Hollow Spaces

Attorney Suthammanont blends elements of Presumed Innocent and Serial for his intricate debut, about two siblings who investigate whether their father committed the murder he was acquitted of 30 years earlier. The dual timeline narrative begins with young father John Lo, the only Asian American partner at his New York City law firm, on trial for the murder of Jessica DeSalvo, a coworker with whom he was having an affair. Three decades later, his daughter Brennan is following in his footsteps, working as a lawyer and entangled in an affair with a partner at her firm, and she’s convinced John did not kill Jessica. Her brother, Hunter, a war correspondent, is equally certain of John’s guilt, and their long-held disagreement has made them estranged. After they reunite upon learning that their mother has cancer, they conduct interviews with people involved in the case and discover that the police and prosecutor withheld evidence of another potential suspect. Their digging prompts threatening anonymous phone calls, and Suthammanont keeps the reader guessing as to whether John really did it and who’s trying to intimidate the siblings. Flashbacks to John’s affair with Jessica and his struggles with holding down a job after the trial add to the intrigue and build a complex portrait of a broken man. It adds up to a well-plotted human drama. Agent: Ellen Scordato, Stonesong. (Aug.)