IT'S HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME

Gleacher's cheeky debut starts off as an ironic romantic comedy about a tentative 20-something couple as they edge toward commitment, but the author displays a stunning gift for black humor when the hidden motives for their partnership suddenly emerge. The narrator is Jack, a young ad salesman for a Colorado newspaper, who suddenly breaks up with his girlfriend, Breach, even though she seems to be perfect for him. After the breakup, he stumbles into a relationship with an attractive but aloof blonde named Hope. Despite their mutual lack of passion, they slowly drift toward an ill-conceived marriage. The story moves into high gear with the wedding, as Hope's libidinous, status-driven mother makes a move on Jack, and Hope goes into fast-forward on the postmarital acquisition front, using her considerable inheritance money to buy a house as she begins to plan a family. Jack, however, remains in singles mode, pining away for Breach, who's gotten engaged, as he conducts a bizarre affair with a gorgeous older married woman. The plot takes a further wild turn when one of Hope's friends makes a pass at Jack and reveals that Hope's interest in him may have been more pragmatic than romantic, leading to a great comic ending as the marriage unravels and Jack plots his revenge. Gleacher is a witty, engaging narrator, going so heavy on the irony as he develops his story that the characters seem more than a little hollow before the inheritance subplot kicks in. But the success of that subplot marks the author as a comic writer to watch if he can continue to develop his intriguing gifts for irony, dark humor and minimalist writing. (Feb.)