Swimming Pool Sunday

FROM THE PUBLISHER

On a scorching hot Sunday in May, the Delaneys open their pool to all the village for charity. It is an annual event, a holiday of sorts for the people of Melbrook: Louise is there, along with her daughters Amelia and Katie. And also there, unfortunately, is her estranged husband Barnaby, glaring at her resentfully. This was supposed to be his day with the girls, but Louise ignores his angry glowers - it isn't her fault they wanted to come swimming with her, is it? While the children splash and shriek in the cool, blue waters, she lies blissfully back in the sun and dreams of Cassian, the charismatic new lawyer in her life. The day is perfect. But suddenly a terrible accident shatters the afternoon, and as the consequences of an awful tragedy spiral into a drama of recrimination and jealousy, Louise finds herself pulled in three directions at once. Her friendships crumble, the village splits, and the needs of her injured child become secondary to a dangerous contest of blame between her and Barnaby, a contest that may tear their lives apart once and for all.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A fine chronicler of life's small and large catastrophes, Wickham (A Desirable Residence, 1997, etc.) delivers a workmanlike tale of separated parents who are manipulated by an ambitious young lawyer. When divorce-bound British suburbanites Louise and Barnaby Kember, temporarily reunited at a neighbor's pool party, witness a diving accident that puts their youngest daughter in the hospital, Louise's soign new suitor, the attorney Cassian Brown, persuades them to sue. As it turns out, the politically and socially ambitious Cassian is more interested in winning a case that will bring him a connection to Louise's father, the famous Lord Page, than he is in Louise or her child. A subplot about a brilliant young piano student and a somewhat older man in the Kembers' village brings humor and a melancholy revelation at the end. If the novel drags in the middle, it's only because we can't help but wonder why it takes Louise so long to come to her senses and blast smarmy Cassian out of her life. (Apr.)

Library Journal

Nadelson's successful debut mixes police procedural with political intrigue. When an unknown assailant murders a KGB general-turned-author on a TV talk show, one of the first to investigate is family friend Artie Cohen, a New York cop who grew up in Moscow. Although on leave, Artie competes with federal agents and others as he scours Brighton Beach's Russian migr community for clues. Attacks and warnings serve only to strengthen his resolve, which finally takes him back to Moscow in pursuit of "atomic gangsters." Fast-moving action, a scary scenario, and hidden backgrounds make this a good choice for most collections.

Kirkus Reviews

Once again, Wickham (A Desirable Residence, 1997, etc.) uses a favorite, and sometimes effective, formula: throw a large group of people together and see what mischief comes. In this case, the mischief turns tragic: At the annual charity swim at the Delanys' English manor house, little Katie hits her head on the diving board, putting her in a coma with probable brain damage and putting the villagers at odds with each other when Katie's family decides to sue for negligence. But it's not Louise and Barnaby (Katie's separated parents) who first propose suing their old friends, it's the duplicitous Cassian Brown, a social-climbing lawyer besotted with Louise's political pedigree (daughter of MP Lord Page). Cassian convinces Louise that suing is imperative to Katie's future, and, anyway, the insurance will pay. But when they find that venerable old Hugh and his dotty but well-meaning wife Ursula aren't properly covered, the novel's moral dilemma develops: Is Katie's comfort worth the ruin of Hugh and Ursula, especially since they weren't at fault? The community divides, and the town busybodies fan the fire, but for Louise and Barnaby, all that matters are Katie's slow recoveryþand the court case. Meanwhile, Wickham trots out a series of secondary concerns: a romance between young Daisy, new to the village, and the much older Alexis, counsel for the defense, who recently snubbed Meredith, surrogate daughter to Hugh and Ursula. It's all a bit soapy, but Wickham salvages (just) her weakness for melodrama with page-turning pacing that quickly brings the reader to a satisfying, albeit predictable, end. Just as Katie miraculously recovers, Hugh suffers a heart attack,bringing into question not only the integrity of the court case but the possibility of a reconciliation between Louise and Barnaby. As before, Wickham is adept at creating a random mix of likable people, but the lack of substance and depth here makes it more guilty pleasure than literary treasure.