City of the Sun

by: David Levien

Published by: Anchor Books

Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart

Paul and Carol are living every parent’s nightmare. Their twelve-year-old son, Jamie, left to do his paper route and vanished without a trace. No clues, no witnesses, no ransom calls, nothing. The case goes cold quickly.

From David Levien, acclaimed screenwriter of such hits as Ocean’s Thirteen, Runaway Jury, and Rounders, comes a masterful new novel in mass market paperback, City of the Sun. For me, the opening scenes when Jamie is kidnapped were a little disconcerting as they were written in first-person point of view. But that’s a Julie issue, not the writer’s. However, when the novel jumps ahead to fourteen months later, the novel’s point of view switches to the more familiar third person and takes off full speed ahead.

After fourteen months of hell, the dad, Paul. decides to hire a private investigator, Frank Behr. Frank is a tad eccentric but the death of his son years earlier prompts him to try to help the Gabriels. He knows, and he lets Paul and Carol know, that he may find nothing, that their son is more than likely dead. Anything, according to the Gabriels, is better than the hell of not knowing. Frank starts at the beginning, looking for clues and/or evidence that the cops might have missed.

Frank starts out alone, but soon Paul joins him in the search for Jamie.

At 419 pages, City of the Sun is an extremely satisfying read. Levien gives all the characters a chance to show the readers their side of the story. The story is well-executed and flows well. The prose is taut and tight.

City of the Sun introduces readers to Frank. Another novel is planned for release in mid-summer. I’m sure that P.I. Frank and author Levien will be hits in many more novels.

Armchair Interviews says: A 5-star suspense that’s hard to put down.

Author’s Web site: http://www.DavidLevien.com