Far From True

Starred review from January 25, 2016
In this excellent sequel to 2015’s Broken Promise, bestseller Barclay’s knack for realistic characterizations makes each person, even the nasty ones, stand out. Promise Falls, N.Y., a town already fraught with troubles, suffers a major tragedy when four people perish in the unexplained collapse of the Constellation Drive-In Theater’s movie screen during its final night of business. PI Cal Weaver looks into a break-in at the home of one of the drive-in victims. Meanwhile, police detective Barry Duckworth attempts to solve two possibly linked murders while also investigating increasingly violent pranks, each of which involves the number 23. Barclay smoothly integrates myriad subplots, which involve a secret room for sex parties, an arrogant politician, an attempted kidnapping, a missing professor’s wife, a vacationing spouse, and the violent head of security at a local college. Each odd turn uncovers another dark aspect of Promise Falls. Readers will look forward to the trilogy’s finale due later this year. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency (Canada).

January 15, 2016
During the local drive-in's last-ever triple feature, a mysterious explosion topples the screen, killing four people. It's not the only bizarre incident shaking up the New York town of Promise Falls, a popular suicide spot where all lives seem at risk. A few hours after the drive-in disaster, which some locals insist was an act of terrorism--bad news for Egyptian-born bookstore owner Naman Safar--someone breaks into the home of one of the victims and steals revealing DVDs from a hidden sex lair. Police Detective Barry Duckworth already has his hands full with a series of seemingly related killings of young women. PI Cal Weaver, who is trying to get over the murders of his wife and son, is busy protecting Samantha, a laundromat owner whose ex-husband is serving time for a bank stickup. David Harwood, a former journalist reluctantly working for loathsome former mayor Randall Finley, has to explain to his son why his late mother killed a man and cut off his hand. Though Samantha is a Philip Roth fan, Barclay's dark and dizzy tour de force is like a Richard Russo novel gone off the rails. Its blue-collar setting is a bottomless pit of nefarious acts including baby theft and kidnapping. The only true innocent is Crystal, a girl with special abilities whose capacity for living inside her head must be regarded as a gift. Barclay's sequel to Broken Promise (2015)--the third book in the series will reveal why the number 23 turns up in all kinds of bad situations here--trades in thrills for black humor. But it's a crowd-pleaser nonetheless from one of the most reliable craftsmen in crime fiction.

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February 1, 2016

On the last night for the Constellation Drive-In, a horrible tragedy occurs. The screen, slated for demolition in just a week, crashes down during the showing of a movie. Four people are killed and many are injured. The incident is first viewed as an accident, but Promise Falls, NY, police detective Barry Duckworth soon finds a link to this case and the bizarre crimes that happened earlier (as recounted in Broken Promise). Duckworth is also trying to uncover a connection between the grisly murders of two young women and their possible relationship to these increasingly weird and deadly misdeeds. With the police so busy, Cal Weaver, a PI with a tragic backstory, agrees to investigate a break-in for the daughter of a man killed at the Constellation. His probe unveils secrets many citizens of the community had hoped to keep hidden. VERDICT Sex tapes, secret rooms, and murder are all part of the fun in this new thriller from the best-selling Barclay. He successfully juggles numerous story lines and leaves readers eagerly anticipating the third and final book in the "Promise Falls" trilogy. [See Prepub Alert, 10/4/15.]--Lynnanne Pearson, Skokie P.L., IL

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015

PI Cal Weaver discovers a hidden room when asked by the daughter of an accident victim to investigate a break-in at his house, while Det. Barry Duckworth follows up two murders that seem mysteriously connected. Second in a series opening with Broken Promise; from an LJ Best Thriller of the Year author.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.