Week ending January 22, 2016
Berne, Suzanne. The Dogs of Littlefield. S. & S. Jan. 2016. 288p. ISBN 9781476794242. $25; ebk. ISBN 9781476794259. F
Littlefield, MA, is the perfect suburban oasis, full of professionals, good schools and shopping, and happy people. It is this happiness that prompts a sociologist to come to town to observe its inhabitants and discover the source of their well-being. Unfortunately, a series of dog poisonings begins at the same time. Some people think the killings are related to the proposal for a new off-leash park, while others fear some darker purpose. We meet some of the residents of Littlefield, including Margaret, who is battling her own demons, while her husband worries about the SEC investigating his investment business and her daughter navigates the turbulent waters of adolescence. Other Littlefielders, from retirees to single mothers, a divorced writer, and an immigrant law student, also become important to the story.
Verdict More a comedy of manners than a mystery, Berne’s fourth novel (after A Crime in the Neighborhood) should appeal to fans of contemporary slice-of-life fiction. The citizens of Littlefield won’t necessarily provide answers to the riddle of happiness, but the reader will find much to savor and reflect upon in their attempts to survive and thrive in this modern, connected, but sometimes lonely world.—Dan Forrest, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Chiarella, Jessica. And Again. Touchstone. Jan. 2016. 320p. ISBN 9781501116100. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781501116124. F
[DEBUT] Four terminally ill individuals—Hannah, David, Connie, and Linda—are chosen for a clinical trial that will give them brand-new, blemish-free bodies that are clones of their illness-stricken selves. Via a brain transplant, the four patients are essentially the same person they were before the operation but in a flawless, younger version. As perfect as the program sounds, having a new body has its consequences, both physically and psychologically. Given the chance at a second life, will the four be happy with the lives they have led thus far?
Verdict Chiarella’s debut novel is an intriguing tale of the everyday efforts of medical advancement. Though the premise is sf, the story is realistic and largely character-focused. Chapters are set from the perspective of the four individuals and woven together to tell a story that deals with commonplace issues in everyday life. Similar to Karen Thompson Walker’s The Age of Miracles, this is a great choice for fans of that novel.—Kristen Calvert Nelson, Marion Cty. P.L. Syst., Ocala, FL
Nesser, Håkan. Hour of the Wolf: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery. Pantheon. Jan. 2016. 320p. tr. from Swedish by Laurie Thompson. ISBN 9780307906878. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101870594. MYS
Nesser’s latest mystery is all about shifting gears. A drunk driver runs down a teenager, leaving him at the side of the road. He drives away and resumes his life, until he receives a blackmail note. Someone knows what he did, and the driver sets out to stop the blackmailer. Shift gears. The new lead detective of the Maardam police force, Inspector Reinhart is investigating the murder of someone close to the now retired Inspector Van Veeteren. Reenter Van Veeteren, who, with the aid of his old team, makes the necessary connections to pull the two cases together.
Verdict The seventh series installment (after Münster’s Case), originally published in Swedish in 1999, offers plenty of twists and suspense, switching between the perpetrator’s perspective and the investigators’ until the well-done denouement. Devotees of Karin Fossum, Arnaldur Indriðason, and Henning Mankell will enjoy this series, if they haven’t discovered it already. [See Prepub Alert, 7/13/15.]—Frances Thorsen, Chronicles of Crime Bookshop, Victoria, BC
Wallace, Dan. Tribune of the People: A Novel of Ancient Rome. Branden. Jan. 2016. 464p. ISBN 9780828326049. pap. $19; ebk. ISBN 9780828326056. F
[DEBUT] Set in ancient Rome half a century before the fall of Julius Caesar, this first novel details the rise and fall of Roman politician Tiberius Gracchus. Owing to his early victories at Carthage and the military legacy of his famous father, Tiberius Gracchus the Elder, the young Tiberius leads legions to war against Hispania. Shocked by the poverty of the lands he travels, he struggles to recruit troops from among the homeless and starving families of northern Italy. A military defeat due to the incompetency of his superiors inspires him to return to Rome and run for public office. Politics is just as messy as is war, and Tiberius finds he has as many enemies in the Senate as he did on the battlefield.
Verdict This thoroughly researched novel is as dramatic and gory as any swords-and-sandals epic and demonstrates how educational historical fiction can be. A wide cast of characters including soldiers, senators, slaves, mothers, and wives expand the reader’s understanding of life in this time. Still, the details of intricate political maneuvering and battlefield depictions will best be enjoyed by an audience with some knowledge of ancient history.—Catherine Lantz, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.