A unique tale of karmic revenge that captivates from page one.
In Academy Award–winner Kernochan’s (Dry Hustle, 1977) second novel, the past and present collide in a small New England town, as a young woman struggles to piece together her centuries-old memories.
Graynier, Mass., is a town without distinction. Once the home of the Graynier Glass factory, 150 years later it’s merely a blip on the map. Yet, Brett Sampson, on vacation with a young son he barely knows, feels a connection and fondness he can’t explain. Early one morning, a young woman knocks on his door, claiming to have been born in the summer rental home. A wisp of a girl with only a pink duffel bag, antiquated speech and vague memories, Jane asks to stay, and Brett finds that he can’t say no. Their meeting sets the stage for an innovative drama that seamlessly blends past and present with a supernatural twist that feels genuine and natural. Jane leads a strong cast of characters whose lives and histories are intertwined in ways they could never imagine. Each of Kernochan’s characters, no matter their significance, are exquisitely drawn with intricate back stories full of all the aching flaws and promise that make them human and believable. As Jane begins her quest to remember her past—a life lived over 150 years ago—the inhabitants of Graynier set a collision course with destiny. Brett’s fascination with Jane infuriates his son, Collin, who, along with newfound friend Gita, is convinced Jane is a demon. The two cosmic warriors set out to destroy Jane while Brett tries to dig up the truth to her seemingly impossible story. On parallel paths, Hoyt Eddy, the brilliant town misanthrope, and Marly Walczak, the cheerful local whore, continue their downward spiral of self-destruction, each experiencing disturbing hallucinations that begin the night Jane comes to town. The seemingly disparate lives weave together with beautiful prose that moves quickly to a calamitous end.
A unique tale of karmic revenge that captivates from page one.Pub Date: June 14, 2011
ISBN: 978-0980037722
Page Count: 330
Publisher: Grey Swan Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Even when King is not at his best, he’s still good.
Two killers are on the loose. Can they be stopped?
In this ambitious mystery, the prolific and popular King tells the story of a serial murderer who pledges, in a note to Buckeye City police, to kill “13 innocents and 1 guilty,” in order, we eventually learn, to avenge the death of a man who was framed and convicted for possession of child pornography and then killed in prison. At the same time, the author weaves in the efforts of another would-be murderer, a member of a violently abortion-opposing church who has been stalking a popular feminist author and women’s rights activist on a publicity tour. To tell these twin tales of murders done and intended, King summons some familiar characters, including private investigator Holly Gibney, whom readers may recall from previous novels. Gibney is enlisted to help Buckeye City police detective Izzy Jaynes try to identify and stop the serial killer, who has been murdering random unlucky citizens with chilling efficiency. She’s also been hired as a bodyguard for author and activist Kate McKay and her young assistant. The author succeeds in grabbing the reader’s interest and holding it throughout this page-turning tale of terror, which reads like a big-screen thriller. The action is well paced, the settings are vividly drawn, and King’s choice to focus on the real and deadly dangers of extremist thought is admirable. But the book is hamstrung by cliched characters, hackneyed dialogue (both spoken and internal), and motives that feel both convoluted and overly simplistic. King shines brightest when he gets to the heart of our darkest fears and desires, but here the dangers seem a bit cerebral. In his warning letter to the police, the serial killer wonders if his cryptic rationale to murder will make sense to others, concluding, “It does to me, and that is enough.” Is it enough? In another writer’s work, it might not be, but in King’s skilled hands, it probably is.
Even when King is not at his best, he’s still good.Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781668089330
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
A fun read. Terrorists make great Clancy fodder.
Evildoers plan attacks from America to India, and Jack Ryan Jr. is a prime target.
In Washington state, a man and his family are murdered, and President Jack Ryan learns it is another Poseidon Spear incident. Three retired members of that counterterrorism group have been killed now, and the U.S. government suspects a mole in its midst. Meanwhile, the Umayyad Revolutionary Council believes it has a holy and wholly anti-American mission. Against this backdrop, Jack Ryan Jr., and his fiancée, Lisanne Robertson, visit Delhi, India, to attend the wedding of Srini Rai, the brilliant surgeon who attached Lisanne’s prosthetic left arm. Lisanne had lost her arm in Tom Clancy Shadow of the Dragon (2020). Jack and Lisanne are both operators working for the Campus, a covert group that executes secret presidential directives. A wedding is a happy occasion, and the engaged American couple intend the trip as a vacation. Jack and Lisanne will attend a sangeet, an elaborate pre-wedding party. But it isn’t long before they survive a suicide bomb attack. As with all Clancy novels, there’s plenty of action on a global scale. In simultaneous strikes, terrorists plan to contaminate America’s Western water supply with radioactive waste from Washington’s Hanford nuclear power plant, blow up a spectacular new bridge in Kashmir, and kill the evil Ryan—or Junior, at least. It will be At-Takwir, the end of days. There is an appealing mix of Indian culture, high-speed action, and the rich lode of details that characterizes the whole series. And in the background lingers the question on several characters’ minds: Have Jack and Lisanne set their own wedding date?
A fun read. Terrorists make great Clancy fodder.Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780593718032
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 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.
