A bracing combination of bureaucracy bashing and mystical mystery.
A system meant to help two young, orphaned brothers fails them in this paranormal thriller by the author of In Strictest Confidence (2017).
In 1968, fraternal twins Wayne and Mateo McBride become orphans at age 7 when their drug addict father, just out of prison, shoots and kills their addict mother. The authorities send the boys to the Bronx Children’s Shelter, their first stop in New York’s social services bureaucracy. Wayne is an angry tough guy while Mateo is a sensitive “wimp” (though he has a protector in his alter, Mark, an alternate self who comes out whenever Mateo feels threatened). Over the next few weeks, they meet the people with who will affect their fates. These include Jimmy Lee, a fledgling child welfare worker; Dr. Antonio Perez, an overworked child psychiatrist; and Bill Hael, at first a guard at the shelter and later a homicide detective. Perez makes the fateful decision to separate the twins. Wayne gets placed with a foster mother who is secretly a drug addict, and he later becomes a drug lord after spending time in a boys’ detention center. A loving couple takes in Mateo, and he flourishes, becoming a tennis star, a pharmaceutical executive, and a politician. But detective Hael is haunted by dreams he can’t explain, and just when readers think they know where the book is going, it takes a sharp turn. A psychologist and Bronx native, Canzoniero has counseled abused children, teenage drug addicts, and adult alcoholics, and his familiarity with the underfunded world of social services—and its heartbreaking mistakes—is apparent. Wayne and Mateo needed everything to go right if they were to become productive members of society, and things go wrong for them from the start as Canzoniero takes what could have been just a screed about bureaucratic bungling and gives it a twist, resulting in a lively paranormal thriller. Like all good thrillers, this one keeps readers guessing.
A bracing combination of bureaucracy bashing and mystical mystery.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 379
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A unique story of transcendent love.
An aimless young musician meets the girl of his dreams only to have his newfound happiness threatened by several inexplicable—and possibly supernatural—events.
The story opens as Leeds Gabriel meets with a detective while his girlfriend, Layla, is restrained in a room one flight above them. Through the interview, readers learn that Leeds was wasting both his time and his musical talent playing backup for a small-town wedding troupe called Garrett’s Band when he spied Layla dancing her heart out to their mediocre music at a wedding. When Leeds approaches Layla, their connection is both instant and intense. A blissful courtship follows, but then Leeds makes the mistake of posting a picture of himself with Layla on social media. A former girlfriend–turned-stalker wastes no time in finding and attacking Layla. Layla spends months recovering in a hospital, and it seems the girl Leeds fell for might be forever changed. Gone is her special spark, her quirkiness, and the connection that had entranced Leeds months before. In a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, he brings Layla back to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. When they get there, though, Leeds meets Willow, another guest, and finds himself drawn to her in spite of himself. As events unfold, it becomes clear that Willow will either be the key to saving Leeds’ relationship with Layla or the catalyst that finally extinguishes the last shreds of their epic romance. Told entirely from Leeds’ point of view, the author’s first foray into paranormal romance does not disappoint. Peppered with elements of mystery, psychological thriller, and contemporary romance, the novel explores questions about how quickly true love can develop, as well as the conflicts that can imperil even the strongest connections. Despite a limited cast of characters and very few setting changes, the narrative manages to remain both fast-paced and engaging. The conclusion leaves a few too many loose ends, but the chemistry between the characters and unexpected twists throughout make for a satisfying read.
A unique story of transcendent love.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0017-8
Page Count: 301
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
Well-drawn characters introduce the criminal underworld to the occult kind in a breathless and compelling plot.
A Yale sophomore fights for her life as she balances academics with supernatural extracurriculars in this smart fantasy thriller, the second in a series.
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is a member of Lethe House, the ninth of Yale’s secret societies. And not just any member—she’s Virgil, the officer who conducts the society's rituals. In the world of Bardugo’s Alex Stern series, Yale’s secret societies command not just powerful social networks, but actual magic; it’s Lethe’s job to keep that magic in control. Alex is new to the role. She had to take over in a hurry after the previous Virgil, Darlington, her mentor and love interest, disappeared in a cliffhanger at the end of the first book. He appears to be in hell, but is he stuck there for good? Alex and Pamela Dawes—Lethe’s Oculus, or archivist/administrator—have found a reference to a pathway called a Gauntlet that can open a portal to hell, but can they find the Gauntlet itself? And what about the four murderers the Gauntlet ritual requires? Meanwhile, Alex’s past as a small-time drug dealer is catching up with her, adding gritty street crime to the demonic white-collar evil the Yale crowd tends to prefer. The plot is relentless and clever, and the writing is vivid, intelligent, and funny at just the right moments, but best of all are the complex characters, such as the four murderers, each with a backstory that makes it possible for the reader to trust them to enter hell and have the strength to leave again. Like the first book, this one ends with a cliffhanger.
Well-drawn characters introduce the criminal underworld to the occult kind in a breathless and compelling plot.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-31310-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
© Copyright 2024 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.
bookshelf
