We Are Here
For the first half of this novel, readers will believe they’re in a tingly thriller. Right off, we meet David as he stands on a train platform. A stranger calls him by name. Just before vanishing, the mystery man whispers, “Remember me.” Jump-cut to John, a New Yorker whose experience in intelligence work is called upon when a friend of a friend asks for help. She’s sure someone is following her, but when she looks back, no one’s there. Some fine scenes, suspenseful and witty, ensue as John and his girlfriend mount their own surveillance. They walk fast, maintaining cell-phone contact, and notice that, yes, someone is tracking their friend of a friend. Odd, though: whoever it is can disappear as quickly as that person on the platform. Here’s where the thriller dead-ends, and the fantasy begins. Or maybe it’s magical realism. Suddenly there’s a new mystery to solve. When the dreamer forgets the dream, does it live on anyway? Readers comfortable with mixing genres will enjoy the ride, while others may want to get off at the first stop. --Don Crinklaw