Paraiso

Siblings Peter and Wendy haven't spoken in years. Once they were very close, even attempting to run away to Mexico together. However, as adolescence changes them, Wendy blames Peter for betraying a secret, and when their mother dies, the truth about the past vanishes with her. As adults, the two siblings live very different lives. Peter is a straitlaced book editor in New York, and Wendy is a reckless sports photographer who encounters trouble after her car breaks down in Paraiso, Mexico. When Peter heads south of the border to reconcile with his sister and save her from her vindictive ex-boyfriend, he doesn't realize he is completing the journey they started as teenagers. Chaplin (Full Fathom Five) sets the stage for a rowdy adventure story, but the siblings' alternating points of view make it difficult to connect with either character. Wendy's story is told in the third person while Peter's is in first, and the transition between the two feels abrupt. Nevertheless, readers may still enjoy the story for its fast-paced plot. (July)