THE BROTHERS KENNEY

4 stars out of 5

After reading and enjoying several books by this talented author, I certainly consider myself a fan. Even if I weren't one before, though, this one would pretty much seal the deal even though it didn't end the way I'd have preferred.

Sean Kenney's older brother, Michael ("Kick") died on his 39th birthday - according to the police, a suicide by gunshot. But Sean, once a hotshot track runner who's been estranged from his brother and largely with his ex-wife Meghan and their two daughters, doesn't buy it. Despite having a relatively solid reason for his disbelief, though, nobody else in the family including their sister Katie and Michael's widow, Jenny, will even entertain the notion that he could have been murdered.

Still, Sean persists; basically, the story follows his attempts to prove that he's right. Along the way, he rehooks up with old flame Rachel - who once was involved with Michael and is at least willing to discuss the possibility. She even offers the services of her firm's private investigator to give more legs to Sean's investigation - which includes family members (okay with me since I didn't find any of them to be someone I'd want to go have a beer with).

The devil is in the details, of course, and also of course, I'm not at liberty to explain them. All in all, the story was engrossing all the way to the end, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

The Brothers Kenney by Adam Mitzner (Blackstone Publishing Inc., August 2024); 240 pp.

THE NEW ONE

5 stars out of 5

A book review or two ago, I spoke of how unusual it was to find a book in this genre with a truly different story to tell. Little did I know - nor did I dare hope - that I'd find another one. But find one I did, nd by golly, it's a doozy.

The premise also is more than a little unsettling to me. Don't misunderstand - I'm a huge fan of technology, and my biggest fear of leaving this world is that I'll miss out on watching, and experiencing, all the advances that are sure to come. All the same, a few things on the developmental horizon that are often in the news frighten me a bit, such as artificial creation of human life (or purposefully altering it, as in gene manipulation) and artificial intelligence. While the prospects of both are exciting, I realize the enormous potential for misuse. So it was, then, that this book grabbed me from the git-go when Ed Trelawny's daughter, Scarlett, is rendered comatose following a hit-and-run - and Ed is offered the chance for her to participate in a research project in which a "new" daughter will be created from his daughter's body. In return, Ed, his wife and their "reanimated" daughter Sophie must exchange their drab, semi-miserable life in England for one of luxury near the research facility in Switzerland. Oh gosh, I said - what could possibly go wrong?

For openers, not long after Ed, his wife Tamsyn and Sophie are beginning to adjust to their new environment (quite happily, in fact), Scarlett - who really wasn't expected to recover - opens her eyes. And speaks. And soon, she recovers sufficiently to go home to be with her parents and, in many aspects, "twin" sister - one who's been programmed to be, well, an improvement of sorts. Oh gosh, I said once again - what could possibly go wrong?

Trust me, it's plenty - including an unexpected rivalry between the two girls that threatens to pull the family apart once again (or worse). Chapters trace what's going on both past and present from the perspectives of various family members. As the end nears, I was itching to get on with it - and then got hit with a whopper of a twist. More than that I can't say without giving away too much, but I won't hesitate to say I couldn't put this one down. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. As for those reading this review, I urge you to read it for yourselves. Wow!

The New One by Evie Green (Berkley, March 2023); 400 pp.

THE LATECOMER

5 stars out of 5

At not far from 500 pages, this book isn't a quick read. But if you choose to read it - and I highly recommend that you do - set aside even more time because you don't want to skim over a single word of the exquisitely woven story and amazingly detailed character development. The author blew me away last year with the first of her books I've read - The Plot - and this one is no less impressive.

Born thru in vitro fertilization back when the procedure was relatively in its infancy, the story focuses on triplets - Harrison, Lewyn and Sally - and Phoebe, who arrived via the same means by way of a single leftover unused but still viable egg 20 years or so later (making them all, in scientific fact, quadruplets). Needless to say, the first three have a tough time wrapping their heads around that - as did I - but therein lies the intriguing story of the "latecomer" and what happens in and to the rest of the family thereafter.

I'd describe it as a coming of age tale, except to me, the initial three, at least, seemed to behave (or misbehave) like old souls pretty much from the beginning. Whether or not that can be attributed to their acknowledged but rarely practiced Jewish heritage, parents who may or may not actually have loved them, or their Petri dish origins, I'm not sure. All I know is that from the beginning, the triplets were at loggerheads with each other; even on their once-a-year birthday when their mother, Joanna, insisted that they pretend to coexist peaceably, they (as my late mother was fond of saying) held hands to keep from fighting.

Phoebe's birth, obviously, throws a bit of a monkey wrench into their disdain for each other and Phoebe (do we like her? Hate her? Refuse to acknowledge her existence?) That said, the story weaves into and out of each character's thoughts, behaviors and interactions with the others (to the extent that there were any), mostly leading up to Phoebe's rather untimely birth - with an explanation, of course, as to why she happened when she happened. It touches on infidelity, deception, wealth, religion (or the lack thereof) and, perhaps most importantly, Phoebe's efforts to bring them all back to some semblance of a real family. You'll have to read it to find out the extent of her success - which comes with some unexpected twists and turns that made me shake my head in awe of how anyone could possibly come up with such an intricate plot. In short, this is a winner in my book - and I thank the publisher for the privilege of reading a pre-release copy. Outstanding!

The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Celadon Books, May 2022); 368 pp.

THE SAFE PLACE

4 stars out of 5

When emotionally damaged people find each other and start to play games, it can be hard to find a winner. Such is the case here as three "adults" and one child - all with serious issues - come together trying to live in their own special world. Instead, they end up in a world of trouble.

Emily is a loser - if you don't believe that, just ask her. The actress wannabe just flubbed her umpteenth audition, lost her office temp job because she's so inept, and was  kicked out of her apartment - all in one day. What's more, she's  burned so many bridges between herself and her parents that she can't go home again. 

Her boss at the company that just fired her, Scott, is on the surface a highly successful financial CEO who's married to a beautiful wife, Nina. Nina and their mute young daughter, Aurelia are living in secretive luxury in France. Even as he brokers deals, though, Scott is terrified that something he's been trying to hide will spring up and destroy his precious family. Suddenly, he sees an opportunity, and its name is Emily. Yes, she's flawed; but Scott is convinced that they're the perfect flaws to complement those of his wife and daughter, and adding her to the family as his wife's personal assistant will bring the stability they all crave.

Or not. Yes, the vast property is eye-popping, the money flows freely and Emily is enchanted with Nina. Even the shy Aurelia takes a shine to Emily (more like a dull luster, but for this child, that's saying a lot). But the longer she lingers, the more Emily starts to think something's amiss (not the least of which is no access to WiFi or cell phone service). Nina's reaction to accidental visitors instills even more doubts in Emily's mind about what she's signed up for.

Also clear, though, is that if Emily asks too many questions - or ventures too far from the complex - the consequences may be dire. Put another way, she's not sure she really wants to stay, but she's afraid of what might happen if she tries to leave. All told, an intriguing, hard-to-stop-reading book, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The Safe Place by Anna Downes (Minotaur Books, July 2020); 368 pp.