A sleek thrill ride that loses traction only when it delves into exposition that overshadows its urgency.
Fleeing the mob is easier said than done, especially when you’re holding a cache of their cash.
On the orders of crime boss Donny Apostolis, loyal lieutenant Brodie is sent to deal with “a valuable asset” named Karima Coogan. Donny’s overeager nephew, Zephyr, accompanies Brodie as wingman. This move is part of a larger turf war between the Apostolis and Ziyades crime families, the details of which are only partially known to Brodie. A last-minute call from Donny changes everything. Brodie, who narrates in a brisk, downbeat first person, is ordered to kill both Zef, who’s uncontrollable and disloyal, and Karima, who’s stolen a large chunk of Apostolis money. As Brodie ponders his next move, Zef implements an unexpected plan of his own. He shoots Brodie, who manages to return fire before losing consciousness. When Brodie wakes up, Karima has taken him to see a doctor—and Zef’s dead. After a quick recovery, Brodie makes a decision: “The only plan is to keep moving.” The duo buys a cheap car and goes on the run. Bilal devotes much of the tale to the delicate dance of trust between Brodie and Karima as they seek a way out of their dangerous situation. They grow closer as they share the backstories that landed them in this mess. Both have been disillusioned with their criminal involvement for a long time. Meanwhile, the threats of uncertainty and revenge make it necessary to question even the loyalty of friends.
A sleek thrill ride that loses traction only when it delves into exposition that overshadows its urgency.Pub Date: July 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7278-5039-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Severn House
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
A smart and engaging literary thriller that bears down too hard on its themes.
At the home of an eccentric millionaire, a woman discovers out-of-the-ordinary events.
When her husband is invited to finish writing his book at the island home of a reclusive millionaire, Anna is relieved: If he sells it, they’ll be able to keep their Bronx apartment and she won’t have to go back to work at the laundry. It’s 1918, and Charles Fort—based on a real-life figure—is hard at work on a book about unexplained phenomena, such as objects falling from a clear sky: frogs, for example, or even bits of flesh, or blood. If Anna has doubts about the legitimacy of his research, she keeps them to herself. In any case, when the millionaire Claude Arkel offers the couple a place to stay for the winter, they eagerly accept. Almost immediately, though, things seem to be off. Arkel runs a school for wayward girls, and three students are missing. Meanwhile, there’s no sign of Arkel himself, and with the Spanish flu raging in the outside world, the Forts are stuck in quarantine. Bakis’ latest novel has the pacing and suspense of a smart literary thriller: It’s almost impossible to put down once you’ve started it. But Bakis can be heavy-handed in her treatment of the themes that undergird her story—in this case, women who support ambitious men. That’s not to say Bakis’ case doesn’t hold water, but she strikes the same note again and again in a way that is more repetitive than satisfying. So, for example, when the Forts first arrive on Arkel’s island, and Charles observes that the grand house is “modeled on the Château de Chambord in the Val de Loire” and Anna responds, “I know, I’m the one who showed you the article,” the mansplaining moment isn’t nearly as funny as it was apparently intended to be; it's just frustrating, in a teeth-grinding way.
A smart and engaging literary thriller that bears down too hard on its themes.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9781324093534
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Liveright/Norton
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Smart, edgy, and entertaining as heck.
Against her better judgment, Lucy Chase returns to her hometown of Plumpton, Texas, for her grandmother’s birthday, knowing full well that almost everyone in town still believes she murdered her best friend five years ago, when they were in their early 20s.
Coincidentally—or is it?—Ben Owens, a true-crime podcaster, is also in town, interviewing Lucy’s family and former friends about the murder of Savannah Harper, “just the sweetest girl you ever met,” who died from several violent blows to the head. Lucy was found hours later covered in blood, with no memory of what happened. She was—and is—a woman with secrets, which has not endeared her to the people of Plumpton; their narrative is that she was always violent, secretive, difficult. But Ben wants to tell Lucy’s story; attractive and relentless, he uncovers new evidence and coaxes new interviews, and people slowly begin to question whether Lucy is truly guilty. Lucy, meanwhile, lets down her guard, and as she and Ben draw closer together, she has to finally face the truth of her past and unmask the murderer of her complicated, gorgeous, protective friend. Most of the novel is told from Lucy’s point of view, which allows for a natural unspooling of the layers of her life and her story. She’s strong, she’s prickly, and we gradually begin to understand just how wronged she has been. The story is a striking commentary on the insular and harmful nature of small-town prejudice and how women who don’t fit a certain mold are often considered outliers, if not straight-up villains. Tintera is smart to capitalize on how the true-crime podcast boom informs and infuses the current fictional thriller scene; she’s also effective at writing action that transcends the podcast structure.
Smart, edgy, and entertaining as heck.Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781250880314
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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