Muskrat Courage [Hardcover]

Philip Lawson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2000

In the aftermath of his father's death, Will Keats's life finally seems to be settling down to some semblance of normalcy again in his new home with Adrienne and her daughter Olivia. Olivia is a bright, lively eight-year old who loves nothing more than The Wizard of Oz, except maybe her pony, Roogy Batoon. Until Will looks out during a sudden autumn thunderstorm to see Roogy running free. Leaving Olivia in front of her favorite video, Will goes to retrieve the pony. But when he returns to the house, Olivia is gone, and a trail of muddy bootprints indicates she didn't leave on her own.

The trail leads to the door of Adrienne's disreputable ex-husband, Byron, Olivia's father. Byron has an alibi and an unlimited reserve of jealousy and hatred for Will. Olivia's kidnapping only fuels the simmering fire between them. But as the police and FBI investigations grow colder with the oncoming winter, it appears to Will that his only hope of ever seeing Olivia again lies in cooperating with Byron and his shady underworld connections. Will must follow Byron on a harrowing journey into the darkest swamps of the Okeefenokee, where he'll find out just how much courage this muskrat can muster.

A compelling mix of colorful characters, vividly drawn locales, and edge-of-the-seat action, Muskrat Courage builds on the promise of Philip Lawson's first novel and establishes him as a writer to treasure.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two neo-yuppies lose their beloved child in this lethargic, almost motionless mystery from the pseudonymous Lawson (Would It Kill You to Smile?). Will Keats lives with his girlfriend, Adrienne, and her eight-year-old daughter, Olivia. When Olivia is kidnapped, the evidence initially points to Polk James, a down-and-out working-class local with a blue pickup truck. But when Polk is found shot dead behind the wheel of his truck, the investigation begins to point toward Byron, Adrienne's former husband (and Olivia's biological father)--a violent man who lives with a stripper, illegally hunts protected animals, occasionally works for a big-time criminal named Errol Kingston and generally exudes a fair measure of surly redneck charm. Lawson (who's actually two people writing collaboratively) provides so few suspects that the novel is stripped clean of nearly all suspense. Similarly, it's hard to feel sympathetic toward Will and Adrienne, who are utterly charmless. Both the well-drawn setting (rural Georgia, close to the swamplands) and the circumstances (a truly nasty crime) could be ingredients in a deeply resonant story--but here they aren't. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Will Keats (Would It Kill You To Smile?) tracks the person who killed the kidnapper of the daughter of Will's live-in love. A page-turner from the author also known as Michael Bishop and Paul Di Filippo.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (June 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312262078
• ISBN-13: 978-0312262075
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,535,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good beginning but slow, November 15, 2001

By 

Anna Klein - See all my reviews

This review is from: Muskrat Courage (Hardcover)

I had no trouble getting into this book and was looking forward to a good read, but about a third of the way through the plot slowed down and I grew increasingly bored until the ending, which I read but found implausible. All in all, I thought the writing and style were good but I didn't get attached to any of the characters and didn't find myself caring about the outcome.

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Muskrat Courage (Hardcover)

Will Keats is an unemployed school counselor, but lives welldue to the money he has inherited. Will lives with his significantother Adrienne and her eight-year old daughter Olivia in Tocqueville, Georgia. Will loves Adrienne and seems to care deeply for Olivia. However, he soon learns how much he loves the child too when she is kidnapped. The police are stymied by a lack of clues and no ransom note.

Everyone initially thinks that Adrienne's former husband Byron committed the act. Byron, who detests Will, has a perfect alibi and passes a lie detector test. Through a few lucky breaks, the police identify and locate the abductor, but find him dead execution style. Olivia remains missing. Acting on an unusual tip from an unlikely source, Will risks his life to go out on his own to rescue his "daughter."

MUSKRAT COURAGE is a fast paced, moving drama that focuses on the impact a kidnapping has on the remaining family members. The characters are well drawn and likable, making it easy for readers to care what happens to them. As time (and the pages) passes, a growing sense of horror and despair for the safety of Olivia grips the audience. Phillip Lawson tells a superb story that keeps reader interest at the highest levels.