Bad Things Happen

Starred review from August 31, 2009
Dolan's highly praised debut has shades of Elmore Leonard in its realistic dialogue that is at once over-the-top but true to form. The story takes place in Ann Arbor, Mich., where David Loogan has just accepted a position at Gray Streets
mystery magazine—and embarked on an affair with his new boss's wife. It's not long before bodies begin turning up left and right, and a young investigator is involved. Abby Erik Davies delivers a performance so raw and exposed that listening becomes less a choice and more a compulsion. It's brilliant on every level. A Putnam hardcover (Reviews, May 25).

Starred review from May 25, 2009
Dolan gets everything right in his debut, a suspense novel that breathes new life into familiar themes. The enigmatic David Loogan, who's recently moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., has stumbled into an editing job for Gray Streets
, a mystery magazine, after anonymously submitting a short story. One night, Loogan's boss, Tom Kristoll, asks him for help in disposing of a corpse. Loogan goes to Kristoll's house and does so, despite his suspicions that Kristoll's account of how the man ended up dead is incomplete at best. When Kristoll later dies in a fall from his office window, the police mark Loogan, who's been having an affair with Kristoll's wife, as a person of interest. Pitch-perfect prose and sophisticated characterizations drive the noirish plot, which offers plenty of unexpected twists. Fans of Peter Abrahams and Scott Turow will find a lot to like. While the solution may strike some as a tad improbable, the talent Dolan displays suggests he has a bright future.

Layers of mystery and interlocking stories could make this a difficult listen were it not for the skills of narrator Erik Davies. He carefully characterizes hero David Loogan as a mysterious, evasive sort. This sets up questions, creates tension, and provides a rationale that defines both the plot and the protagonist. Davies's enigmatic portrayal makes sense of curious situations--for example, Loogan's acting like a savvy dupe as he helps his boss, mystery journal owner Tom Kristoll, bury a body. Davies also projects Loogan's firm sense of justice, eye for detail, and determination. This cross section of personality traits anchors listeners to a consistent vision of the character as Davies's convincing minor characters work to make Loogan the fall guy for mounting body counts. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine