Monday, June 4, 2012

Potboiler-Jesse Kellerman

Potboiler


Jesse Kellerman

Putnam, Jul 5 2012, $25.95

ISBN: 9780399159039



Decades ago, Arthur Pfefferkorn and William de Vallèe were close friends. Arthur wrote a novel that got tepid critical acclaim and no sales; Bill became a best-selling author. Whereas Arthur never wrote another novel; Bill wrote several top seller thrillers with each one sent to his friend. Besides jealousy over the writing success as the books are not good, he has never forgotten that Bill married Arthur’s first love Carlotta.



After a hundred plus days search by the Coast Guard, Bill is declared lost at sea. At Bill’s funeral, Arthur reconnects with Carlotta. Meanwhile he also possesses Bill’s last manuscript, which he publishes under his name and becomes a best-seller. However, as he succeeds in his personal and professional lives, Arthur soon will learn the price when he becomes embroiled in world threatening double and triple crosses right out of the pages of a thriller.



Mindful of the movie A Murder Of Crows, this tale starts off as a jocular satire of the publishing industry especially the hyperbolic over the top of Olympus Mons thriller plots. In the middle of the storyline, the book slowly converts into a twisting intrigue occurring in Zlabia. Although the humor wears thin by then, overall Potboiler is a fun novel.



Harriet Klausner

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