Savage Lane

August 3, 2015
A surfeit of toxic behavior surrounds the aptly named Savage Lane in a supposedly idyllic Westchester, N.Y., suburb, the setting for this creepy—not in a good way—domestic suspense novel from Anthony Award–winner Starr (The Craving). Mark Berman, a 44-year-old Citibank systems analyst, is so besotted with neighbor Karen Daily, the local hot divorcée, that he fails to notice that her interest in him doesn’t extend beyond friendship. Or that his alcoholic, jealous wife, Deb, has been carrying on a highly dangerous affair for two years. Starr has some startling plot twists up his sleeve, beginning about a third of the way through after a murder ratchets up the stakes. But he doesn’t give the reader much of anyone to root for, except Karen and late-arriving Det. Larry Walsh, who has his own issues. Too much of the book feels like watching middle-aged moms Karen and Deb engaging in a name-calling, wrestling-on-the-ground cat fight—somewhat titillating but ultimately just uncomfortable and sad.

August 1, 2015
Starr throws everything from scheming wives to child rape to crabs (and not the type one finds on a restaurant menu) into his latest effort. Savage Lane is home to the beautiful Karen and her two children, Elana, 16, and 10-year-old Matthew. Their neighbors Mark Berman and his wife, Deb, along with their two children, Riley, age 16, and Justin, who's 12, have an odd relationship with Karen and her family. While the children are good friends, Mark is close to Karen, who is a single parent. Mark spends his time either texting with her or dreaming about sex with her. They're friends for now, but Mark fantasizes it will one day become more. As for Deb, she's jealous of Mark's relationship with Karen, but even though they argue nonstop about his fascination with another woman, Deb's also cheating-with an 18-year-old high school student named Owen Harrison. She talks about ending it with Owen but keeps having assignations with the boy until things get out of hand and a murder occurs. When Karen is suspected, everything goes awry, and soon, the private lives of Savage Lane are made public. There's no one point at which this novel goes downhill. The slide starts from the very first page, and readers-at least the ones who manage to stick with it to the end of the book-will find themselves wading through clumsy sex scenes and a thin, barely existent plot. The characters spend their time thinking about sex, talking about sex, texting one another about sex, and having sex, but the book's not at all sensuous. With wooden dialogue, little atmosphere or sense of place, and absolutely nothing in the way of character development, Starr's latest effort reads as if it were ripped from the imagination of a pubescent boy. Clumsy prose and a dull plot that's anything but erotic.

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October 1, 2015

Mark and Deb Berman lead the perfect suburban life--two kids, a good income, and a nice house. Too bad their marriage is crumbling. Mark has an intense crush on his neighbor, divorcee Karen, and Deb is having an affair with 18-year-old Owen. To complicate matters further, Karen's daughter, Elana, has a crush on Owen and has hooked up with him several times. Everyone in their New York suburban town has secrets to hide, from alcoholism to adultery to homosexual affairs to STDs. Several of these shocking secrets will be revealed when there is a murder. Starr (Cold Caller; The Pack) treads the familiar territory of the suburbs not being what they seem but adds nothing new to this standard trope. Cliched characters such as the bored suburban housewife and the clueless father make it hard to care about what will happen to any of them. The murder occurs on-screen, so the killer is never in doubt. The thrills that come from whether the perpetrator will get caught are muted by excursions into the lead detective's unraveling romantic relationship. VERDICT Filled with unpleasant characters, this domestic thriller will only appeal to the author's fans.--Lynnanne Pearson, Skokie P.L., IL

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
When suburban housewife Deb Berman goes missing, it's only natural that her neighbors and investigators in Westchester, New York, would look askance at her supposed friend Karen Daily. After all, dozens of people saw Deb and Karen catfighting at the country club after Deb accused Karen of sleeping with her husband, Mark. Karen, the neighborhood's most desirable divorcee, is furious at Mark for whatever he did to give Deb the idea that their friendship went beyond harmless texts and jogging dates. Mark, alternately ruled by cluelessness, selfishness, and delusion, chalks Deb's disappearance up to a colossal sulk and attributes Karen's anger to guilt over finally realizing that they are destined for happily-ever-after with Deb out of the picture. Meanwhile, a sociopath who knows exactly what happened to Deb, is flying under everyone's radar and setting his sights on Karen as his next conquest. Starr employs well-timed comic relief through Mark's musings and casts a dark light on the mundane in this satirical and chilling portrait of a very bent side of suburbia.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)