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A review of The Long Rain

by Peter Gadol

A great suspense novel that explores relationships, morals and guilt.

Reviewed by: A.J. Kohn
About A.J. Kohn

The Long Rain Jason Dark is putting the pieces of his life back together. He's moved to a family vineyard, opened up a small law practice in the rural town and is renewing relationships with his estranged wife and troubled son. But then things go awry. On a rainy night on a country road he accidentally runs over a teenager and kills him. No one is around for miles and miles.

What would you do?

Maybe the answer is easy for you and you do the right thing, but author Peter Gadol explores the sinister side - the weak side - that might try to cover it up. Dark convinces himself that nothing good can come of his admission. The boy is dead and will stay dead. As a lawyer, Dark sees jail or a civil suit that takes away all he's just reclaimed. He feels he must accept the burden of guilt, but protect his family and new life.

Peter Gadol's 'The Long Rain' is a great suspense novel. Don't mistake it for a mystery novel. This isn't a whodunit because you'll know who committed the crime. It's not quite a thriller either. You won't find gory descriptions of a serial killer, no chases with gun waving thugs and nothing blows up in a fiery orange ball. You WILL be treated to a fascinating internal drama that explores relationships, morals and guilt.

Gadol puts you right smack in the middle of this queasy situation. Good people sometimes make bad decisions. And once Dark lies, he can't seem to go back and reveal the truth. It's like that friend you were supposed to call and the longer you wait the worse you feel and the tougher it is to call and explain why you flaked. The beauty of 'The Long Rain' is that you get to live this nightmare vicariously. Guilt and anxiety eat at Dark, threatening to consume his new life. And like Dark, I often found myself sitting, shoulders near my ears, with knots twisting my stomach, thinking 'will he get caught?'

Vivid descriptions of the vineyard and the detailed process of making wine provide a needed break from the treacherous tale. Some may find the explanations of the crush, fermentation and cultured bacteria to be too detailed. But if you like wine like I do, these sections will be interesting. Either way, they are welcome spots of relaxation in an otherwise tense novel. There are also a few overly coincidental plot points, but they weren't glaring enough to jar me out of the story. In fact, I found myself muttering, 'Who knows, truth can be stranger then fiction.'

'The Long Rain' taps into basic human flaws and puts them on display. It asks and answers a number of unsettling questions. Page by page the anxiety grows. You can't help but feel the pressure of the situation. And just when you think you know how things will play out, Gadol surprises with a plot twist. This isn't an easy paint by numbers portrait. It's a messy, emotional, visceral drama that exposes how secrets and guilt can damage trust and twist relationships. Enjoy the chaos knowing YOU can always close the book on the drama.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Long Rain

Copyright © by A.J. Kohn, 2003

Reviewed by A.J. Kohn:
-- Motherless Brooklyn - by Jonathan Lethem
-- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - by Douglas Adams
-- Stranger Passing - by Joel Sternfeld
-- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - by Michael Chabon
-- Bloodsucking Fiends - by Christopher Moore
-- The Long Rain - by Peter Gadol









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