Man of the Year
by Caroline Louise Walker
Beware the Man of the Year. You may praise him, resent him, even want to be him: but beneath the elegant trappings that define him, danger looms. Caroline Louise Walker’s stunning debut novel, for fans of Herman Koch’s The Dinner and Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door, delves into the increasingly paranoid mind of a man whose life as the most upstanding of citizens hides a relentlessly dark heart.
Dr. Robert Hart, Sag Harbor’s just-named Man of the Year, is the envy of his friends and neighbors. His medical practice is thriving. He has a beautiful old house and a beautiful new wife and a beautiful boat docked in the village marina. Even his wayward son, Jonah, is back on track, doing well at school, finally worthy of his father’s attentions. So when Jonah’s troubled college roommate, Nick, needs a place to stay for the summer, Hart and his wife generously offer him their guest house. A win-win: Jonah will have someone to hang with, and his father can bask in the warm glow of his own generosity.
But when he begins to notice his new houseguest getting a little too close to his wife, the good doctor’s veneer begins to crack. All the little lies Robert tells—harmless falsehoods meant to protect everything he holds dear—begin to mount. Before long, he’s embroiled in a desperate downward spiral, destroying the lives that stand in his way. It’s only the women in his life—his devoted office manager, his friends, his wife—who can clearly see the truth.
Biting and timely, Man of the Year races along at an electric pace, with a wicked twist that you won’t see coming.
Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
You know those characters that we love to hate? Well, Man of the Year is full of them, some of which you won't even realize you should hate for quite some time. I suppose this one falls under the thriller genre, and the book does have the right pacing for it. The story does have its share of tragedy, but once things start happening, it has elements of dark comedy as well. As Dr. Hart piles mistake on top of mistake, it's a bit like a train wreck - you don't want to see, but you can't look away. This one has infidelity at its core, after all that's how the doctor's second marriage started, but it's really based on paranoia and how far one person is willing to go once that sets in. The story does have its share of twists, some I saw coming and some, not so much, but I have to say that this author's timing is quite good on that front. In the end, I can't say that I liked any of the characters, and I certainly didn't agree with their actions. That said, whether because of sheer incredulity or interest in how it would all play out, the story did hold my attention. Walker has shown definite promise in this debut novel, and I'll be interested to see what she has for us next.
You know those characters that we love to hate? Well, Man of the Year is full of them, some of which you won't even realize you should hate for quite some time. I suppose this one falls under the thriller genre, and the book does have the right pacing for it. The story does have its share of tragedy, but once things start happening, it has elements of dark comedy as well. As Dr. Hart piles mistake on top of mistake, it's a bit like a train wreck - you don't want to see, but you can't look away. This one has infidelity at its core, after all that's how the doctor's second marriage started, but it's really based on paranoia and how far one person is willing to go once that sets in. The story does have its share of twists, some I saw coming and some, not so much, but I have to say that this author's timing is quite good on that front. In the end, I can't say that I liked any of the characters, and I certainly didn't agree with their actions. That said, whether because of sheer incredulity or interest in how it would all play out, the story did hold my attention. Walker has shown definite promise in this debut novel, and I'll be interested to see what she has for us next.
❃❃ARC provided by NetGalley and Gallery Books
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