cover image Haven: A Novel of Anxiety

Haven: A Novel of Anxiety

John Peyton Cooke. Mysterious Press, $22.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-89296-610-3

Cooke (The Chimney Sweeper and Torsos) is another mystery author (see review above and of Bill Pronzini's Sentinels, Forecasts, June 17) who's giving starring roles to neo-Nazis. When Dr. Cecilia Mak takes a job in an isolated Idaho town to pay off her medical-school debts, strange things begin to happen almost immediately. Cecilia overhears the elderly doctor who is retiring (to Argentina) arguing with his wife in a guttural, unfamiliar language and learns that his pet cats are named Eva and Martin. When other residents of the town mumble or sing in German, it becomes obvious that, in Haven, Cecilia and her Chinese American husband, Mike, have stumbled upon a refuge different from what they had imagined. Cooke knows how to simmer his brew, increasing the suspense over time as he slowly reveals what really brought Cecilia to Haven. Unfortunately, he's also determined to be utterly serious--and way too preachy. Once Mike's ethnic origins are given, readers won't be surprised to learn that a massacre of Chinese miners took place in Haven a century before. Nor is there much to doubt about the fate of two gay friends who come to visit the Maks. There's even a hint of child molestation to ensure that most contemporary media buttons are pushed. (Aug.)