Arthur Pfefferkorn is a has-been, or perhaps a never-was: a middle-aged college professor with long-dead literary aspirations. When his oldest friend, bestselling thriller writer William de Vallèe, is lost at sea, Pfefferkorn is torn between envy and grief, for de Vallèe not only outshone Pfefferkorn professionally, but married the woman Pfefferkorn loved.
Pfefferkorn's decision to reconnect with de Vallèe's widow sets in motion a surreal chain of events, plunging him into a shadowy realm of double crosses and intrigue, a world where no one can be trusted--and nothing can be taken seriously. "Seldom, if ever, have the cloak-and-dagger folk-of any stripe, ours or theirs-appeared so omniscient, so omnipotent and so perfectly awful as they do in Kellerman's mordantly funny latest… Another brilliant performance. Kellerman has fun here, and so will his readers."
-Kirkus (starred)
"Kellerman ruminates on the practice of writing, the experience of sudden literary success, the nature of friendship, and the contrasts between the lives of writers and spies. Potboiler is very funny – and insightful."
-Booklist
"Kellerman balances the line between thrills and satire in this unique reading experience filled with mysteries, conspiracies, double crosses and shadowy villains….Fun in completely unexpected ways. Only a great writer like Kellerman could make it work at all well."
-Romantic Times
"This satire heavy novel works well… There are truly funny observations about publishing, what merits good writing, and the excesses of the thriller genre."
-Library Journal
"A tough, funny satire of the titled genre… Kellerman wants to have fun with thrillers… creating a niche for himself by focusing on characters who are never as smart as they think they are…. a frequently hilarious Moebius strip of a novel."
-Palm Beach Post
Jesse Kellerman is the internationally bestselling author of four previous novels, The Executor, The Genius, Trouble, and Sunstroke. His books and plays have also won several awards. He lives in La Jolla, California.
