Time Among the Dead

Rayfiel’s solid latest is the tale of the elderly, dying William, Lord Upton. The cantankerous old man is urged by his grandson, Seabold, to write a journal, and though initially resistant, William comes around and begins writing about violent memories as well as his concerns for the present and the future. He also takes care to meddle—perhaps innocently, likely not—in Seabold’s life, and though his stated intentions are to help, he rarely does. William is an intriguing narrator—repugnant at times, deeply sympathetic at others—and as Rayfiel charts his peculiar humanity, the reader becomes the sickly man’s co-conspirator, though questions linger: is William’s reportage accurate or does he have another, deeper motive for drawing us into his confidence? There are a few spots of narrative muddle regarding the family tree, though they could just as easily be intentional feints. That aside, Rayfiel (Parallel Play) is an intelligent writer, and his latest is cleverly conceived. (June)