cover image The Secret History of Twin Peaks

The Secret History of Twin Peaks

Mark Frost. Flatiron, $29.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-250-07558-1

Devotees of the cult TV series Twin Peaks, due for a revival in 2017 on Showtime, will welcome this inventive jigsaw puzzle of a book from one of the show’s creators. The tantalizing revelations concern events preceding the prequel movie, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and those following the show’s last episode. Frost’s impressive effort demands close attention. He provides information in the form of a 2016 FBI case file, classified “three levels above top secret,” assigned to an unnamed agent after a dossier was recovered from a “crime scene that is still under active investigation.” The file consists of an eclectic collection of documents, including facsimiles of purported excerpts from the writings of explorers Lewis and Clark, a newspaper account of an unusual 1927 camping trip, and censored government materials pertaining to UFOs. These documents may be related to special agent Dale Cooper’s legendary inquiry into the murder of 18-year-old Laura Palmer. This cryptic volume captures the show’s trademark quirky noir flavor as it raises new questions that Twin Peaks fans are sure to feast on. [em](Oct.) [/em]