British author Povey, who has written for such TV shows as the BBC's Eastenders
, makes a real splash with his first novel, a darkly comic spoof of the serial killer genre. When the anonymous narrator, who combines a blithe Bertie Wooster–like innocence with a psychopathic taste for slaughter, "accidentally" kills a mass murderer, he assumes the man's identity. An odd set of personal advertisements lure the narrator to Chicago, where he encounters the club of the book's title. Since the club's members adopt the names of movie stars as aliases, he decides to become Douglas Fairbanks Jr. "Doug" quickly moves from shock and fear to preying on his fellow club members, attracting the notice of a bizarre FBI agent, who offers to let him off the hook if he finishes off the rest of them. This satirical black comedy won't be to everyone's taste, but many will find it a refreshing change from the paint-by-the-numbers profiler vs. psychotic fiend offerings. (June)
