Blind Fall
By Christopher Rice
Scribner, 314 pp, $26.00
Some of you may have seen Chuck Long’s interview with Christopher Rice on Out & About Today. Christopher is passionate about his beliefs and you can feel that with his books. His latest novel tackles bigotry involving a gay marine.
John Houck is a special ops marine riddled with guilt over his past and his debt to a Mike Bowers, a fellow marine to whom he owes his life. After an operation gone wrong in Iraq, John spent time in a military hospital. When he returns home, he decides to look up his friend to make amends and stumbles onto his own friend’s death and crime scene. After chasing his friend’s lover Alex Martin from the house (assuming he was Mike’s killer), he learns of their intimate relationship. After returning to the house, he and Alex find Mike’s body missing and that Alex is the prime suspect in his killing.
In the small town where Mike and Alex live, the police are not exactly understanding and willing to get to the bottom of the murder. The story unravels quickly and the killer (and a crooked cop) is revealed. However, in the eyes of the cops and the public, John and Alex are the prime suspects in Mike’s death.
John feels he owes Mike to protect his lover and teach him how to survive and protect himself. Through the process, John learns more about himself than he is able to digest. He reconnects with his estranged sister who helps them figure out what they need to do. John also learns through Alex more about his friend Mike than he ever knew. He learns to come to grips with his friend’s homosexuality and comes to care about Alex’s welfare.
Since you find out who the murderer is early in the novel, Blind Falls isn’t so much a whodunit as a "what-the-hell-are-they-going-to-do” (Rice’s own words) novel. An interesting thriller and exciting novel, Blind Falls makes a great summer read. Throw this one in your bag before headed to beach.
Blind Fall is Christopher Rice’s fourth novel. His three other novels have all made the New York Times bestseller list. He has also won a Lambda Literary Award and is a regular writer for The Advocate. He is the son of famed novelist Anne Rice.
Blind Fall is available online, at the library and in local bookstores.