cover image The Accident

The Accident

Linwood Barclay. Bantam, $25 (400p) ISBN 978-0-553-80718-9

Barclay (Never Look Away) examines the consequences of ordinary citizens making criminal decisions in the wake of the recession in this believable thriller that skillfully alternates between high-octane action and a slower sense of unease. Milford, Conn., contractor Glen Garber has a lot to deal with in the wake of his wife Sheila's death in a car accident that claimed two other lives: potential lawsuits over the accident, a fire in one of his houses, his eight-year-old daughter Kelly's difficulties at school, his mother-in-law's disapproval, and abiding anger and confusion over the accident's circumstances. In addition, some of Sheila's friends make inappropriate queries into the whereabouts of her purse during the accident, and while playing a hide-and-seek game at a friend's home, Kelly overhears a disturbing conversation that triggers a series of deadly confrontations. The sorry events in Milford are a great argument for people feeling the pinch in their pocketbooks to avoid illicit trafficking in knock-off drugs, purses, and construction materials. (Sept.)