When businessman Carl Perreira disappears during his vacation in Mexico, his loyal assistant Gloria-who's secretly been in love with him for years-decides to journey across the border herself to retrieve his body. But the deeper into the desert she travels, the more shocking discoveries she makes. About Carl. About herself. And about how elusive and dangerous the truth can be.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Kellerman is the son of well-known novelists Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, and if his debut is any indication, talent breeds true. Gloria Mendez—a 36-year-old secretary at a Los Angeles novelty item import business—is in love with her boss, Carl Perreira, though he has never reciprocated her romantic interest. Carl has gone on his annual vacation, and after leaving a garbled phone message on Gloria's answering machine, he disappears into Mexico's backcountry. Facing apathy from the police in Mexico and the U.S.—even after Carl is reported dead in a fiery car crash—Gloria heads south to retrieve his body. She soon finds herself enmeshed in a dangerous adventure hinging on the mystery of Carl's death (if he is indeed really dead), his real identity and the truthfulness of the young man who introduces himself as Carlos Perreira, Carl's son abandoned many years earlier. Gloria is dogged, resourceful and intelligent, but despite some sex and gunplay late in the game, the adventure is a bit too cool and cerebral to be a thriller and too literary to be a genre mystery. Many readers will enjoy the intrepid Gloria and her puzzle, but most will hope for a little more heat from this promising writer's next outing.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Uncovering a secret life isn't a very original plot, but then again, neither is boy meets girl; it all depends on what the writer does with it. And in his extraordinarily self-assured debut novel, playwright Kellerman (son of Faye and Jonathan) shows that he could probably take us on a compelling journey to the water cooler. L.A. novelty-company secretary Gloria Mendez, in love with her boss, is heartbroken when he dies while on vacation in Mexico. No family comes forward, so she heads south to claim the body. In sun-bleached Aguas Vivas, a dead town whose only industry is its graveyard, she finds ashes and a suspicious-acting cop. As Kellerman teasingly plays pieces of the puzzle, Gloria soon learns that nearly everything about the man she longed for has been a mirage--and she learns a few things about herself, too. This tightly focused thriller features expertly drawn characters, vivid scenes, and simmering tension. If it never comes to a rolling boil, that's all right. There's plenty of heat here to justify the buzz. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Jesse Kellerman is the author of three previous novels, The Genius, Trouble, and Sunstroke. His plays have also won several awards, including the 2003 Princess Grace Award, given to America's most promising young playwright. He lives in California.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've read the previous reviews, which were interesting themselves in seeing different readers' takes on this book. It's slammed or lauded on its merits as a "thriller" in many cases.
I don't think this book falls into that genre. It seems to me to be more like the noir novels of the early fifties in many respects. It's certainly a character study of the lead protagonist (Gloria), and is quite effective as such. Much of the novel takes place in a fictional (I assume) location in Mexico known as Aguas Vivas and its environs, and is very effectively drawn as a haunting and deserted landscape whose few denizens are memorable characters. Think "Bad Day at Black Rock", or "Treasure of the Sierra Madre".
This isn't a classic whodunnit, though there are elements of that, and the search for the truth of the disappearance of her boss (Carl) certainly animates Gloria's quest.
But this novel is hard to pigeonhole. It's very stylistic. The dialogue is sometimes very sharp, often witty, yet sometimes vague; reflective of how real conversations between strangers often transpire. But you really need to keep in mind that this book is character-driven, as opposed to plot-driven.
There is a mystery here that is solved by the end of the book, but the pacing is leisurely yet still engaging because of the sharply drawn characters and settings.
This book may not be for everyone. I enjoyed it, and I think Kellerman shows some real promise.
I don't think this book falls into that genre. It seems to me to be more like the noir novels of the early fifties in many respects. It's certainly a character study of the lead protagonist (Gloria), and is quite effective as such. Much of the novel takes place in a fictional (I assume) location in Mexico known as Aguas Vivas and its environs, and is very effectively drawn as a haunting and deserted landscape whose few denizens are memorable characters. Think "Bad Day at Black Rock", or "Treasure of the Sierra Madre".
This isn't a classic whodunnit, though there are elements of that, and the search for the truth of the disappearance of her boss (Carl) certainly animates Gloria's quest.
But this novel is hard to pigeonhole. It's very stylistic. The dialogue is sometimes very sharp, often witty, yet sometimes vague; reflective of how real conversations between strangers often transpire. But you really need to keep in mind that this book is character-driven, as opposed to plot-driven.
There is a mystery here that is solved by the end of the book, but the pacing is leisurely yet still engaging because of the sharply drawn characters and settings.
This book may not be for everyone. I enjoyed it, and I think Kellerman shows some real promise.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I, like many of the other reviewers, had high hopes when I bought this book. Ultimately it felt contrived. As though he wanted to use every idea he ever had for a clever turn of phrase in one book. Sometimes I could only roll my eyes as I was reading some of the metaphors. I didn't care about Gloria. In the end her character didn't make sense anymore and I was just glad I had finished reading the book so that I could read another perhaps more interesting and satisfying one.
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Jesse Kellerman's debut novel has been hypd excessively, but it simply doesn't deliver. The characters are dull and uninteresting; all the secondary characters, such as policemen, clerks, waitresses, officials, and ordinary people, are described the same way and portrayed as mendacious oafs, lazy, greedy and corrupt. Attempts at humor or insight are flat and dull. The writing strives to be fresh but is merely forced and klunky. ("They looked gutted, as though they'd been forced to chase a pile of laxatives with Drano martinis." p. 144) It gets tiresome, especially because the main characters plod their way through an unoriginal plot, full of pages and pages of droning flashbacks and tired narrative. The book desperately needs some sharp editing; editors are credited but they were asleep on the job. The length could be reduced by half without any loss and possibly some gain.
Overall, the story reads as though it came fresh out of a creative writing class, with the writer trying to press all the right buttons but unable to say anything fresh or original. Mr. Kellerman certainly has promise, but let him learn his craft better before inflicting another overblown "thriller" on the public.
Overall, the story reads as though it came fresh out of a creative writing class, with the writer trying to press all the right buttons but unable to say anything fresh or original. Mr. Kellerman certainly has promise, but let him learn his craft better before inflicting another overblown "thriller" on the public.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A pleasant surprise
I picked up this book at a thrift store and then read some of the reviews prior to reading it. Let's just say my expectations were low based on some of the recent reviews, but I... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Donna J. Huffman
Slow, Slow, Slow
My wife and I lisened to this book on tape during a recent trip. The best thing I can say about it is that if you happen to fall asleep for 15, 30 or 45 minutes when you wake up... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Pete Burns
Not Recommended
Disappointing, unreadable, wandering, depressing. I kept expecting the story
to resolve in some substantial way. It did not need to be a "happy" ending. Read more
to resolve in some substantial way. It did not need to be a "happy" ending. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Susan Christie
D.isappointed
I loved Jesse Kellerman's book "The Genius" but could not warm up to "Sunstroke". I think that Kellerman is very talented and I will continue to read his books.
Published 23 months ago by Inez
Hope he gets plotting and pacing down, because he knows characters and...
I gave him another chance (read Trouble first), and I'll admit, the guy has some writing chops. His characters are vivid, his dialogue is entertaining, but his pacing is awful and... Read more
Published on December 27, 2009 by J. Lurie
A Stunning Debut? ... I Totally AGREE!
Jesse Kellerman, is one writer that I am on a lookout for his new works. I started off with The Brutal Art, by accident and was mesmerized by his writings and gotten me reading... Read more
Published on March 29, 2009 by Elnie S. Mashari
Rated "B" for boring
Not good. Just not good at all. The shame of it is that the plot had real promise, but the story unfolded poorly and I ended up not rooting for ANY of the characters, to include... Read more
Published on May 23, 2008 by VeggieRunners
What?
I could not finish this book. I could not understand the appeal of Carl. The description of him did not seem so wonderful that it would inspire years of unrequited passion from a... Read more
Published on April 27, 2008 by Deanna
A great read
I actually liked the book. He used vocabulary that was above the usual 5th grade level in most novels and newspapers. There were a few words that I actually had to look up! Read more
Published on April 1, 2008 by Trollhair
No flow, no go, no buy!
Have always loved Jonathan Kellerman's books and can finish one of his in a couple of days. Faye Kellerman is also a very talented author and I read her series until she married... Read more
Published on October 26, 2007 by R. Harrelson
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Take care of things when I'm gone. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Aguas Vivas, Los Angeles, United States, Carl Perreira, Joseph Gerusha, Cheryl Ann, San Diego, Gloria Mendez, Joseph Charles Gerusha, Mexico City, Reggie Salt, Teniente Fajardo, Carlos Perreira, Maxine Gonzaga, Wes Katz, Doctor Mendez, Barb Oberle, Social Security, Thank God, Gloria Fajardo, Jack Gerusha, One Big Family, San Dolores, Teniente Tito Fajardo New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Take care of things when I'm gone. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Aguas Vivas, Los Angeles, United States, Carl Perreira, Joseph Gerusha, Cheryl Ann, San Diego, Gloria Mendez, Joseph Charles Gerusha, Mexico City, Reggie Salt, Teniente Fajardo, Carlos Perreira, Maxine Gonzaga, Wes Katz, Doctor Mendez, Barb Oberle, Social Security, Thank God, Gloria Fajardo, Jack Gerusha, One Big Family, San Dolores, Teniente Tito Fajardo New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3
books:
- The Importance of Being Earnest (Dover Thrift Editions) by Oscar Wilde on page 289, and page 292
- The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde on page 289, and page 292
- What If?: Just Wondering Poems by Joy N. Hulme on page 307
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