Whiskey Road

Star-crossed lovers have a tough time of it in Siplin's wooden third novel. When rough-hewn smalltown Pennsylvania contractor Caleb Atwood sees an African-American woman who appears to have been beaten, he buys her some medical supplies and drops her off at a local inn. She returns the favor when she comes across him in a bar parking lot, his nose bloodied. As it turns out, she's a Harley-riding paparazzi named Jimi on her way to New York from L.A. (her injuries are the result of a run-in with a motorcycle thief), and Caleb's bloody nose leads to a love affair, much to the dismay of a few of Caleb's friends. As Caleb and Jimi's relationship becomes serious, Caleb's brother, freshly released from jail, turns up in town and brings plenty of trouble with him. Unfortunately, the characters are deeply stereotypical, and the plot twists are predictable and contrived. (May)