Fiction Reviews, September 15, 2011
Sep 15, 2011Bolaño, Roberto. The Third Reich. Farrar. Dec. 2011. c.288p. tr. from Spanish by Natasha Wimmer. ISBN 9780374275624. $25. F
When Bolaño died at 50, he left behind a large amount of writing. The critical success of his novels in the United States, including The Savage Detectives and National Book Critics Award winner 2666, has sent translators to work on his legacy of poetry, stories, and novels. First published serially in the Paris Review and written in diary format, this work describes a vacation at a Spanish beach by a German named Udo and his girlfriend, Ingeborg. Rich details describe the setting, including the terror found in the everyday—from the way a burn victim (El Quemada) sets up the pedal boats he rents to the uncanny beauty of a receptionist. Udo is a minor celebrity in the realm of war games, and from the first day at his hotel there is a building tension. Unfortunately, this never resolves in the game Udo plays with El Quemada, and the ending is a bit anticlimactic. VERDICT Readers of literary fiction who aren’t already converts should start with one of Bolaño’s more famous works, which are more accessible and have a clearer story arc. Fans won’t want to miss this early work, which shows the genesis of his themes. [See Prepub Alert, 6/27/11.]—Kate Gray, New York
Cole, Trevor. Practical Jean. HarperPerennial: HarperCollins. Oct. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780062082503. pap. $13.99. F
How far would you go to ensure your dearest friends’ happiness? Would you donate a kidney? Or would you kill them with kindness, as does the middle-aged heroine of Canadian author Cole’s (Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life) dark comic novel? Jean Vale Horemarsh’s artistic aspirations—gluing Swarovski crystals to her fingertips, experimenting with bizarre ceramic constructions of leaves—always drove her sensible and overbearing mother to despair: “How can you possibly be a Horemarsh? You don’t have a practical gene in your body!” But three agonizing months of caring for her dying mother awaken in Jean a new practicality. She is not going to allow her best friends to suffer old age’s indignities. Instead, Jean is going to give them one final happy experience: “Death didn’t have to be slow and agonizing and bleak.” VERDICT In detailing Jean’s mercy-killing spree in hilarious if sometimes gruesome detail, this novel, Cole’s first to be published in the United States, won’t be every reader’s cup of tea, and a few flat chapters slow down its page-turning pace. But those who enjoy Zoë Heller’s mordant take on female friendship (Notes on a Scandal) or the black humor of such classic films as Arsenic and Old Lace and Kind Hearts and Coronets will appreciate this fine social satire.—Wilda Williams, Library Journal
DeWitt, Helen. Lightning Rods. New Directions, dist. by Norton. Oct. 2011. c.280p. ISBN 9780811219433. $24.95. F
Had I not known the author’s name, I would have never guessed that DeWitt wrote this work. I would have sworn it was written by a middle-aged man with considerable sales experience. Whereas her previous novel, The Last Samurai, was a delightful hodgepodge, a Tower of Babel of a book, here the story is very straightforward. Joe is a failed salesman with a persistent erotic fantasy I found amusing but not a bit erotic—a “turnoff” in fact. He bases a system designed to end sexual harassment in the workplace on hiring “lightning rods,” women who in addition to regular office work also service several employees each day. He claims it is not prostitution but becomes nervous when visited by the FBI, until he realizes they also want to use their own version of it. Soon, Christian businesses are adding their own twist. VERDICT This is not for everyone (you needn’t be a prude to find it offensive), but for those with the properly twisted sense of sexual humor this book is a total hoot. Recommended for academic and public libraries and all stripes of perverts.—Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. Lib., Chico
Donoso, José. The Lizard’s Tale. Northwestern Univ. Oct. 2011. c.224p. ed. by Julio Ortega. tr. from Spanish by Suzanne Jill Levine. ISBN 9780810127029. $24.95. F
In Barcelona, elderly painter Antonio Muñoz-Roa recalls an earlier time when he dropped out of a popular art movement in the fad-crazed city and fled with his cousin/lover Luisa to Dors, “the most remote village in the world,” with its mystical hilltop castle, Calatrava. There he defends its medieval beauty to the locals, who loathe their stone hovels and crave the modernity of apartment living. But the tide is more than he can stem. Friends of friends start coming, and then an endless flood turns Dors into a tourist center with all the “attractions” Muñoz-Roa had feared—crowds, hotels, and shops, leading finally to madness and crime. Donoso, author of 1970’s acclaimed The Obscene Bird of Night, was the Chilean member of the highly touted Latin American Boom, a literary movement of the 1960s and 1970s, so it’s not hard to see a personal parallel in this sad, ironic tale of the loss of Spain’s innocence to commercialism. VERDICT Written as a draft in 1973 and not found until after Donoso’s death in 1996, this highly relevant parable about the vulgarization of art is a wonderful read, handily translated by veteran Donoso authority Levine.—Jack Shreve, Allegany Coll. of Maryland, Cumberland
D’Souza, Tony. Mule: A Novel of Moving Weight. Mariner: Houghton Harcourt. Sept. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780547576718. pap. $14.95. F
In his third novel, D’Souza (Whiteman) provides an in-depth look at the creation of a drug mule. James, a young writer thrown out of work by the recession, delivers a pound of prime-grade marijuana to a friend in Texas as a one-time money-making opportunity. But with his wife, Kate, and a new baby to support, James soon builds a cross-country courier route stretching from California to Florida and finds himself constantly on the road, delivering drugs to an increasingly sketchy and dangerous group of contacts. The money is great, but with each trip the risks—and James’s crimes—grow exponentially more serious. VERDICT Despite thinly drawn characters, this gripping novel provides an insider’s view of drug trafficking. While in some sections it reads like a how-to for drug mules, D’Souza’s careful pacing and narrative style provide a tension-filled ride. Recommended for readers who enjoy crime novels and general fiction.— Amy Hoseth, Colorado State Univ. Libs., Fort Collins
Greenslit, Sara. As If a Bird Flew by Me. Univ. of Alabama. Sept. 2011. c.144p. ISBN 9781573661645. pap. $14.50. F
It will come as no surprise that Greenslit has an MFA in poetry, for her striking meditation on what matters in “the too-much-ness of the world” reads much like a collection of prose poems. Yet it is winner of FC2’s Ronald Sukenick/American Book Review Innovative Fiction Prize, and rightly so. This is gorgeous writing, made of fragments (“I’ve had my own share of me. The moon at thick sliver—”) that remain fluidly engaging throughout and cohere into the story of a woman, seemingly disaffected, hunting for some grounding in life. She starts by renaming herself Celia and turning to her long-neglected cello (“How so many dark marks on a page become such uncontained, pulsating necessity”), and though her commitment is imperfect, the very possibility of music seems to settle her. Meanwhile, she reflects on a distant relative hanged at the Salem witch trials, reproducing scraps of centuries-old testimony, while closely observing the natural world around her (Greenslit is also a small-animal veterinarian, and she writes lovingly of all furred and feathered creatures). In the end, she says, we are “tethered to our histories by gene and landscape.” VERDICT Not for the average reader but highly recommended for anyone adventuresome.—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Indriðason, Arnaldur. Operation Napoleon. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Oct. 2011. c.336p. tr. from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb. ISBN 9780312659103. $24.99. F
In the closing days of World War II, a German bomber crashes on a remote glacier in Iceland. Buried by a brutal snowstorm, it is lost from view but not from the troubled memories of the few who knew of its clandestine mission. Decades later, an Icelandic woman receives a garbled satellite phone call from her brother, an outdoorsman crossing the glacier by snowmobile. He mentions soldiers, guns, and men digging an airplane out of the ice…and then he disappears. Soon her own life is in danger, as powerful forces strive to keep a terrible secret hidden. Fans of Indriðason’s popular and critically praised mysteries featuring Icelandic detective Erlendur will find that this title—first published in 1999 and only now translated into English—is a different style of book, more akin to the adventure tales of Clive Cussler or the historical-conspiracy thrillers of Dan Brown. The secrets-of-the-Nazis theme is a little timeworn, but the fast-paced action and dialog, smoothly translated into colloquial English, keep the reader hooked, and the dour Icelandic setting will appeal to fans of other Scandinavian thrillers. VERDICT Fans of Indriðason’s detective stories may pick up this stand-alone thriller, but its greatest appeal will be to fans of international action, adventure, and intrigue.—Bradley A. Scott, Corpus Christi, TX
Jacobson, Howard. No More Mr. Nice Guy. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Oct. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9781608196876. pap. $16. F
Frank Ritz is an acerbic British television critic facing a midlife crisis. He is also a sex addict who feels compelled to cruise around the dreary back streets of a provincial city looking for even drearier encounters with local hookers. He’s finally thrown out of the house by his longtime lover, Melissa (Mel), a bulimic writer of “feministic-erotic” novels who can match Frank in the self-loathing department. Jacobson is a talented writer who can carry off almost Joycean wordplay. He is especially funny when mocking British TV. But Frank’s many sexual escapades grow tiresome after a while, though he finds redemption of sorts toward the end. VERDICT Originally published in Britain in 1998 and just released here, presumably because Jacobson won the Man Booker Prize last year for The Finkler Question, this sometimes witty and often raunchy novel will most likely appeal to fairly sophisticated male readers familiar with British life.—Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA
Johansen, Iris. Bonnie. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2011. c.416p. ISBN 9780312651220. $27.99. F
Eve Duncan’s relentless search for her kidnapped little girl, Bonnie, has led her to New Orleans and a man from both her and Bonnie’s father’s past. As she and her cohorts—longtime boyfriend, detective Joe Quinn, CIA agent Catherine Ling, and Bonnie’s father—investigate the background of this man, they uncover psychiatric memory experimentation, government cover-ups, and bribery. Only when Eve’s life is in mortal danger does a priest who knows the secrets of the man they are looking for agree to help. This third and final installment in the Eve Duncan trilogy (Eve; Quinn) drags on for about 100 pages too long and loses the success of its earlier parts with too many twists that are remedied too easily. VERDICT Johansen’s fans will be excited to have a definitive ending to Eve’s story. However, this title lacks the punch of a work of suspense or a thriller. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/11.]—Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA
King, Stephen. 11/22/63. Scribner. Nov. 2011. c.864p. ISBN 9781451627282. $35. F
In King’s latest, his first full-length novel since 2009’s Under the Dome, the horror master ventures into sf. Maine restaurant owner Al tells high school English teacher Jake Epping that there’s a time portal to the year 1958 in his diner. Al has terminal cancer and asks Jake to grant his dying wish: go back in time and prevent the 1963 assassination of JFK. Jake’s travels take him first to Derry, ME—the fictional (and creepy) setting of King’s 1986 blockbuster It—to try to stop the horrific 1958 murder of a family. Later, he heads to Texas, where he bides his time—teaching in a small town, where he falls for school librarian Sadie Dunhill—and keeps tabs on the thuggish Lee Harvey Oswald. It all leads to an inevitable climax at the Book Depository and an outcome that changes American history. VERDICT Though this hefty novel starts strong, diving energetically into the story and savoring the possibilities of time travel, the middle drags a bit—particularly during Jake’s small-town life in Texas. Still, King remains an excellent storyteller, and his evocation of mid-20th-century America is deft. Alternate-history buffs will especially enjoy the twist ending. Film rights have been optioned by Jonathan Demme (of Silence of the Lambs fame). [See Prepub Alert, 5/23/11.]—David Rapp, Library Journal
Maguire, Gregory. Out of Oz: The Final Volume in the Wicked Years. Morrow. Nov. 2011. c.576p. ISBN 9780060548940. $26.99. F
In the midst of Oz’s civil war, Rain, granddaughter of the infamous Elphaba, Wicked Witch of the West, is coming of age with a ramshackle band of friends. Adding to the chaos, Dorothy is back, destructive and irritatingly chipper as always, and events spiral into an ever-expanding web of betrayals, friendships, secrets, and unexpected returns. Maguire excels at creating multidimensional characters that rise above their many flaws. Readers will delight in the lyrical writing and many thinly veiled references to other Ozian works (Wicked, the Broadway musical; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) found throughout this gritty conclusion to Maguire’s popular “Wicked Years” series (Wicked; Son of a Witch; A Lion Among Men). The provided map, summaries of previous books, and family trees and time lines prove helpful in recalling characters and situations introduced earlier in the series. VERDICT This engrossing, complex novel continues to flip the world of Oz on its head while answering new and old questions about Oz and its denizens. Highly recommended for fans of the series. [Six-city tour; see Prepub Alert, 5/16/11.]—Katie Lawrence, Chicago
Marcus, Ben. The Flame Alphabet. Knopf. Jan. 2012. c.304p. ISBN 9780307379375. $25.95. F
Fierce, scary, hurtful, unsettling, and brilliant, this new work by award-winning novelist Marcus (Notable American Women) reminds us that language is dangerous and that we’ll do anything to protect our children, even when they are (literally) killing us. In the world imagined here, a terrible epidemic has descended: whenever children speak, adults sicken and eventually die. At first, only Jewish families are stricken, stirring echoes of history’s uglier sentiments. But soon every adult is affected. Near death, with her ailments graphically described, Claire still longs for daughter Esther, a standard-issue obnoxious teenager who’s hardened with the knowledge of her power. A scene of her crouching over a fallen man, pouring poisoned words into his ear, is positively chilling. But what terrifies Esther’s morally tough father, Sam, is that soon Esther will be an adult—and subject to the same horrors as her parents. When a quarantine is called, Sam and Claire prepare to leave, but Claire collapses, and Sam must go on alone; he ends up in a creepy laboratory where a cure for language toxicity is being sought. What keeps him going? The vision of his family. VERDICT Highly recommended, though not for those wanting easy thrills; demanding writer Marcus wants us to think. [See Prepub Alert, 7/18/11.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Murakami, Haruki. 1Q84. Knopf. Oct. 2011. c.928p. tr. from Japanese by Jay Rubin & Philip Gabriel. ISBN 9780307593313. $30.50. F
At the core of this work is a spectacular love story about a girl and boy who briefly held hands when they were both ten. That said, with the fiercely imaginative Murakami as author, the story’s exposition is gloriously labyrinthine: welcome “into this enigma-filled world of 1Q84,” which begins when sports club instructor Aomame exits a taxi and climbs down emergency stairs to bypass gridlocked traffic and make her next appointment. Meanwhile, cram school teacher and wannabe novelist Tengo is in muddled negotiations to rewrite secretly a 17-year-old girl’s fascinating but still raw novella, which has the potential to win a top literary prize. A Chekhov-quoting, Proust-sharing ethnic Korean bodyguard; a wealthy widow who shelters abused women; a policewoman with a penchant for wild, anonymous sex; a religious leader who admits to “congress” with prepubescent girls; a comatose father with a traveling spirit; a misshapen, disbarred ex-lawyer—these are just some of Murakami’s signature characters who both hinder and help Aomame and Tengo’s hopeful path toward reunion. VERDICT Originally published in Japan as three volumes, each of which were instant best sellers, this work—perhaps Murakami’s finest—will surely have the same success in its breathlessly anticipated, all-in-one English translation. Murakami aficionados will delight in recognizing traces of earlier titles, especially A Wild Sheep Chase, Norwegian Wood, and even Underground.—Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC
Némirovsky, Irène. All Our Wordly Goods. Vintage: Random. Sept. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9780307743299. pap. $14.95. F
What makes Némirovsky’s writing so remarkable is its there-as-it’s-happening feel; the writing of her masterwork, Suite Française, was interrupted as she was transported to Auschwitz. Published in 1947 and released here for the first time, this work serves as a precursor of sorts to Suite Française, opening before World War I and proceeding toward the 1940 German invasion of France. In the beginning we observe the pettiness of the bourgeoisie, as Pierre Hardelot disappoints his parents and outrages his grandfather, head of the Hardelot Paper Mills in provincial Saint-Elme, by marrying Agnès, who’s from a family of brewers. Their love is sturdy, but it’s not the story; soon after they marry, World War I begins, Pierre is off to battle, and we see chaos descend as towns burn and villagers clog the escape routes. Later, even as the couple’s son suffers his own (slightly sordid) heartbreak, war overwhelms the family—and country—yet again. VERDICT Throughout, in deceptively simple, lucid language, Némirovsky contrasts the delicacy of human affairs with the crushing weight of history. Némirovsky fans and readers of historical fiction generally will want.—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Orner, Peter. Love and Shame and Love. Little, Brown. Nov. 2011. c.448p. ISBN 9780316129398. $24.99. F
Set amid the slugfest that is Chicago politics, this four-generation saga of the Popper clan begins with Alexander’s 1984 not–Bar Mitzvah, an interview with a “not that crooked” federal judge for which Popper’s father has carefully prepared him. Moving back and forth in time, award-winning author Orner (The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo) exposes the unhappiness in Popper’s gene pool. Grandfather Seymour’s letters sent to his wife, Beatrice, during World War II are wrenching missives of loneliness, optimism, and hurt at Beatrice’s silence. Popper’s parents start on a more hopeful note, but modern life covers for the unsatisfying emptiness of their upscale lifestyle. And then there’s Popper, whose enervating insecurities could give Woody Allen a run for his money. VERDICT Orner’s short, jittery chapters, some a mere paragraph or two; his incomplete sentences, which completely control the narrative; and his gift for the well-placed single word that can denote full-throttled exasperation are addictively compelling and could very well send readers to his earlier works.—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Spillane, Mickey & Max Allan Collins. The Consummata. Hard Case Crime: Titan. Oct. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9780857682888. pap. $9.95. F
Collins again channels Spillane in this revenge-driven outing featuring Morgan the Raider (who appeared originally in Spillane’s 1967 The Delta Factor). Here, Morgan is out to clear his name in a $40 million heist he didn’t pull and to put a hardball slug from his trusty .45 between the eyes of whoever is making him the patsy. Hiding out in Miami’s underbelly, Morgan is aided by exiled Cubans, who enlist him to help recover $75,000 they’ve amassed to help overthrow Castro, which was stolen by a trusted member of their group in a double cross. As soon as Morgan agrees to help, assassins begin trying to kill him, but that doesn’t prove too easy. VERDICT Spillane/Collins furnishes just enough good old-fashioned sex and violence to keep the story flowing without overkill. The men are tough, the women are sexy, and the pages turn faster than the bodies pile up—what else could you ask for in a hard-boiled thriller? This should prove a satisfying read for either author’s fans.—Mike Rogers, Library Journal
Stein, Michael. The Rape of the Muse. Permanent. Oct. 2011. c.206p. ISBN 9781579622237. $28. F
Taking a break from his New York City art studio, Rand Taber finds himself in New Haven, CT, helping stage a new show for eccentric artist Harris Montrose. While there, he witnesses the crumbling of an ages-old friendship between Montrose and Simon Pruhar. When Montrose creates a work of art titled The Rape of the Muse and allows it to be published in Vanity Fair, Pruhar sues for libel, contending that he is depicted as the rapist in the work. VERDICT Basing his story on a real-life drama, award-winning author Stein (In the Age of Love) crafts his quirky characters to reflect the complexities in all human relationships. It’s a bit uncertain whether this story takes place in New Haven or Providence, but location notwithstanding, this work is a fascinating inside look at the art world and will appeal to most fiction readers.—Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Lib., Providence
Stephenson, Neal. Reamde. Morrow. Sept. 2011. c.1056p. ISBN 9780061977961. $35. F
After the best-selling Anathem, Stephenson’s latest blockbuster introduces Dodge Forthrast, a legendary gamer, famous for his illegal past and for T’Rain, the hugely successful real-time strategy game he created. When teenage hackers in China unleash a computer virus named Reamde in T’Rain, the virus interrupts the daily business of the criminal underworld, who use the virtual world of T’Rain to launder real-world dollars. The plot intensifies both inside the game and around the globe, as gamers, fantasy writers, and hackers try to outplay a wide range of bad guys including the Russian mob, Islamic terrorists, and MI6. VERDICT Stephenson continues to deliver cyberthrillers packed equally with detailed backstory and action adventure. It is a great crossover recommendation for sf readers interested in thrillers and for fans of spy novels who appreciate intricate plotlines and technical detail. [See Prepub Alert, 3/14/11.]—Catherine Lantz, Morton Coll. Lib., Cicero, IL
Svoboda, Terese. Bohemian Girl. Bison: Univ. of Nebraska Pr. (Flyover Fiction). Sept. 2011. c.208p. ed. by Ron Hansen. ISBN 9780803226821. pap. $14.95. F
Set at the beginning of the Civil War, Svoboda’s fifth novel (after Pirate Talk or Mermalade) is told from the unusual perspective of Harriet, a young woman whose father has sold her into slavery to settle a gambling debt owed to a Native American obsessed with building a mound. After escaping captivity, she encounters a range of colorful individuals on the American frontier, her adventures recalling those of Huck and Jim in Twain’s classic American novel. To protect herself, she eventually feigns the identity of a slain shopkeeper’s niece and assumes ownership of his store while also pretending to be the mother of an abandoned child. VERDICT In this nod to Willa Cather’s My Ántonia, Svoboda offers a brave and believable heroine who not only perseveres but thrives amid strange characters and harsh times. Her skill as a poet is evident in her descriptions of both emotional and physical landscapes. Recommended for all fiction readers.—Faye A. Chadwell, Oregon State Univ. Libs., Corvallis
Thon, Melanie Rae. The Voice of the River. Univ. of Alabama. Sept. 2011. c.216p. ISBN 9781573661621. pap. $15.50. F
A “tattered rag,” cowering and half-wild, Talia is rescued from the pound by 17-year-old Kai. He has a touch of the wild himself but loves the dog from the start. One cold February morning, when the two are walking with Kai’s grandfather, Theo, Talia chases a squirrel across the river’s thin ice, which can’t hold her. Kai plunges in after his dog, and the rest of this affecting, lyrically incisive novel by Whiting Award winner Thon (In this Light) takes place during the community’s desperate search for the lost companions. It’s all told slant, with the stories of searchers and family disclosing an accumulated world of hope and sorrow. Theo recalls when his son went missing, returned home months later by the police; Daniel Sidoti recalls lying broken for 19 hours after his car plunged off a cliff in the dark. We learn of Kai’s cousin Tulanie, paralyzed in a bicycle accident; of Kai’s divorced parents, his edgy Vietnam vet uncle, and the little girl Kai once loved, now dead. Throughout, the obdurately still world—“river, cloud, birch, aspen”—looks on. VERDICT Heartrending yet never bathetic, this story of loss and love will deeply satisfy most fiction readers.—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Wallace, Nicolle. It’s Classified. Atria: S. & S. Sept. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9781451610963. $25. F
A year after her acclaimed debut novel, Eighteen Acres, Wallace offers an exciting sequel. As a former White House communications director under President George W. Bush, the author is particularly qualified to provide an insider’s view of the daily power struggles, maneuverings, and machinations inherent to Washington politics. She picks up the story with Republican President Charlotte Kramer in her second term following a close reelection. Charlotte’s selection of a Democrat and a woman as her running mate gave her the edge with an electorate who applauded such a refreshingly bipartisan move. Vice President Tara Meyers, however, has a secret history of mental fragility that escaped detection in the vetting process. She begins to crack again under the obligations of the job and the intense scrutiny of the media. Even her arrogant husband, Marcus, who has made it his life’s work to support and control her, cannot contain the damage. Wallace depicts how the pressures of high public office can take a toll on mental health, contribute to the breakdown of relationships, and threaten a government administration. VERDICT Essential reading for all political fiction junkies but especially for those who enjoyed Wallace’s first novel. [See Prepub Alert, 2/28/11.]—Sheila Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC
Short stories
DeLillo, Don. The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories. Scribner. Nov. 2011. c.224p. ISBN 9781451655841. $24. F
This first collection from DeLillo (White Noise) gathers stories published in various literary magazines over the last three decades. What’s immediately clear is how consistent his voice has been throughout his career. “Human Moments in World War III” stands out, describing two crew members on a spacecraft orbiting Earth both to monitor and to help the human species destroy itself. With the grim precision of a surgeon, DeLillo describes the phases of the narrators’ psyches during this mission, creating a metaphor for modern life. The settings of all nine stories confront both the exotic and the mundane, with two following unemployed characters on the streets of New York City. There is also a topical story on the financial meltdown from inside a white-collar crime prison. VERDICT For readers of literary fiction, this book is a good introduction to DeLillo’s iconic postmodern style, though those new to the genre may find it a somewhat hard pill to swallow. DeLillo fans will appreciate the fix before his next novel and seeing the various themes he’s touched on over the years.—Kate Gray, New York
Dockrill, Laura. Echoes: Wickedly Terrifying Tales from the Undergrowth. HarperCollins UK, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Nov. 2011. 334p. illus. ISBN 9780007301294. pap. $13.95. F
Most people think they know their fables—but they’ve never seen them like this. This is a world where cowboy lovers fall prey to overprotective fathers and beautiful young women fall victim to overbearing mothers. Princesses, ghosts, wolves, monsters, and trolls wreak havoc while the foolish, proud, and indulgent meet a dark fate; tales you think you know are brought into our current century, then turned upside down and inside out. Magic and morality plays crash together in unexpected ways in this collection from British newcomer Dockrill. VERDICT This delicious blend of the macabre and the enchanting, illuminated by the author’s own illustrations, will leave readers hungry for more. Fairy tale–loving fans of writers as diverse as Angela Carter, Neil Gaiman, Roald Dahl, Gregory Maguire, and Edward Gorey won’t want to miss this unusual collection of stories and poems.—Leigh Wright, Bridgewater, NJ
Faber, Michel. The Apple: Crimson Petal Stories. Canongate UK, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Sept. 2011. c.200p.ISBN 9780857860859. pap. $14.95. F
Welcome back Sugar, the wily prostitute who turned her fortunes on their ear in The Crimson Petal and the White, and her colorful band of street urchins, miscreants, and ladies of the night from Faber’s Victorian England. Responding to readers who begged him to resolve the uncertainties left at the end of that novel, Faber revives many of his principals and bit players while still leaving Sugar and her ward, Sophie, some mystery. These sparkling gems include “Clara and the Rat Man,” in which a wary prostitute reluctantly agrees to perform an unsavory act while attending a match at a rat pit, and “A Mighty Horde of Women in Very Big Hats, Advancing,” told from the perspective of a 92-year-old (Sophie’s son) reminiscing over his unconventional youth, accompanying his parents on a historic march for woman’s suffrage. VERDICT Like Sugar at 17, unable to resist the chocolates she intended to give away as a Christmas present, readers may find it equally hard to resist devouring this slim but tasty confection in one sitting. Highly recommended for admirers of Crimson Petal and for those who like their bonbons spicy.—Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Ont.
LAST-MINUTE MYSTERY
Block, Lawrence writing as Jill Emerson. Getting Off. Hard Case Crime: Titan. Sept. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9780857682871. $29.99. M
In Hard Case Crime’s first hardcover release, Block slips into his Jill Emerson persona to present a “novel of sex and violence.” Child incest victim Katherine Anne Tolliver grows up to have a killer face, killer bod, and killer personality—as in, serial killer. After murdering her parents, she goes on a cross-country killing spree that makes Ted Bundy look like Mickey Mouse. The überslut psycho bitch has a seemingly unquenchable thirst for sex and murder. She’s obsessed with tracking down every guy she’s ever slept with (Google, every killer’s best friend), giving him another thrill ride in the sack, and then doing him in (and since he’s dead, might as well take his money). Her bed ’em and dead ’em plan takes her through a series of fleabag hotels, greasy spoons, and low-end jobs (the pay stinks, but she gets to butcher her boss). Fate brings her to board in a house owned by Rita. The two become fast friends and, ultimately, bedmates who share every secret. VERDICT Featuring truckloads of hard-core sex and violence, this sleazefest isn’t for everybody, but taken in the spirit in which it’s presented, it’s a trashy, fun read.—Mike Rogers, Library Journal
Rendell, Ruth. The Vault: An Inspector Wexford Novel. Scribner. Sept. 2011. c.288p. ISBN 9781451624083. $26. M
This sequel to Rendell’s 1999 A Sight for Sore Eyes—and the 23rd installment of her Inspector Wexford series—begins with the discovery of four bodies under the patio of a lovely cottage in the exclusive London suburb of St. John’s Wood. Three of the victims died 12 years ago, but the fourth body, that of a provocatively dressed young woman, has been in the vault for only two years. Stymied in their attempts to identify the victims and discover how they came to their violent ends, the London police call in the retired but restless Wexford to serve as a consultant. VERDICT Rendell crams so many characters and plotlines into her story that some readers may have difficulty keeping it all straight and remaining engaged. This experienced author, however, does an admirable job of tying everything together in the end. Recommended for procedural fans and for Rendell’s many faithful readers.—Jane la Plante, Minot State Univ. Lib., ND
