Rising Stars Book Club

My first instinct was to read a bit about Daniel Mallory AKA A.J. Finn.
Daniel Mallory spent many years editing mysteries for a book publisher in London after earning a Masters and Doctorate at Oxford University. Eventually, Daniel landed a job in the US with William Morrow, a well-respected publisher now owned by Harper & Rowe, the second largest publishing firm in the world. Imagine how thrilling it must have been for Daniel Mallory (in his mid-30s) to publish his first book, a New York Times Best Seller, under his new pen name, AJ .Finn.

From the moment I opened the book for the first time, I was pulled in by Finn's short chapters, his "cinematic" format. Above all, I was impressed by Finn's writing style. Like a structural engineer, Finn meticulously calculates and builds twists and suspense to hold our attention and support the book's viability.

Right away, we meet Anna Fox, Finn's unreliable narrator and agoraphobic shut-in. Anna drinks too much wine while she watches old movies and keeps an eye on her neighbors. This includes the Russells who have just moved into a house across the street. One day, Anna looks out the window to see her neighbor’s wife getting stabbed in her house. Anna calls the police. They find nothing to support Anna's account.

While Anna appears to be lost and out of control, she is obviously intelligent. I found myself wanting to root for her. This is what Finn says about the lead character in his book: "Anna Fox is a mess, but I’ll say this for her: she owns her mess. In the course of this book, she identifies an inquiry, pursues an investigation, and confronts an antagonist, all without the help of a man."

Regarding the story's credibility, most of us rate mystery stories based on our ability to guess the story's outcome. I did guess. Still, the characters and the story are complex and compelling enough to keep those pages turning. And, while there were also a few plot holes in the story, they didn't take away from the skillful character development and Finn's ability to write a taut, thought-provoking thriller without lots of blood and gore.

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