The Narcissist's Daughter

January 17, 2005
Following Holden's outstanding breakout novel The Jazz Bird
, comes this complex, moody study of class tension, sexual obsession and murder set in 1970s Cleveland. Daniel "Syd" Redding, a young working-class pre-med student, listens to the Ramones and dreams of destroying the life of his rich, egomaniac boss, Dr. Ted Kessler. Working nights in the hospital, Redding comes under the spell of Kessler's sexy young wife, Joyce, who lures him into a kinky affair that soon turns ugly, leaving him devastated and even more intent on vengeance. Redding next targets the Kessler's 17-year-old daughter, Jessi, whom he starts dating, much to the dismay of her parents. What begins as simply a ploy to hurt the Kesslers intensifies as Redding, despite his intentions, finds himself becoming more and more attached to the girl. The ensuing entanglement leads to murder. The story abruptly advances 20 years (and here the narrative loses some of its immediacy), as we learn that Syd and Jessi have married, started a family and embarked on successful careers of their own. The Reddings' happy, comfortable life hits a snag, however, when a construction crew unearths human remains down by the river. Holden is a writer to watch, and this is an intelligent, if slightly uneven, suspense novel that should win him a larger audience. Agent, Gail Hochman. Author tour.

Syd Redding is a jaded working-class kid with aspirations for medical school who is currently underachieving in a hospital medical lab. His life is electrified when he's seduced by Joyce, the gorgeous wife of his egotistical boss. Syd soon discovers, however, that he's been used by the voyeuristic couple, a realization that propels him on a vague plan of revenge involving their unsuspecting teenaged daughter as a foil. This being a noir novel, nothing goes as intended and real motives are murky. Credit Erik Steele with giving Syd a nihilistic edginess and Joyce a sexuality that makes Syd's compulsion, if not excusable, at least understandable. Steele's Syd lightens in tone at the implausible conclusion, but the change is wholly consistent with Holden's choices. M.O. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine