THEY NEVER LEARN

5 stars out of 5

Oh my goodness - this one will be close to the top of

my five favorite books for this year. Put another way, wow! Not that I'm all that surprised, mind you; the author's 2019 book, Temper, was a 5-star hit with me as well. This one, IMHO, is even better; I'd give it 6 stars if it were possible.

The story involves two primary characters: Dr. Scarlett Clark, an English professor at Gorman University, and Carly Schiller, a freshman at the same school. They are similar in one respect - Scarlett literally has been getting away with murder for years while Carly, the daughter of a mentally abusive father, is considering it as an option when she seeks revenge on her roommate's attacker.

Chapters flip back and forth between the two, highlighting what's going on in their lives (and trust me, it's plenty). Scarlett is intent on winning a hotly contested fellowship in London as she lines up her next victim; Carly is tentatively trying to make friends with her troubled roomie Allison, whose temperament shifts from hot to cold in just about every imaginable way. When Allison is assaulted at a party, Carly takes it personally and vows to get even.

But then, Scarlett makes rather a mess with her newest victim - mistakes that could lead investigators right to her doorstep. Compounding the issue is that a colleague, Dr. Mina Pierce, has compiled a list of past campus-related deaths (most of which were deemed accidents or suicides) and is enlisting help from colleagues with her personal investigation. Scarlett is worried and does her best to make friends with Mina, if for no other reason but to keep tabs on the woman's findings.

Everything else is a whirlwind of action, with a major (and totally surprising) reveal somewhere around the mid-point and an almost equally surprising ending. The whole thing felt like a roller-coaster ride, right down to disappointment when it came to an all-too-soon end. In short, this one falls into the don't-miss department - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me the thrill of reading a pre-release copy. 

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo (Gallery/Scout Press, October 2020); 352 pp.

TEMPER

5 stars out of 5


It seems incongruous that a book can be this good when all the characters are this unlikable (well, maybe with one exception). But when I had several chapters to go at the time we left for a three-day vacation with friends at the Marblehead area of Lake Erie, I stuffed my Kindle in my suitcase. I would, I vowed, make time to finish it. And I did - the very first night.

Short chapters that shift among character perspectives helped hold my attention on every single page. But it was the characters, all of whom I would classify as seriously screwed up, that really reeled me in. Even though I was certain how the book would end - and I was right - the way the story and characters evolved (for better or worse) made me wish I could have holed up and read the whole thing in one setting.

Kira Rascher, an aging actress who's been hoping for a juicy role for years (for whatever reason, Cassie from "A Chorus Line" came to mind), finally gets her wish as notoriously nitpicky director Malcolm Mercer chooses her for the lead in "Temper." The play is the latest venture at the theater founded by Joanna Cuyler, who doesn't think Kira is right for the part. Malcolm's relationship with Joanna is complicated, to say the least; they live together but, despite Joanna's wishful thinking, are a platonic couple.

Kira, too, has a complicated relationship (think: friends with benefits) with her apartment mate, Spence, who makes a living staging realistic, but accident-free, fight scenes for theatrical productions. For the two-person cast of "Temper," he's staging the final scenes between Trent and Mara, the characters played by Malcom and Kira. As rehearsals begin, Malcolm lives up to his take-no-prisoners reputation, challenging everyone involved in the production to their near-breaking points. He sets his most psychologically destructive sights on Kira, who knows exactly what he's doing but is sure she can out-psych him and deliver the performance of her life.

But can she? Aye, there's the rub. In fact, given this mixed-up bunch, whether there will be any survivors at curtain call is anyone's guess. Thoroughly engrossing and fast-paced (with no shortage of graphic sexual situations and explicit language, I note for those who eschew such things). Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.

Temper by Layne Fargo (Gallery/Scout Press, July 2019); 352 pp.