This ecological novel follows an eclectic group of geniuses who are trying to rescue a Mediterranean island.

Bart Beasley, a Canadian author of “novelistic memoirs,” returns to the island where he lived for several years during his adolescence. He feels Cyprus could use help with a handful of concerns, from desertification to rising sea levels that threaten sea turtle hatcheries. So Bart procures money from a foundation and puts together a think tank of specialists with their own areas to tackle. American Jewish neurologist Albert Vygotsky, for example, carries out a double-blind experiment on enhancing mirror neurons to “convert bullies into buddies.” With luck, this will settle the long-standing animosity between Turkish and Greek Cypriots. But the think tank members often fall into misadventure, usually through no fault of their own. Meteorologist Gayle Drake-Larkin and nutritionist Jasmine Ivory distribute Gayle’s “Rainfall Superpowder” via plane. But on the ground, locals dismissing the Superpowder’s purpose accuse the women of being American spies. There are also romantic entanglements in the think tank, specifically a series of mostly unreciprocated crushes. Gayle seems drawn to Bart; she disregards English zoologist Darcy Peatman’s affection for her. All the while, the think tank checks off a few successes. Darcy helps save sea turtles and Jasmine gives Cyprus a healthier diet (including banning British chips from menus). But as narrator Bart teases early on, someone “intent on sabotaging” his “benevolent scheme” may see to it that these geniuses’ efforts go to waste.

Lockridge concentrates more on the compelling characters than their endeavors and island locale. Each think tank member, for example, has a striking backstory. Archaeologist Melusina Frei is “saddled” with a grandfather who belonged to a Nazi think tank, and Jasmine faced endless trials as a Black woman with anorexia. The geniuses run into trouble on Cyprus as well. Albert endures both an investigation and serious accusations regarding his experiments. It’s hardly surprising that Cypriots receive much less of the spotlight, with the exceptions being Armide Asani, a Sunni Muslim, and Renaud Remis, a Christian Greek. But their involvement in the plot links strongly to the think tank. All this focus on the cast produces a deliberate pace, although the compact novel (under 200 pages) is still a fast read. Surreal moments further boost the enjoyable narrative, often tying into the island’s rich history. These include Bart’s search for French poet Arthur Rimbaud’s supposedly abandoned notebook and impersonators of long-departed authors showing up on Cyprus and staying in character, sparking conversations with the dead. At the same time, the story boasts amusing morsels, such as Gayle’s precarious piloting skills, which incite Jasmine to pop Valiums and Bart to momentarily regret his atheism. Lockridge’s concise prose offers vivid descriptions, from a darkening sky hovering over the ordinarily “sun-drenched isle” to the six think tank members relegated to one suite that features a “mosquito-ridden bathroom.” Scanlon’s black-and-white sketches enrich the pages and intriguingly give animals, like a sea turtle and an agama lizard, more detail than humans.

An engaging tale of the ups and downs of outsiders’ interventions.

A TV reporter tries to track down one of America’s greatest hoaxes in this comic novel.

Cooperstown, New York, 2003. The Cardiff Giant has been a local oddity of upstate New York ever since it was unearthed from a farmer’s field in 1869. Though the 10-foot-tall petrified man was quickly discovered to be a hoax, it remains a popular attraction at Cooperstown’s Farmers’ Museum—at least until it mysteriously vanishes. As part of his new position as a reporter for the Discovery Channel, Jack Thrasher is sent to investigate the disappearance, and he’s making a point to leave his skepticism at the door. “Enlightenment was bad for ratings,” explains Jack. “Let the ordinariness of life give way to the extraordinary, the marvelous—the paranormal!” In that spirit, he’s dutifully recording all the out-there theories of the locals, even when they propose that the giant came back to life or was abducted by aliens. But as Jack settles into the village, he soon begins to realize that the giant is hardly the weirdest thing about Cooperstown, a place replete with cabalists, astrologers, devotees of plant spirit medicine, and even a ravioli bearing an incredible resemblance to Mel Gibson. Can Jack get to the bottom of this disappearance without diving headfirst into the realm of the absurd? Lockridge’s prose is humorous and rich with detail, particularly regarding the history of the town and its oddities. At one point, Jack relates: “I got locked into the Baseball Hall of Fame after hours. I’d fallen asleep in the men’s room at closing. I was so battered, poisoned, and bitten since arriving in Cooperstown—and pumped so full of antibiotics, emetics, valium, and anti-inflammatories—that I wasn’t steady on my feet and was prone to narcosis.” The text is accompanied by stylish, black-and-white illustrations by Scanlon (who also provides the striking cover art). The plot unfolds at a leisurely pace, and there is a lot more banter than there are dramatic incidents or moments of high tension. The author is ultimately most interested in investigating the strange beliefs that animate people. Those who are similarly curious will find much to enjoy here.

An engaging, chatty, and meandering tale about the ways people make sense of the world.