cover image Just Fall

Just Fall

Nina Sadowsky. Ballantine, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-0-553-39485-6

Ellie, the heroine of screenwriter Sadowsky’s convoluted debut, gets more than one shock on her wedding day in New York City. During a private moment immediately after the ceremony, her new husband, Rob Beauman, makes an admission to her that “was sudden, downright bizarre, and, if true, terrifying.” Later, during the reception at a Manhattan hotel, two armed men manage to kidnap Rob. One of them orders Ellie to go to the resort island of St. Lucia and commit a murder in exchange for sparing Rob’s life. Ellie must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice for a man she only thought she knew. After this intriguing setup, one preposterous twist follows another as the tale lurches back and forth in time and frequently changes narrative points of view. Gratuitous sex and violence abound. Rob and Ellie lack depth and verisimilitude, which saps their relationship of passion and strips the story of its stakes. [em]Agent: Emma Sweeney, Emma Sweeney Agency. (Mar.) [/em]