Occasional narrative stumbles are more than made up for with deft characterizations.
In Carroll’s (Dooley’s Dollars, 2010, etc.) political thriller, the Irish Republican Army organizes an attack on the London Underground, sending in five disposable people.
In 1986 Northern Ireland, Carlos approaches members of the IRA with a plan: In exchange for two million dollars, he’ll formulate a scheme to stop the London Underground trains, effectively shutting down the British capitol. The price is steep, but the IRA hopes the resultant chaos will bolster Northern Ireland’s claim for independence. Pat, Gerry, Sean, Roddy and Peter, each deemed expendable, are chosen to enact the scheme; all they have to do is follow simple instructions and stay clear of authorities. The novel gets off to a bumpy start with (female) Pat on the thieving end of a daring armored-van heist; the scene may strike readers as out of place, since Pat is anything but the novel’s protagonist. Subsequent chapters center on numerous characters, introducing the other four terrorists individually as they are selected for the mission. The travels of mastermind Carlos as well as IRA agents Roger and Krells prove overly detailed, further adding to the book’s sluggish start. But once the plan is set in motion, the novel hits its narrative stride. Suddenly, even the seemingly mundane act of Carlos purchasing gardening tools will pique readers’ curiosity because its eventual purpose is certain. The book focuses more on descriptions of preparations than the actual terrorist act, affording ample time for characters’ personalities to develop. All the would-be terrorists, excluding Gerry, pass the weeks together awaiting instructions—Pat with Paul, the tour guide; Roddy with Francie, the young nanny—each manifesting different outcomes. There are also frequent reminders of the looming plan: Peter times the distance between the Underground and his hotel; Pat constantly worries about a double-cross; Gerry researches the Underground, determined to learn what he’ll be asked to do. Quite a bit of slang is utilized but it’s subtly defined; the meaning of a curvy barmaid’s “Charlies” is easy to discern. The ending may seem anticlimactic to some readers, but perhaps that’s the point of the novel—the ends depend on what may or may not go wrong with the means.
Occasional narrative stumbles are more than made up for with deft characterizations.Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2010
ISBN: 978-0910390163
Page Count: 260
Publisher: Coda
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Heartfelt, yes, but pretty routine.
Life lessons.
Angie Malone, the youngest of a big, warm Italian-American family, returns to her Pacific Northwest hometown to wrestle with various midlife disappointments: her divorce, Papa’s death, a downturn in business at the family restaurant, and, above all, her childlessness. After several miscarriages, she, a successful ad exec, and husband Conlan, a reporter, befriended a pregnant young girl and planned to adopt her baby—and then the birth mother changed her mind. Angie and Conlan drifted apart and soon found they just didn’t love each other anymore. Metaphorically speaking, “her need for a child had been a high tide, an overwhelming force that drowned them. A year ago, she could have kicked to the surface but not now.” Sadder but wiser, Angie goes to work in the struggling family restaurant, bickering with Mama over updating the menu and replacing the ancient waitress. Soon, Angie befriends another young girl, Lauren Ribido, who’s eager to learn and desperately needs a job. Lauren’s family lives on the wrong side of the tracks, and her mother is a promiscuous alcoholic, but Angie knows nothing of this sad story and welcomes Lauren into the DeSaria family circle. The girl listens in, wide-eyed, as the sisters argue and make wisecracks and—gee-whiz—are actually nice to each other. Nothing at all like her relationship with her sluttish mother, who throws Lauren out when boyfriend David, en route to Stanford, gets her pregnant. Will Lauren, who’s just been accepted to USC, let Angie adopt her baby? Well, a bit of a twist at the end keeps things from becoming too predictable.
Heartfelt, yes, but pretty routine.Pub Date: July 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-345-46750-7
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2004
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.
Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.
Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah (The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-345-46752-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
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