An intermittently dramatic adventure story hampered by stilted dialogue and too much exposition.
Karl’s debut novel tells the story of an ordinary man who goes to extraordinary measures to fight apartheid in 1970s Swaziland.
It’s 1977, and Frank George is carrying a package for the African National Congress through a South African airport. This act of rebellion could land him in jail, but he manages to sneak through and get the package safely into the hands of a comrade. From there, Frank finds himself getting pulled deeper into the underground civil rights groups who are determined to overthrow the apartheid government. He settles in Swaziland, securing a job at a government statistical office while secretly transporting guns and munitions on behalf of the ANC. Along the way, he makes friends and contacts at the local university and falls in love with a local named Lindiwe Oliver, a nightclub singer. But Frank’s work becomes increasingly dangerous as the authorities begin bearing down on his underground gunrunning operation. And when an associate gets captured, it’s only a matter of time before Frank’s name is leaked. The fact that the novel is based on the author’s own experiences supporting the ANC in the 1970s and 1980s makes the story worth reading; there are also brief but effective scenes of suspense scattered liberally throughout—such as a gripping set piece where Frank must hide his shipment of guns in the woods to evade South African authorities. But such fleeting, heart-pounding moments can’t make up for ignoring the common writing advice of show, don’t tell. Narrative snippets like “My earlier tone indicated how fragile my state of mind was at the time,” and “You are reliable, complete all your tasks, and do not try to take charge” seem superfluous and should be implied through the characters’ actions. Much of the novel pans out this way—too much is explained instead of letting readers come to their own conclusions. This tendency slows the narrative pace and makes it so genuine moments of tension or excitement are few and far between.
An intermittently dramatic adventure story hampered by stilted dialogue and too much exposition.Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2022
ISBN: 9798987014103
Page Count: 350
Publisher: Kurt E Karl Consulting LLC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 27, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
