Fine writing but not a single likable character in this bizarre conservation story.
Fired from an ad agency—and with murder on his mind—a man gets pulled into an arms dealer’s scheme to save Africa’s wildlife in a tale of quid pro quo.
In this debut novel, Chicago ad executive Harry Bones purges much of his agency’s staff, including art director and South African emigrant Roger Storm, whom he has long loathed, particularly for his unhip wardrobe. After the dismissal, Harry asks 56-year-old Roger what his plans are and is told, “I’m going to think of a way to kill you, Harry.” But first Roger goes to Paris. Sad and drinking too much, he laments his depressing childhood and current situation. After talking to his hotel’s concierge about a malfunctioning television remote (“Have you been watching pornography, Monsieur Storm? We’ve found that semen is the worst thing for remote controllers. It clogs the buttons”), Roger heads to a restaurant, where he is shocked to see his childhood friend Freddy Blank, who supposedly died years earlier. Freddy’s faked suicide helped him in his career as an arms dealer, working with his lover Jamie Bowes and “sexy assassin” Conchita Palomino, daughter of a Mossad agent and a Colombian revolutionary. The trio’s company, PaloMar Industries, made a fortune selling weapons, and some of the money now finances saving Africa’s endangered wildlife “from land encroachment, poachers, and trophy hunters” by whatever means necessary. Harries, a retired leader at a global ad company, shows an obvious passion and knowledge of Africa in this well-written series opener. Unfortunately, the methods used to kill big game hunters are disturbing; case in point, death by sexual violation by hippo. The book has humor, but it also has a deeply cruel streak and an unsympathetic cast. Character comments display a disdain for minorities, the overweight, and women—unless they are attractive. In what can be considered either clever or pretentious, lengthy chapter titles begin with “In Which,” similar to those in the classic Don Quixote.
Fine writing but not a single likable character in this bizarre conservation story.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-950628-04-9
Page Count: 315
Publisher: Rhino Books
Review Posted Online: April 10, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A grim yet gleefully gratifying tale of lost innocence and found family.
A woman fears she made a fatal mistake by taking in a blood-soaked tween during a storm.
High winds and torrential rain are forecast for “The Middle of Nowhere, New Hampshire,” making Casey question the structural integrity of her ramshackle rental cabin. Still, she’s loath to seek shelter with her lecherous landlord or her paternalistic neighbor, so instead she just crosses her fingers, gathers some candles, and hopes for the best. Casey is cooking dinner when she notices a light in her shed. She grabs her gun and investigates, only to find a rail-thin girl hiding in the corner under a blanket. She’s clutching a knife with “Eleanor” written on the handle in black marker, and though her clothes are bloody, she appears uninjured. The weather is rapidly worsening, so before she can second-guess herself, former Boston-area teacher Casey invites the girl—whom she judges to be 12 or 13—inside to eat and get warm. A wary but starving Eleanor accepts in exchange for Casey promising not to call the police—a deal Casey comes to regret after the phones go down, the power goes out, and her hostile, sullen guest drops something that’s a big surprise. Meanwhile, in interspersed chapters labeled “Before,” middle-schooler Ella befriends fellow outcast Anton, who helps her endure life in Medford, Massachusetts, with her abusive, neglectful hoarder of a mother. As per her usual, McFadden lulls readers using a seemingly straightforward thriller setup before launching headlong into a series of progressively seismic (and increasingly bonkers) plot twists. The visceral first-person, present-tense narrative alternates perspectives, fostering tension and immediacy while establishing character and engendering empathy. Ella and Anton’s relationship particularly shines, its heartrending authenticity counterbalancing some of the story’s soapier turns.
A grim yet gleefully gratifying tale of lost innocence and found family.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781464260919
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
Have tissues ready as you read this. A small package will do.
A love story about a life of second chances.
In Nassau, in the Bahamas, casino detective Vincent LaPorta grills Alfie Logan, who’d come up a winner three times in a row at the roulette table and walked away with $2 million. “How did you do it?” asks the detective. Alfie calmly denies cheating. You wired all the money to a Gianna Rule, LaPorta says. Why? To explain, Alfie produces a composition book with the words “For the Boss, to Be Read Upon My Death” written on the cover. Read this for answers, Alfie suggests, calling it a love story. His mother had passed along to him a strange trait: He can say “Twice!” and go back to a specific time and place to have a do-over. But it only works once for any particular moment, and then he must live with the new consequences. He can only do this for himself and can’t prevent anyone from dying. Alfie regularly uses his power—failing to impress a girl the first time, he finds out more about her, goes back in time, and presto! She likes him. The premise is of course not credible—LaPorta doesn’t buy it either—but it’s intriguing. Most people would probably love to go back and unsay something. The story’s focus is on Alfie’s love for Gianna and whether it’s requited, unrequited, or both. In any case, he’s obsessed with her. He’s a good man, though, an intelligent person with ordinary human failings and a solid moral compass. Albom writes in a warm, easy style that transports the reader to a world of second chances and what-ifs, where spirituality lies close to the surface but never intrudes on the story. Though a cynic will call it sappy, anyone who is sick to their core from the daily news will enjoy this escape from reality.
Have tissues ready as you read this. A small package will do.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780062406682
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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