Back from the Dead — Chris Petit

The death of a rock star's nanny in France 20 years ago is an all-but- forgotten story, unknown to the disillusioned city cop hired to provide security for the aging but still popular musician. But when McMahon (the star) starts getting threatening letters from the dead woman, he asks Youselli (the cop) to investigate.

Chris Petit is short on first names but long on explicating the disillusionment, fears, and private demons of his characters; in short order, Youselli buys into McMahon's obsession with the letter writer, who leads them both down an intricate, booby-trapped trail in this moody, nicely paced little thriller by the author of The Psalm Killer. Is Leah, the nanny, still alive? If she isn't, someone who knew what really happened in France is using that knowledge to destroy what's left of McMahon's career and set the remaining members of a band that bears more than a passing resemblance to the Rolling Stones against each other. Youselli is a much more interesting character than McMahon, or even the woman who might--or might not--be Leah. He's willing to be led down any alley that might lead to her, even if it's a one-way street. Burned out in his job, emotionally crippled by his divorce, he's got nothing to lose. Or does he? By the time he tracks the letters back to their source, you'll care as much as he does and won't be disconcerted by the loose ends Petit fails to tie up. The pacing is slow, but that leaves room to explore the emotional nuances of Petit's antihero in this vaguely noirish novel that will satisfy readers who are more interested in motive than murder and care more about character development than plot. --Jane Adams