The Body Farm

Geni’s mixed-bag second collection (after The Last Animal) drapes offbeat details over well-worn narrative threads. In “The Rapture of the Deep,” the volume’s uneventful opener, Geni gussies up a chronicle of an estranged brother and sister with lush depictions of the sister’s marine biology work as a shark tagger. Better is “Across, Beyond, Through,” in which a divorced father drives his 14-year-old trans child, Eden, across the country after Eden is beaten by his religious mother for binding his chest. After the father tries to ask informed questions about his identity and transition, Eden reddens and responds cuttingly, “I get it. You did some googling,” before he opens up. For “Petrichor,” the most frightening entry, Geni shrewdly uses the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic as a backdrop for the tale of a woman losing her five senses. In the title story, an entomologist at an anthropological research center—where corpse decomposition is studied—contemplates murdering her wife’s stalker ex-boyfriend. Unfortunately, the narratives of fractured families, late-night escapes, and physical abuse tend to feel a bit heavy-handed and obvious, despite Geni’s welcome efforts to bring their settings to life with distinctive details. Readers will hope Genie’s fine level of craft pays better dividends next time out. Agent: Laura Langlie, Laura Langlie Agency. (May)