The Suite Life

Corso’s flat, plodding second novel revisits Samantha Bonti, the heroine of her debut, Brooklyn Story. With Sam’s gangster ex-boyfriend safely behind bars, she feels free to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. But when no publisher wants to risk the mob’s ire, she reluctantly puts her novel on the back burner and focuses on making a life for herself in Manhattan, where by 1996 she’s got a steady if unremarkable job as a “dreary corporate drone.” Then she meets Alec DeMarco, a handsome Wall Street hotshot, marrying him after a whirlwind courtship. Within a few years, Alec has become immensely wealthy, but Sam is also finding that his sleazy, aggressive business dealings aren’t so different from her gangster ex, and luxury is no compensation for the loss of her dreams—a fact she only fully realizes once the 2008 market crash threatens to destroy Alec’s fortune and her marriage. Corso’s matter-of-fact narrative style delivers little emotional impact; as a result, it’s hard to find Sam sympathetic, especially when she makes poor choices with overly telegraphed outcomes. Fans of Corso’s first novel may enjoy this sequel, but it’s less likely to draw in new fans. Agent: Susan Ginsburg, Writers House. (Sept.)