Fogland Point

According to history professor David Hazard, the sly narrator of Burgess’s masterly first novel, nothing ever happens in Little Compton, R.I., his hometown, but he’s soon proved wrong after he sets out from Boston on receiving a garbled phone message from his Grandma Maggie claiming that she found a body. David doubts there’s been a murder, but he fears that Maggie’s dementia is worsening. As he puts it, “in Maggie Hazard’s cockeyed world it could be high noon or three a.m., yesterday or 1957. Walking through the front door is like coming upon a play mid-scene.” When David arrives in Little Compton, he discovers Maggie’s best friend and next-door neighbor, Emma, is indeed lying dead on her kitchen floor. Was Emma murdered? Was Grandma remembering another incident? And who is wealthy Marcus Rhinegold, whose sudden appearance in town has started tongues wagging? In his search for answers, David stumbles on more family secrets than he could ever have imagined. Elegant prose, a veritable Chinese box of puzzles, and authentic, well-rounded characters make this a standout. [em](Aug.) [/em]