From Publishers Weekly
Best known for the witty, Francophiliac Gideon Oliver mystery series, Elkins here delivers a stand-alone thriller that probes wartime guilt from multiple angles. For history professor Pete Simon and his French-born wife, Lily, Brooklyn in 1963 is worlds away from the horrors of WWII. But when Lily's father, Marcel Vercier, turns up on their doorstep begging her to view an old film, the Simons' cozy life combusts. Lily had always maintained that her father had been shot by the Nazis in 1943; now, caught in her lie and troubled by unfathomable other secrets, she refuses to answer Pete's urgent questions. Before the Simons can see the film, Vercier is murdered, and masked thugs break into their apartment, demanding to have it. Lily hands it over, then disappears, leaving Pete a cryptic note about needing space. Feeling like a sap, Pete decides to find her anyway, flying to Barcelona, where Vercier was apparently partner in an antiques dealership. A tough interview with the dead man's cagey co-partner, Charles Lebrun, reveals little about the film, the murder or Lily's whereabouts, but it does enlighten Pete as to Vercier's wartime collaboration with Nazi occupiers. As Pete delves deeper into Vercier's past, he learns painful truths about Lily's family, finally concluding, When it comes to making blanket moral judgements about people¢please, leave me out of it. Some of the characters are sketchy, particularly Lily, who never amounts to more than an incredible simulation of Leslie Caron. The plot takes familiar paths, with an ending that ties up matters rather too neatly, especially given Pete's hard-earned tolerance for moral relativity. Still, this first-person novel captivates, largely because Pete's voice, a garlicky mix of France and Brooklyn, always sounds just right.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
If it's true that readers like nothing more than to be surprised, then they're in store for many pleasures in this Elkins thriller, which concerns shrouded events that occurred in a small town in occupied France. In 1963, the father of Peter Simon's French-born wife--a man she claims died in the war--shows up on the couple's New York doorstep. Soon after, the father is murdered, and Peter's wife goes missing. Finding her involves a trip to Europe and investigation into a harrowing past. For lucky listeners, the story entails unexpected twists on every cassette. Christopher Lane sounds like a regular guy--one who is thoroughly pushed, traumatized, and tested. The fun--and the surprises--don't let up until deep into the final tape. M.O. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to an alternate
Audio CD
edition.
