cover image VIOLENCE, NUDITY, ADULT CONTENT

VIOLENCE, NUDITY, ADULT CONTENT

Vince Passaro, . . Simon & Schuster, $24 (304pp) ISBN 978-0-684-85726-8

This powerfully emotive debut novel from veteran short fiction writer and essayist Passaro builds more angst than a Bergman festival, shining an uncomfortably bright light on the vicissitudes of fast-track urban life. Part thriller and part finely tuned emotional drama, it tells the story of William Riordan, young lawyer and father of two, bucking for partner in his high-profile law firm. Key to his promotion is his work on two tough cases. The first involves a raging rape victim who e-mails Will disturbing imagery and angry prose; the second requires him to defend a millionaire accused of killing his wife and sexually molesting his kids. Meanwhile, at home, Will finds himself watching helplessly as his rocky marriage to Ellie (submerged in postpartum woes) deteriorates. Passaro's characterizations of Will's colleagues—celebrity lawyer Jack, always seeking the media spotlight; sexually aggressive Sue; huge, meticulous Gerry ("our fat man"); gay litigator David Chin, Will's only true friend—are razor sharp; even more compelling is his intimate, convincingly detailed examination of Will's home life. Throwing legal-thriller curve balls and narrating near cinematic personal struggles, Passaro imbues the novel with mesmerizing suspense, leading the reader through a labyrinth to an unexpectedly upbeat finale. Passaro manages to fit the provocative title to average relationships as well as perverse, abusive ones—no easy feat—and succeeds just as admirably in fitting literary introspection to a legal thriller plot. Agent, Denise Shannon. (Feb.)

Forecast:Passaro's name is familiar to readers of Harper's and the New York Times Magazine, where his essays frequently appear, and should prompt browsers to stop and take a look.