The Helper

Screenwriter Dewil’s plodding first novel charts a desperate mother’s descent into crime. Recently fired from her librarian job, Mary Williams struggles to make rent and retain custody of her daughter, Emma. When she responds to a Craigslist help wanted ad, a young man named Eric Smith asks to meet her. He offers Mary $100,000 to kill him, explaining that he’s terminally ill, and if his death is ruled a homicide instead of a suicide, the life insurance money will go to his mother. Mary’s horrified, but after much soul-searching, she agrees. When the job inevitably goes sideways, she attempts to stay one step ahead of the detective who eventually picks up her trail. Dewil’s often stylish prose goes down smooth, but the underdeveloped plot never gathers enough momentum to sustain much interest. There’s reason to hope Dewil’s sophomore effort will be an improvement, but this misses the mark. Agent: Daniel Milaschewski, UTA. (June)