In the Name of Love

May 30, 2016
Genre fans be warned—after an interesting opening, with a reference to a horrible past crime, the mystery element of Smith’s enigmatic first novel gives way to an unexceptional exploration of human relationships. In 1987, Carlos Byrne and his future wife, Zoë, are visiting his father, Dan, on Blidö, a small island near Stockholm, where “a young Arab guy,” according to Carlos, was recently arrested for murder. Flash forward to 2014, when Dan is near death after suffering a stroke, and Carlos, who considers Dan culpable in that long-ago killing, is eager to discontinue life support. After that fatal decision is made, the book flashes back to 1984 and Dan’s first—and last—night in his house on Blidö with his wife, Connie, who dies the very next day. The bulk of the book deals with Dan’s life as a widower and his slow developing romantic interactions with two women. Many readers will be frustrated at how long it takes for the murder to occur.