Smart prose, a compelling plot line and an original narrative voice mark Edgar-finalist Argula's third Quinn novel (after 2007's Walla Walla Suite
) as a standout from the contemporary PI pack. Alex Krapp, a well-paid Hollywood screenwriter who hobnobs with Dustin Hoffman, summons the Seattle detective to L.A. for an unusual assignment. Krapp needs Quinn's help in proving the existence of 15-year-old Danny Timpkins, an abuse survivor (his parents were members of a satanic cult) who at 14 wrote a moving memoir of hope that Krapp is adapting for HBO. Because a Vanity Fair
reporter seeks to show that the Danny represented in the memoir doesn't exist, Quinn must dig up proof to the contrary. Her own doubts magnify after she realizes Danny's history is similar to that of an abuse victim she put away for rape. Quinn's humorous and compassionate humanity merit her a long literary life. Recent controversies over fraudulent memoirs make this particularly timely. (Mar. 24)
