The Sirena Quest

November 10, 2014
Equal parts rollicking adventure, existential and spiritual quest, and coming-of-(middle)-age tale, this stand-alone set in 1994 from Kahn includes a cameo appearance from series lead Rachel Gold (Face Value, etc.). A wealthy alumnus of Barrett, a prestigious New England college, has challenged graduates to locate the statue of a beautiful woman, Sirena, that’s been missing from the campus for 35 years before Barrett’s upcoming 150th anniversary ceremonies. If the statue is returned, $23 million goes to the college and $2 million goes to its rescuers. St. Louis lawyer and widower Lou Solomon, as his 20th class reunion looms, agrees to join the quest—and begins a haphazard and, at times illegal, cross-country mission with his three former roomies that is both deeply nostalgic and profoundly transformative. This heartwarming misadventure isn’t so much about four middle-aged men finding a statue as about finding themselves.

December 15, 2014
Lawyer Kahn, author of the Rachel Gold series, has crafted a clever stand-alone that also offers readers an introduction to Gold. Lou Solomon, a St. Louis attorney and alumnus of Barrett College, gets a call from his classmate Ray Gorman. Their twentieth class reunion is approaching, and the two, along with their former roommates, Gordie and Billy, are all planning to attend. The school has a statue called La Sirena that was stolen in 1959 and never recovered. A wealthy alumnus is offering a $25 million endowment for the college and $3 million to the finders if the statue is returned for the reunion, so Lou and his crew embark on a search. An obscure but potentially useful clue takes them to Chicago, where they meet young Rachel Gold, who may have the information they need. Kahn effectively blends road-trip themes with a humorous and engaging caper novel. Good fun for fans of comic crime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)