Miss Subways

David Duchovny ("The X-Files") narrates his third novel with a little help from his family. His writing chops--he has an M.A. in English literature from Yale--are apparent as he weaves ancient Irish myth and literary references into a modern-day New York City-based fantasy/romance. Emer's longtime boyfriend, Con, is marked for death by higher powers. But Emer is allowed to save his life by agreeing to forever remain separated from him. The pair doesn't remember their prior love, but their paths keep crossing nonetheless. Duchovny is relaxed and confident, never overdoing things and focusing on his characters. His ex-wife, T�a Leoni, sounds like she's having a blast reading Emer's dialogue, and the featured voices of their two kids round out this audiobook's loose, easygoing charm. A.T.N. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

July 16, 2018
Duchovny’s possibility-fueled romance, both intellectual and approachable, seamlessly blends frenetically paced pop culture references with the antics of bored, nearly forgotten gods in this modern retelling of the Emer and Cuchulain myth. Emer is a teacher and New Yorker who has a comfortable life with her partner, Con. When she’s offered a difficult choice by a mysterious man who calls himself Sid, she finds comfort in the inevitability of change and the strange, déjà vu quality of life in Manhattan. Then life takes a bit of a different turn, sliding seamlessly into an alternate reality in which the consequences of her choice expand like ripples on a pond; each interaction takes her simultaneously closer to and further away from who she is. It doesn’t help that her path is being manipulated by someone—or something. The story’s fantastical nature provides an elegant foundation for an in-depth exploration of self laced with sharp social commentary and a generous dose of the absurd. Agent: Andrew Blauner, Blauner Books.