Twisted River

January 25, 2016
In the arresting opening of Irish author MacDonald’s uneven first novel, New York City dentist Oscar Harvey closes the trunk of his rental car in Limerick, Ireland, on a woman’s corpse. A moment later, he’s joined by his nine-year-old son and his 12-year-old daughter, who asks, “Where’s Mom?” A couple of months earlier, the Harvey family entered into a home exchange program with Limerick college professor Kate O’Brien and her husband, Mannix. Kate and Mannix think a change of scene will be good for their bullied autistic son and their long-suffering daughter. Oscar’s teacher wife, Hazel, selected Limerick for the family trip because she grew up and there. Unfortunately, once the Harveys move into the O’Briens’ house, they attract the attention of Mannix’s money-obsessed brother, Spike, and his criminal associates. MacDonald struggles with the multiple points of view, occasionally omitting information unfairly to maintain suspense, but her solid prose suggests she can do better. Agent: Isobel Dixon, Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.

This is the story of two families, intertwined by a vacation house swap, whose lives are complicated by dark secrets. Four narrators capture the changing points of view across the chapters. Such a broad cast is a smart choice for characters who are a mix of American and Irish nationalities. Together, the narrators create an authentic listening experience for the action set in Ireland as well as illuminating the world of Hazel, an Irish woman living in America. The listener is riveted as the story changes from one point of view to another, driving the action forward. We wonder if the next half-truth will be the one that unhinges the appearance of calm. M.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine