A fascinating and character-driven thriller, this novel delves into the deepest bonds of friendship, all accompanied by a rock 'n' roll beat.
After Richard Zale receives news of the death of a childhood friend, he returns to their hometown to pay his respects. It isn't long, however, before old frictions and a new puzzle emerge, drawing him deeper into the mystery of his friend's demise.
January 11, 2010
Set in 2002, this stand-alone will likely disappoint fans of Shamus-winner Fulmer’s acclaimed Valentine St. Cyr series set in early 20th-century New Orleans (Lost River
, etc.). Richard Zale, a New York City actor who makes his living from doing TV commercials, starts thinking by chance of his best friend, Joey Sesto, back in their hometown of Wyanossing, Pa. When Richard tries to phone Joey, he reaches Joey’s sister, Angela, his old flame. A distraught Angela reveals Joey fell to his death from a cliff three weeks earlier. Impulsively, Richard drives to Wyanossing, where he becomes convinced Joey was the victim of foul play. Newly attracted to Angela, he puts off his return to his wife and kids in Manhattan again and again. Heavy-handed prose (“Somewhere in that dark shade lurked an evil that had been visited upon my friend”) doesn’t help a routine tale of amateur detecting.