Full Measure

August 18, 2014
Edgar-winner Parker (Laguna Heat) takes a break from writing bestselling crime novels for this standalone about an Afghanistan veteran who comes home to California and discovers that the town where he grew up is its own kind of war zone. Returning to Fallbrook, Calif., Patrick Norris finds that his family’s avocado farm is in danger of going under thanks to recent canyon fire that destroyed 10 acres. This comes at a bad time for Patrick, who is attempting to extricate himself from his family’s business and begin his own fly-fishing charter company. Patrick also has to deal with his older brother, Ted, a lifelong screw-up who, after being mugged by a Mexican, buys a glock and flirts with joining a local racist gang, the Rogue Wolves. Add a love interest for Patrick; a Homeland Security agent trying to prove that the fire was a terrorist act started by local Muslims; some Marine buddies having difficulties adjusting to civilian life; a mayor with too much on her plate; and an impending storm, and the stage is set for a chaotic climax. Unfortunately, this novel feels simultaneously underdramatized and overdetermined. Although the characters are well developed, there is a pat quality to the writing that undermines the emotional investment in Patrick’s return to civilian life.

October 15, 2014
A young Marine returns from Afghanistan to find his small California hometown almost as dangerous as the threats he faced from the Taliban. Twenty-two-year-old Patrick Norris is slowly adjusting to civilian life in Fallbrook, California, but with Camp Pendleton's close proximity-and his own vivid memories-it's hard to leave the military behind. His family's avocado farm recently suffered major losses after a fire, likely arson, tore through the surrounding area, one of the worst arson blazes in recent history. His father, Archie, isn't sure any of the trees will survive, and he's been unable to get bank loans to shore up the family's dwindling finances. Patrick's re-entry into civilian life is contrasted with his perpetual screw-up of an older brother, 26-year-old Ted, whose "life had been a series of quiet failures." Useless at the farm, Ted recently got expelled from college for drawing an inflammatory cartoon of the town's mayor. It's no wonder he finds solace with Cade Magnus, an outspoken white supremacist who's recently come back to Fallbrook and attracts loners and social outliers to his group, the Rogue Wolves. Parker (The Famous and the Dead, 2013, etc.) can't seem to decide which brother is the more interesting hero-or antihero-and the split focus unfortunately halves the dramatic tension: Whenever we linger on Ted's increasingly creepy behavior, it seems like we should be paying attention to Patrick, and vice versa. The final showdown-between both the characters and the whims of nature-is predictable and flat. Parker's first foray out of his established-and award-winning-crime-fiction niche is a disappointment, despite some compelling subject matter.

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September 1, 2014
Twenty-two-year-old marine Patrick Norris is happy to be home after 13 months in Afghanistan. But he's also haunted by visions of friends who didn't return; on top of that, his family's avocado farm has been savaged by a wildfire. Patrick is also shocked by the changes in his California hometown, brought on by the fire but also by the economic collapse, unemployment, nativism, and the political tensions that are roiling the whole country. He sees this most glaringly in his troubled older brother, Ted, who is in thrall to a local white supremacist. Evidence that the fire was arson may be the spark that ignites an even greater conflagration. This is Parker's first book outside the crime genre. He's writing about his hometown of Fallbrook, California, and it's clearly an important subject to him. Perhaps too important. The novel is endlessly preachy, with cardboard villains. Still, the portrait of Patrick, who knows too much about war yet is ill-equipped for life at home, is finely nuanced, and the social criticism is hard-hitting. Full Measure doesn't quite work as a novel, but it's a powerful expos'.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

Starred review from August 1, 2014

After completing a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Patrick Norris returns home to the foothills above San Diego to start a new life. Patrick buys a boat, which he plans to use to start a recreational fishing business, but before he can launch his venture, his family's avocado farm is destroyed by a massive wildfire. Consequently, Patrick returns to help his family rebuild their farm. As he reconnects with his community, he falls in love with Iris. Also competing for Patrick's attention is his brother Ted, who could not serve in the military and seeks to prove himself to his family. Unfortunately, Ted's actions continuously endanger himself, his family, and his community because of his connection to members of a white supremacist group. Ted's decisions force Patrick to make a difficult choice to salvage his family's honor. VERDICT Parker (Laguna Heat ), a three-time Edgar Award winner, delivers an exceptional, insightful, and contemporary stand-alone literary novel. Fans of the author's crime novels and Tim O'Brien's war novels will enjoy this story, which highlights the impact of war on a community. In addition, Steinbeck fans will appreciate the description of the setting and intricate plot. [See Prepub Alert, 3/24/14.]--Russell Michalak, Goldey-Beacom Coll. Lib., Wilmington, DE

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2014

After completing a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Patrick Norris returns home to the foothills above San Diego to start a new life. Patrick buys a boat, which he plans to use to start a recreational fishing business, but before he can launch his venture, his family's avocado farm is destroyed by a massive wildfire. Consequently, Patrick returns to help his family rebuild their farm. As he reconnects with his community, he falls in love with Iris. Also competing for Patrick's attention is his brother Ted, who could not serve in the military and seeks to prove himself to his family. Unfortunately, Ted's actions continuously endanger himself, his family, and his community because of his connection to members of a white supremacist group. Ted's decisions force Patrick to make a difficult choice to salvage his family's honor. VERDICT Parker (Laguna Heat ), a three-time Edgar Award winner, delivers an exceptional, insightful, and contemporary stand-alone literary novel. Fans of the author's crime novels and Tim O'Brien's war novels will enjoy this story, which highlights the impact of war on a community. In addition, Steinbeck fans will appreciate the description of the setting and intricate plot. [See Prepub Alert, 3/24/14.]--Russell Michalak, Goldey-Beacom Coll. Lib., Wilmington, DE

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.