FICTION

Full Measure

St. Martin's. Oct. 2014. 288p. ISBN 9781250052001. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781466852990. F
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OrangeReviewStarAfter completing a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Patrick Norris returns home to the foothills above San Diego to start a new life. Patrick buys a boat, which he plans to use to start a recreational fishing business, but before he can launch his venture, his family's avocado farm is destroyed by a massive wildfire. Consequently, Patrick returns to help his family rebuild their farm. As he reconnects with his community, he falls in love with Iris. Also competing for Patrick's attention is his brother Ted, who could not serve in the military and seeks to prove himself to his family. Unfortunately, Ted's actions continuously endanger himself, his family, and his community because of his connection to members of a white supremacist group. Ted's decisions force Patrick to make a difficult choice to salvage his family's honor.
VERDICT Parker (Laguna Heat ), a three-time Edgar Award winner, delivers an exceptional, insightful, and contemporary stand-alone literary novel. Fans of the author's crime novels and Tim O'Brien's war novels will enjoy this story, which highlights the impact of war on a community. In addition, Steinbeck fans will appreciate the description of the setting and intricate plot. [See Prepub Alert, 3/24/14.]
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