Blue Paradise

An intriguing new writer takes on a very old story in this promising first novel, a morality play about a down-and-out Manhattan boxer who receives a lucrative offer to throw the ultimate fight of his career. Thirtyish Nick Gallagher is the bartender at a Hell's Kitchen dive called the Blue Paradise; he's a jaded, disaffected sort who sees boxing as the only way out of his dead-end existence. His moment of truth arrives with the first major bout of his stalled career. But, while training for the fight, he also must also face a drinking problem, his waning love for his girlfriend, his strong attraction to a prostitute who hangs out at the bar and, finally, a six-figure offer from a seedy bookie to take a dive in the pivotal confrontation. In between extended bouts of soul-searching, Nick tries to bail out his best friend, Jerry, a loser who always has a hopeless hustle up his sleeve. The material is all-too-familiar, but Bloom uses a combination of well-drawn characters and a noirish feel for the West Side's diminishing grit to gain our sympathy and carry us along. Although Bloom inexplicably spares Nick from the ramifications of his choice, this novel introduces a talent whose ability to create interesting characters and drive them through a narrative marks him as an author to watch. (May)