There Will Be Stars

Coffey returns to Mattingly, Va. (the setting of The Curse of Crow Hollow), in a novel that will challenge readers to rethink their ideas of heaven and hell. Bobby Barnes, the town drunk, is in a car crash. To his surprise, the morning after the crash he wakes up alive%E2%80%94he thinks. Bobby soon discovers he's in a strange in-between place with six other townsfolk%E2%80%94Dorothea, Junior, Tommy, Laura Beth, Juliet, and George%E2%80%94who all have stories as strange and tragic as his. Dorothea is in charge of the "family" in heaven, their name for the day that keeps repeating itself. But all isn't perfect for Bobby or the others, who must confront their sins and vices if they want to move on. Coffey has created a tale that turns back on itself, twists into knots, and weaves reality and fantasy into a jumble that occasionally satisfies and often confuses. Coffey's fans will stick with him; new readers may not. Agent: Rachelle Gardner, Books & Such. (May)