“In Behar’s mystery, two disturbing murders connect to a long-cold case involving assault, manipulation, and missing memories.”
“A brief, intriguing prologue in September 1996 sets the scene, as a Massachusetts man named James Murray comes across an obituary for Raymond “Pokey” Parker, a former day care worker who was serving a 25-to-40-year sentence for sexual assault, a crime for which he claimed innocence until the day he died. Although James has no connection to this man or his crime, the name stirs a memory deep inside. About two years later, straight-shooting detectives Barney Freedman and Herb McCauley investigate the brutal murder of Marcia Shore, a former prosecutor responsible for locking Parker up. Just weeks later, the partners discover the body of Lucille Bennett, a child psychologist who assisted in the case against Parker, killed in the same disturbing way. As Freedman and McCauley dig into the harrowing and multifaceted case from years ago, brief asides take readers back one year earlier through email exchanges among five childhood friends who suspect they’re all connected to Parker. The young men and women believe that parts of their memories have been erased. The cast of characters is generally engaging, although some feel slightly clichéd (such as the disgruntled-yet-sympathetic detectives) and others, frustratingly underdeveloped (the five distraught childhood friends). However, the novel does effectively provide a pool of potential suspects to comb through. Readers will be aided by Behar’s thorough, if occasionally long-winded, exploration of each character’s thought process. The seasoned author is a former Massachusetts assistant attorney general, which is particularly evident in the novel’s courtroom-drama aspects.”
“A well-plotted and intriguing story that will keeps readers guessing.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In the year 2000, as the millennium shifts, the characters in these 11 short stories shift their own perceptions by connecting with others.”
“Behar (Turn the Page, 2015, etc.) explains in an author’s note that he first drafted these tales in 1998 and 2002; as a result, a millennial preoccupation with change is at the heart of this well-observed collection. In the opening story, “Death Threats,” a struggling rock band finds itself making a devil’s bargain with Jennifer Newman, the daughter of a hated radio station owner. They’d hoped to manipulate her father by getting her to sing with them; soon, as the band’s lead singer, she brings them new success, but the narrator misses their old freedom, which is gone like Jennifer’s former pudginess: “they swear 2000 is the year we make it big…[but] when I look at Jennifer’s washboard stomach, all I can think about is what we’ve lost.” As this example shows, change can be transformative but also uncomfortable—or even strange, as in the story “Seepage.” In it, a suburban couple’s sweaty sensuality, symbolized by a fuel oil leak, at first disgusts their straight-laced neighbors, only to later become a welcome, if unwholesome, seduction. Other stories, told from first- and third-person perspectives, explore a range of viewpoints, including that of a young boy puzzled by his Chinese friend’s grandmother and her superstitions; those of a 30-ish yuppie couple, hoping to adopt a Russian boy; and that of a young woman going fishing with her boyfriend. In all these situations, Behar ably employs a flexible, natural voice to trace his characters’ realizations. For example, in the final story, a makeup artist for a flamboyant women’s wrestling team describes an unlikely but dramatic romance between a fan and a wrestler: “I held out for a guy who would look at me the way Red had looked at Mount Fuji. It took fifteen years for that guy to come along. It was worth the wait.””
“Strong, wide-ranging tales that more than fulfill the promise of the author’s first book.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Every Sunday, Carpenter (the reader never learns his first name) meets fellow attorneys, Delaney, Fish, Morton, Steinberg and Weiskoff for coffee, eggs and a sizable helping of good conversation at the same two tables pushed together near the front window of Ed’s Breakfast Emporium. Prickly proprietor Ed has dubbed the group of regulars the “Barristers,” while the men have affectionately adopted the name for their end-of-the-week ritual. Told through a series of vignettes, the novel limns a handful of these breakfasts over the course of five summers as the group discusses politics, the Red Sox and cases on which they have recently toiled—with names judiciously changed, of course. The cases discussed range from heartbreaking ones of broken families without happy endings to more unusual fare, including one involving two Wiccans, a love spell and a restraining order. While the cases may differ, the breakfasts play out with a careful repetitiveness that deliciously captures the routine of everyday life. Weiskoff is always good for an out-of-the-blue comment. Delaney hardly ever fails at steering the conversation back on track. Ed can be relied upon to drop in on the middle of a story, orders in hand, and inject a stinging dose of blue-collar criticism into the white-collar chitchat. It’s not hard to imagine running into these aging, overweight and admittedly unextraordinary characters in real life, yet they remain completely absorbing. Between the witty zingers and moments of lightheartedness, the Barristers each struggle with bouts of dissatisfaction, uncertain about their present lot in life, and readers can’t help but relate.”
“A poignant, delightful take on morality, friendship, growing older and the legal profession.”
—Kirkus Reviews
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