Starred review from May 7, 2007
T
wo lesser characters from Yale law professor Carter's bestselling first novel, The Emperor of Ocean Park
(2002)—husband and wife Lemaster and Julia Carlyle—take center stage in his second, a compelling, literate page-turner that effortlessly blends a gripping whodunit with complex discussions of politics and race in contemporary America. Lemaster, one of the country's most influential African-Americans, has recently begun his tenure as president of a prestigious New England university. As he and Julia, who serves as a dean in the university's divinity school, drive home one snowy night, they happen upon the corpse of Professor Kellen Zant, a brilliant economist as well as Julia's former lover. The murder threatens to shatter not only the Carlyles' marriage but also the fragile psyche of their precocious but troubled daughter, Vanessa—and may affect the upcoming, bitterly contested race for the White House. Julia proves an unlikely but dogged investigator, who looks beyond the official verdict that Zant was killed in a chance encounter with a robber. In the richness of his characters, both major and minor, and the intelligence of his writing, Carter rivals Scott Turow. Expect another bestseller. 300,000 first printing; author tour.
Starred review from June 1, 2007
Too many rabbits are pulled from too many hats in this otherwise excellent novel, but Carter ("The Emperor of Ocean Park") makes up for it with muscular narration, appealing characters, and a keen awareness of how ancestry, position, and skin color shape reactions to events. Lemaster Carlyle, the black president of an elite New England university, and his wife, Julia, the divinity school dean, discover the body of a professor who was once Julia's lover. Who killed him, and why? Fearful that the killing is connected to her daughter's increasing emotional instability and that her husband might be involved, Julia struggles to protect her entire family while doggedly pursuing the truth, even if the cost is her peace of mind. The issue of race keeps cropping up in this intriguing novel, as seen through the perspective of this country's thin black upper crust, whose members have reason to suspect the intentions of "the paler nation." Carter's sensitivity to social nuance, especially the delicate negotiations of place and status among members of the country's grievously small black elite, is exceptional. Difficult to put down and highly recommended for general collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 3/1/07.]David Keymer, Modesto, CA
Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from June 1, 2007
When Kellen Zant, a brilliant black economist on thefaculty of a New England college, is murdered in an apparent robbery attempt, the entire town of Elm Harbor is thrown into a stir. For itrecalls the 30-year-old scandal of the murder of Gina Joule, a professors daughter, and the subsequent killing of a local black youth charged with her murder. Unresolved issues of class and race continue to haunt the town, leery of outsiders and all members of the darker nation, including the new college president, Lemaster Carlyle, and his wife, Julia. The Lemasters are drawn into the investigation of Zants murder not just by virtue of Lemasters position but because Julia and Zant had once been lovers. She remembers a cruelty that nearly destroyed her and resents the intrusion into her ordered life with the cool and uber-rational Lemaster. But Julia also senses that her troubled teenage daughter, Vanessa, is somehow tied to Zants murder. Both had been investigating the Joule murder, Vanessa for a term paper, Zant for apparently nefarious reasons. Julias investigation takes her to Boston, Harlem, and as far away as France, the home ofher self-exiled mother, the celebrated firebrand Mona Veazie. Every clue threatens the stability of Julias marriage as she uncovers possible connections between Lemaster, a powerful black social club, and three former college roommates who share a secret that may wreck their lives and reset the political landscape. Carter follows his highly-acclaimedEmperor of Ocean Park (2002) with another sharp, absorbing look at the black elite, academia, and power politics. Absolutely riveting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)
Starred review from September 24, 2007
Turpin's reading of Carter's second novel is sublime. In a book where each character's race is important, capturing that fact for the ear alone is a balancing act to be taken quite seriously. The story opens with a body found on the roadside by Julia Carlyle and her university president husband, Lemaster (both had minor roles in Carter's The Emperor of Ocean Park)
. It turns out to be an ex-lover of Julia's and a possible blackmailer of Lemaster. What ensues is a gripping tale of race, murder, politics, conspiracy theory and secret societies that revolves around a 30-year-old case involving a dead white girl and an accused, now dead, black attacker. Turpin's prowess in the aural world is apparent, not only when nailing regional accents but in much more subtle ways, like a conversation between two women of roughly the same age who are clearly distinguishable from each other by one's slight smoker's rasp. The story is literate and fast-paced, and Turpin's well-rounded characters keep the fire fueled. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Reviews, May 7).