A Twisted Ladder

July 13, 2009
Hawk's promising debut, a Southern gothic thriller, introduces Dr. Madeleine LeBlanc, a staff psychologist at New Orleans's Tulane University with a special interest in cognitive schizophrenia. Maddy's father, “Daddy Blank,” suffers from the disease, as does her brother, Marc, whose suicide leads Maddy, who fears she may also be schizophrenic after psychic visits from a “devil-child,” to probe her family's past. Tulane neurologist Ethan Manderleigh provides support as terrible secrets surface about the family sugarcane plantation. Maddy's discovery that a creepy childhood friend is a murderer complicates her quest. Flashbacks to Prohibition-era New Orleans chart the early life of Maddy's clairvoyant, mean-spirited 114-year-old great-grandmother, Chloe, who's rather too spry for her age, despite her magical gifts. Voodoo and scientific research into neuroplasticity make an intriguing, if not always easy, mix.

August 1, 2009
Hawks debut novel is a southern gothic set in post-Katrina New Orleans, a thriller with elements of magic realism. Madeleine LeBlanc is a psychologist dedicated to understanding her fathers unique form of schizophrenia. But after her brother commits suicide, Madeleine realizes that to understand her fathers problems, she must delve into her familys history and come to grips with her own demons, including a dangerous childhood friend. Maddys present-day story is framed with short vignettes from her past, and her journey into understanding is assisted by her powerful, 114-year-old great-grandmother. Hawks use of the New Orleans and bayou settings is masterful, imbuing the heat and humidity of the region with a presence that almost becomes a character in the story. She builds the tension and paces the plot so perfectly that 500-plus pages seem to fly by. Recommend this one not only to those who enjoy thrillers set in New Orleans, but also to fans of Larry Brown or even Anne Rice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)