by Robert Goolrick (Get the Book)With understated delicacy, Goolrick, in his second novel, after the well-received A Reliable Wife (2009), creates a mesmerizing gothic tale of a good man gone wrong. Charismatic Charlie Beale, just returned from WWII, is desperate to put down roots, and the small, bucolic town of Brownsburg, Virginia, where no crime had ever been committed, seems to offer him the simple life he craves. He immediately finds work at the butcher shop, where his courteous ways make him popular with the local housewives, while his baseball prowess impresses the men. He becomes fast friends with his employer's family, especially five-year-old Sam. But when Charlie sets eyes on Sylvan Glass, the beautiful young wife of the town's richest citizen, the simple life he so desires vanishes in an instant. The two begin a torrid affair, often using young Sam as their cover, and what Sam sees and experiences in their presence changes him forever. Goolrick effortlessly creates a timeless, erotically charged tale of illicit passion and peoples it with a unique cast of characters, ranging from a gifted black seamstress to a country girl besotted with Hollywood movie stars and fashion. Finely crafted fiction from a captivating writer. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A 100,000-copy first printing and a major promotional campaign for Goolrick's terrific sophomore effort may well boost the author's profile. --Booklist
