Mellow Submarine

Tongue firmly in cheek, Atchison ventures into the realm of faked crimes and the ensuing repercussions. Ever since Jenna Kaye disappeared, her fiancé, Mike McAfee, has been scrutinized as the prime suspect in her supposed death. He flees to his hometown of Cameron, Ill., in an attempt to escape the limelight and sort things out. After Jenna’s discovered alive and well, having staged her own disappearance to run off with an old boyfriend, Mike’s life is once again turned upside down with the realization that his relationship with Jenna was a sham. While in Cameron, he reunites with old friends who are in the midst of recovering from their own life disasters, including Jill, an old flame from high school. A former one-night stand reappears, which complicates matters, as does the incessant flow of reality TV bigwigs with their own agendas. Atchison’s knack for snappy dialogue, sharp witticisms, and vivid characterizations of even minor characters make the far-fetched story a fast-paced delight. (BookLife)