Death in High Places

June 6, 2011
For the four years since those desperate hours on a snow-lashed Alaskan ridge, British climber Nicky Horn hasn't stopped blaming himself for the death of his best friend, Patrick Hanratty, in a fall. Worse yet, neither has Patrick's gangster father. But just as a hired gun grabs Nicky, a mysterious Good Samaritan, Robert McKendrick, intervenes and whisks Nicky off to hisâno kiddingâcastle in the English countryside. And if you find that a bit improbable, you're in for a rough trek through this fiendishly plotted but frequently preposterous stand-alone from Bannister (Fathers and Sins). Once holed up inside the castle, Nicky gradually discovers that his crossing paths with McKendrick was no accident, and that McKendrick's daughter, Beth, was no stranger to Patrick. Despite the many ensuing surprises, the novel devolves into something akin to a three-handed poker gameâsuspenseful but limited by its staginess.

July 1, 2011

Three ill-assorted souls swap home truths, hurl recriminations and review the particulars of a fatal climbing accident while a hit man waits patiently outside their stronghold.

Four years after the ascent of a pristine Alaskan peak claimed the life of his wealthy friend Patrick Hanratty, laborer Nicky Horn is in serious danger of losing his own. Patrick's father, druglord Tommy Hanratty, has declared a vendetta against the man he's convinced let his son fall to his death. Nicky eludes Hanratty's hirelings until the night when he leaves his flat to find a man with a gun standing outside. Luckily, he's rescued by the timely intervention of a stranger who identifies himself as merchant banker Robert McKendrick, spirits Nicky off to his home—a castle that combines centuries-old fortifications with up-to-date anti-intrusion technology—and introduces him to his spirited daughter Beth and his brother William, who suffers from Alzheimer's. Since he's saved Nicky's life, intimates McKendrick, the least his guest can do is promise to return the favor by doing him an unspecified service. Even before she reveals the presence of Hanratty's determined killer outside, Bannister (Liars All, 2010, etc.) begins to use the conversations and confessions of McKendrick, Beth and Nicky to reveal layers of deception and betrayal—and to strip each of them down to an elemental essence. The setup is stagey and artificial, but it guarantees an experience as hair-raising for readers as for the three leading (and practically only) characters.

No Exit with a hit man standing in for Satan.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

August 1, 2011

Experienced rock climbers Nicky and Patrick tackle Alaska's remote Anarchy Ridge, but only Nicky survives the disastrous trip. Patrick's father takes his grief and anger to an irrational level and hires a hit man to kill Nicky. After years on the run, Nicky is rescued by a Good Samaritan; Mack knows more than he lets on initially, and Nicky finds himself confronting guilt issues all over again. Meanwhile, the hit man is ready to find his mark, once and for all. Prolific author Bannister's (Liars All) stand-alones give her a chance to mine the psychological themes she does so well in her series (e.g., "Brodie Farrell Mysteries"). This title explores guilt and revenge at a philosophical pace, with slow, steady twists that tighten the screws. VERDICT Readers who appreciate prolonged debates will be engrossed, for Nicky's choices must be as strategic as a mountaineering expedition. Recommend for fans of Jesse Kellerman's The Executor and, for a classic connection, perhaps Shirley Jackson.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.