The Show House
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
Quirky Orlando retirees Thaddeus and Cheryl, and adoptive parents Steven and Peter, come together for a family weekend in Orlando, where Cheryl anxiously hopes to repair the dysfunctional and toxic relationship between her husband and their son. When news of a serial killer that targets gay men at nightclubs rocks their community, over-worked pharmacist Laila grows concerned for her handsome and arrogant younger half-brother, Alex, who has been missing for several months. Meanwhile, the calculating murderer’s own life begins to spiral out of control as he unwittingly falls for a would-be victim. Overwhelmed by meeting his granddaughter Gertie for the first time, Thaddeus kidnaps her in order to take her to Disney World setting off a wild goose chase where these intertwined families finally collide.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Lopez's first novel, a witch's brew of family dysfunction, perversity, and murder, Florida retirees Thaddeus and Cheryl Bloom are looking forward to visiting their son, Stevie, from whom Thaddeus has been estranged for years, and Stevie's partner, Peter, as well as meeting their adoptive granddaughter, Gertie. Meanwhile, a serial killer is targeting gay men, making pharmacist Laila Morales worry about her spoiled younger brother, Alex. Plus there's a hurricane, a possible objective correlative of the protagonists' inner state. But it's hard to say, since the story is told from multiple points of view, including the murderer. Lopez has gathered the right ingredients for a firestorm, but something is missing, like a no-salt recipe. None of the characters come to life, and there's no one to care about or empathize with: Thaddeus is a whiny old man whose so-called jokes offend others, Cheryl is controlling and manipulative, and Stevie is clearly not being honest about his life. They could all kill one another and readers wouldn't care.
