: Tor. Jul. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780765328144. $24.99. F
Senegalese immigrant Amina Diallo and her 15-year-old son live in Boston above her small African grocery store and lunch spot. What started as a typical immigrant-makes-good-in-America story takes a turn for the ugly when Amina’s husband is deported and her home and business face foreclosure. Then the building goes up in flames, trapping Amina and her son upstairs. Firefighters passing by stop, and one of them is shot and killed while trying to save the Diallo family. Amina is arrested and charged with arson and murder. Former prosecutor Sarah Lynch is talked into working with her defense lawyer uncle Buddy, but Amina is Muslim and wears the traditional hijab, making her an easy target for racial profiling. The Boston fire department turns out in droves for the funeral and the trial, and Sarah has her hands full, not to mention that her life is in danger. VERDICT This fast-paced debut legal thriller by a former criminal prosecutor offers an interesting immigrant twist. It should appeal to Richard North Patterson fans.—Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL
McNeal, Tom. To Be Sung Underwater. Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. c.432p. ISBN 9780316127394. $24.99. F
Judith Whitman is a 44-year-old successful film editor in Los Angeles, with patient husband Malcolm, teenage daughter Camille, and a big secret. Twenty-seven years after she left Rufus Sage, NE, to attend Stanford University, she can’t stop thinking about her first love, Willy Blunt. Willy wanted to marry her, but she wanted to go to college first. Then she met Malcolm and just never returned. Judith’s life veers off course because of her obsession, and under the assumed name Edie Winks, she hires a private detective to trace her Nebraska friend. She is shocked to find out that Willy ended up marrying her best friend, Deena. Nevertheless, he returns her call and leaves a distressing message that he needs to see her immediately. Covering her trip with lies and a fabricated story about her mother being in a hospital in Mexico, Judith takes off for Nebraska for one last reunion with Willy. Their meeting is very nostalgic but turns bittersweet when she learns the real reason for his desperate plea. VERDICT Award winner McNeal (Goodnight, Nebraska) deftly blends flashbacks of Judith’s teen years living with her father in humdrum Rufus Sage with her crisis-filled life in fast-paced L.A. [See Prepub Alert, 12/13/10.]—Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO
Riggle, Kristina. Things We Didn’t Say. Morrow. Jul. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780062003041. pap. $14.99. F
Edna Leigh Casey lives with her fiancé, Michael, and his three children in Grand Rapids, MI. A computer programmer, Casey is 26 years old, and today she is running away from home. But her plans change when she gets the call that Michael’s 14-year-old son, Dylan, hasn’t shown up at school. Then Michael’s volatile ex-wife, Mallory, brings her drama to the vigil. Sixteen-year-old Angel read Casey’s diary and intimates that Casey’s hidden past is fodder for public consumption. Now, Casey is skirting the edges of what had been her reality: the man and the family that would make her whole. But Michael is vague about setting a wedding date and anxious over his job as a reporter at a dying local newspaper. A family can be like tempered glass: a slight tap in the wrong place and it shatters into a million pieces. VERDICT Riggle (Real Life & Liars; The Life You’ve Imagined) paints with exquisite care a not-so-pretty picture of modern life, when running away can seem like the only option if it promises just a little bit of freedom. Bring tissues. [Reading group guide.]—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal
Russell, Mary Doria. Doc. Random. May 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9781400068043. $26. F
The author of such acclaimed speculative fiction as The Sparrow moves into the historical fiction arena with this novel about the Wild West. The titular protagonist is Doc Holliday, a participant in the legendary gunfight at the OK Corral, but Russell does not focus on this infamous event that defined Holliday’s life in the eyes of the public. The story starts with Holliday’s birth and his relationship with his mother, whom he idolized. She later dies of consumption, the disease that will kill Holliday. Holliday trains to be a dental surgeon, but illness prevents him from practicing. He then moves west to Dodge City to prevent his illness from progressing. This is the fateful move that brings him together with Wyatt Earp and his sometimes female companion and prostitute Mária Katarina Harony. VERDICT Full of well-developed characters and rich historical detail, Russell’s excellent novel will appeal to readers who enjoy a lively and vivid work of historical fiction or to Western buffs curious about this notorious character. [Library marketing; see Prepub Alert, 11/22/10.]—Kristen Stewart, Brazoria Cty. Lib. Syst., Pearland Lib., TX
Self, Will. Walking to Hollywood: Memories of Before the Fall. Grove. May 2011. c.448p. photogs. ISBN 9780802119728. $24. F
The still funny, still misanthropic Self (Cock & Bull; Great Apes) returns with a fevered smear. This book is a messy three-part satire, with scenes united by Self’s wit and harsh judgment. Black-and-white photos pop up unexpectedly throughout the chapters. The narrator is writer Will Self. Part 1 denudes the art world and focuses on a 3'3" British artist acclaimed for creating massive self-portraits. Part 2 has our hero literally walking across Los Angeles (!) looking for the villain who killed the movies. Many strange cameos ensue—a Scientology event, Bret Easton Ellis portrayed by Orson Welles—and our hero might just be a bit part in a film himself. The concluding section returns to England, where he walks along the crumbling cliffs of East Yorkshire. The prose buzzes like simultaneous television, radio, and Internet broadcasts, which may be Self’s intent. VERDICT Self’s imagination is undeniable, and the satire is sharp. Voracious fans of Hunter S. Thompson may appreciate this fearless narrative, but this reviewer can’t recommend these 400-plus pages to anyone.—Travis Fristoe, Alachua Cty. Lib. Dist., Gainesville, FL
Starr, Jason. The Pack. Ace: Berkley. Jun. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780441020089. $25.95. F
Ex-advertising executive Simon is having trouble making the transition to being a stay-at-home dad when he meets a group of fathers and their sons at a park. He quickly becomes part of their clique until a night of dinner and drinks with the guys leads to Simon waking up naked and covered in blood. In the days to come he notices an increase in his speed and stamina, a ravenous appetite for meat, an amped up sensitivity to smells, and a high sexual appetite. He vows to stay away from these guys, but when faced with the unsettling physical changes, he must go to them for answers. As the book title implies, Simon has done more than make a few new friends; he has been selected to join their pack. VERDICT In this tightly written werewolf suspense thriller, crime writer Starr (The Chill) succeeds in keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The book brings werewolves to the streets of New York City and manages to seem completely believable. A great read; recommended for any paranormal suspense fan.—Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA
Watson, S.J. Before I Go To Sleep. Harper: HarperCollins. Jun. 2011. c.368p. ISBN 9780062060556. $25.99. F
Christine Lucas suffers from a rare form of amnesia as the result of a vaguely defined accident. Each night as she sleeps, her near-term memory is wiped clean, and she awakens knowing little about who she is, where she is, or with whom she lives. Every day her husband, Ben, shares with her the same carefully rehearsed story of their long marriage and gently encourages her struggle to remember. She keeps a journal at the recommendation of her doctor and reads it each morning. As the journal grows, Christine begins to suspect that Ben is not telling her the complete truth about her accident, their son Adam, her successful career as a novelist, or the fire that destroyed the collection of family photos that might help her remember. It is only when she reconnects with an old friend that she learns the truth and escapes her increasingly frightening and violent captivity. VERDICT This debut novel takes an intriguingly fresh look at the amnesia-focused psychological thriller. Though the climax seems a bit hurried, this is nonetheless a captivating and highly suspenseful read, populated with believable characters who lead the reader through a taut, well-constructed plot. Movie rights have been sold to Ridley Scott. Gaslight fans take note. [For another thriller about memory problems, see Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind; see also Barbara Hoffert’s interview with Harper editor Claire Wachtel, who acquired Watson’s novel.—Ed.]—Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA
