A Well-Known Secret [Hardcover]

Jim Fusilli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2002

Hailed by both the Chicago Tribune and the Detroit Free Press as one of the best mysteries of 2001, Closing Time firmly established Jim Fusilli as a writer to watch and introduced readers to Terry Orr, his precocious daughter, Bella, and what The New York Times called "the vital citizens of Fusilli's gorgeous nightmare of a city." In A Well-Known Secret, Terry's life is turned upside down while the city around him reels.

Terry's latest case concerns Sonia Salgado, recently released after thirty years in prison for the robbery and murder of diamond dealer Asher Glatzer. When Terry discovers her battered body in an East Village halfway house, the ensuing investigation leads him back to the brutal city of the seventies, where seeds of corruption were first sown. Terry is soon at odds with an influential cop harboring family secrets; a smooth-talking Hispanic civic leader; and Julie Giada, the angel in the DA's office. At the same time, Terry tries to do right by daughter Bella while grappling with the memories of his lost wife and son and a forever-changed New York City.

An "imaginative, daring writer" (Publishers Weekly), Fusilli delivers another beautifully moody and atmospheric winner.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fusilli's second Terry Orr thriller, set two years after his outstanding debut, Closing Time (2001), is even better-the writing more focused, the characters sharper, the plot less diffuse. Orr continues to struggle to accept the deaths of his wife and infant son, who were pushed under a subway train four years earlier-and to search for the elusive madman he believes killed them. A writer turned private detective, he's still protective of his precocious daughter, 14-year-old Bella, although she seems the more resilient of the two in coping with tragedy, including the September 11 catastrophe close to their lower Manhattan home. Here, Orr's housekeeper asks him to find her friend Dorotea Salgado's estranged daughter, Sonia, recently released after 30 years in prison for robbery and murder. He discovers Sonia's beaten body and a conspiracy pointing back to the 1970s. As Orr peels the layers of deception, he uncovers at the core a corrupt police family and the complicity of Sonia's three childhood friends in her downfall. Orr's unwillingness to commit hampers his nascent romance with Assistant DA Julie Giada but, with Bella's encouragement, he manages by the book's end to conquer one paralyzing fear stemming from his family tragedy. Again, Fusilli's sense of place is stunning; a tangible, poetically evoked Manhattan infuses this complex, haunting story.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Five years ago, Terry Orr's wife and infant son died when a madman pushed them in front of a New York subway train. Since then, Terry has focused on two things: his daughter, Bella, and finding the madman who murdered his loved ones. He's quit his job as a music critic for a New York paper and become a licensed PI, and although his aim is to find the killer, he's also helped the police with some of their most baffling cases. The cops don't quite know what to make of him, but they do admire his fearless tenaciousness. Terry's latest case involves him in a controversial murder. Sonia Salgado, convicted of killing diamond merchant Asher Glatzer, spent 30 years in prison and then was found murdered, just a few days after her release. Who killed her and why? Terry's investigation leads him into the seedier areas of the city, pits him against corrupt cops, earns him the wrath of the DA's office, and reveals decades-old secrets. This superb follow-up to Fusilli's first Terry Orr novel--Closing Time [BKL Ag 01]--combines a brilliantly conceived plot, droll wit, often-outrageous characters, moody prose, and atmospheric descriptions of a gritty, post-September 11 New York. A winner on all fronts. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (October 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399149317
• ISBN-13: 978-0399149313
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,874,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jim Fusilli is an American writer. He serves as the rock and pop music critic of The Wall Street Journal and is the author of six novels. A native of Hoboken, NJ, he lives in New York City.

Fusilli's debut novel, the mystery "Closing Time," is the last work of fiction set in New York City published prior to the 9/11 attacks. The following year, Fusilli's mystery "A Well-Known Secret" addressed the impact of 9/11 on the residents of New York City. Two novels for adults followed: "Tribeca Blues" and "Hard, Hard City," which Mystery Ink magazine named its 2004 Novel of the Year.

In 2005, Fusilli wrote "Pet Sounds," his tribute to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys' classic album. Described as "an experiment in music journalism," the book combines the rhythm and emotional weight of his fiction with the often-unorthodox observations of his music criticism for the Journal, for whom he has written since 1983.

Fusilli served as the editor of, and contributed chapters to, the award-winning serial thrillers "The Chopin Manuscript" and "The Copper Bracelet." His novel for young adults "Marley Z and the Bloodstained Violin" was published in 2008.

Fusilli has written and published many short stories; in several, he developed Narrows Gate as the setting, depicting the city in different eras. "Chellini's Solution," which appeared in the 2007 edition of the Best American Mystery Stories, features Narrows Gate in the years following World War II. "Digby, Attorney at Law" portrays the fictional city in the early 1960s. "Digby" was nominated for the Edgar and Macavity awards in 2010.

Fusilli is married to the former Diane Holuk, a senior public relations executive. They have a daughter, Cara, a graduate of the New School.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing writing . . ., March 13, 2005

By 

Michael K. Smith (South Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Well-Known Secret (Hardcover)

For someone only on his second novel, Fusilli certainly has it nailed. Terry Orr, historian turned private detective, lost his wife and infant son four years ago when a madman (whom he thinks of as The Madman) pushed them in front of a subway train. Now he obsesses on revenge, to the detriment of his career, his friends, and (sometimes) his precocious daughter, Bella. The plot this time revolves around a thirty-year-old mugging that became a murder, and the death of the newly-released woman who went to prison for it. Everybody in the case has secrets, not least of all the Mango brothers, who are a good deal more scary than in Fusilli's first book. Terry works things out in a wholly believable manner, partly by research, partly by instinct. The subplot, about Terry's buddy, rock critic Dennis Diddio, and his hopes for an industry award, is funny and compassionate. So is his struggle to deal with the attentions of Julie, a very nice ADA who believes in him. But arching over everything else is New York City in the aftermath of September 11th, when Terry's personal loss is overshadowed. Fusilli's work has great specificity of place -- you could walk through the city, book in hand, and see every detail he talks about -- and that's what makes this a standout piece of writing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New York Love Story, December 28, 2002

By 

John M. Wiler (Wenonah, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Well-Known Secret (Hardcover)

This book is a fantastic work of love. Love for New York, pre and post 9/11, love for music, food (especially Italian) and it's characters.
The central character, Terry Orr, is mourning his wife's death and acts as a sort of detective. His slow progress back to the world of the living parallels his attempts to unravel a mystery from the 70's. It's a great piece of writing, filled with poetry and hard, tough words.
There may be a few too many plot contrivances but the clear picture of modern NYC and the people who fill it more than make up for them. This is a great modern detective novel equal to anything by James Lee Burke, the other master of this type of novel.
I'm psyched for the next book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! Compelling Mystery & Love Story!, October 26, 2003

By 

Jennifer Juday "Working Mom & Cook" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Well-Known Secret (Paperback)

If you want a mystery that does nothing but deliver suspense, this is not the book for you. This book opens with a quotation from Epictetus which speaks of the human soul and choice, and concludes: "For ruin and recovery alike are from within." A WELL-KNOWN SECRET offers both a literary mystery and a very engaging exploration of human ruin and recovery.

I see that this is the second in a series. I had not read the first, and found that the book stood on its own.

Terry Orr, our hero, is a writer turned amateur detective. He is engaged to solve mystery of Sonia Salgado, who has spent 30 years in prison for a murder she did not commit. What really happened? Why did she do it? Why was she murdered after being released from prison? Terry unravels this decades-old mystery in classic amateur PI fashion -- asking questions, getting less-than-straight answers, getting a bit battered in the process. That part of the novel is well executed, but not overwhelmingly new and different. What makes A WELL-KNOWN SECRET stand out -- and it does stand out -- is the other stories that Fusilli is telling.

A WELL-KNOWN SECRET is set in post 9-11 New York City. That story of ruin and recovery runs throughout the book. The more personal ruin that we unravel is that of Terry Orr himself. We read in a newspaper story at the beginning of the book that Terry's wife and infant son were killed four years ago. In the course of his solving the mystery, we find out more about what happened and why, and watch to see if and how Terry and his daughter will recover.

A WELL-KNOWN SECRET is a fine novel and an enjoyable mystery. Its somewhat leisurely pace will likely madden anyone after a strict suspense fix. However, if you are willing to slow down a bit, it is a very rewarding read. I found it a bit slow at first, but once hooked, I could not put it down. I read A WELL-KNOWN SECRET in one sitting. I will definitely pick up the next Terry Orr novel!