Amagansett FROM THE PUBLISHER
"In the small town of Amagansett, perched on Long Island's windswept coast, generations have followed the same calling as their forefathers, fishing the dangerous Atlantic waters. Little has changed in the three centuries since white settlers drove the Montaukett Indians from the land. But for Conrad Labarde, a second-generation Basque immigrant recently returned from the Second World War, and his fellow fisherman Rollo Kemp, this stability is shattered when a beautiful New York socialite turns up dead in their nets." On the face of it, her death was accidental, but deputy police chief Tom Hollis - an incomer from New York - is convinced the truth lies in the intricate histories and family secrets of Amagansett's inhabitants. Meanwhile the enigmatic Labarde is pursuing his own investigation.
FROM THE CRITICS
Liesl Schillinger - The New York Times
While retaining some of the key components of a mystery -- drowned heiress, secret romance, hidden crimes and seething class tensions -- [Mills] stuffs his book's supple center with hypertestosteroned subplots in a bid to reach beyond the genre for something grander.
Publishers Weekly
A mysterious drowning rekindles a conflict between a Basque-American fisherman and a powerful Long Island family in screenwriter Mills's smart, complex debut novel, a fascinating murder mystery that begins in the post-WWII years when Conrad Labarde hauls up the body of Lillian Wallace in his net while earning his livelihood in the waters off the Hamptons. At first the drowning looks like a tragic accident, but when the autopsy report raises the possibility of murder and Labarde's history with the Wallaces is uncovered, police chief Tom Hollis suspects Labarde of playing a central role in Lillian's death. Further investigation, however, casts suspicion on the powerful Wallace family, specifically Lillian's former boyfriend, Justin Penrose, and her ambitious brother Manfred, the latter of whom may have been involved in a deadly hit-and-run accident. As Mills weaves together the various plot threads, he ably paints the Hamptons as a social battleground for the local fisherman, the Jewish residents and the wealthier sport fishermen. Mills saves his trump card for the climax, in which Labarde baits Manfred Wallace into a final confrontation while cleverly forcing Hollis to play a pivotal role in their face-off. Probing, morally nuanced and rich with period detail, this is a fine first novel. Agent, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. Foreign rights sold in Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the U.K. (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
It is 1947, and GI Conrad Labarde has returned to his working-class Long Island town. A first-generation Basque fisherman, he is all too familiar with the wide financial and cultural disparity between Amagansett's year-rounders and the tony Manhattanites who flock each summer to their mansions by the sea. But times are changing in postwar America, and when Labarde finds the body of a beautiful young woman tangled in his nets, the Hamptons set is rocked to its core. Why did this woman leave the country club, and what did she know about the hit-and-run death of a young girl on the night of a summer dance? The rich may be different, but are they above the law? For Deputy Chief of Police Tom Hollis, the mystery exposes his troubled past and opens a door to the future. For Labarde, it nearly costs him his life. Screenwriter Mills's debut novel is a taut, suspenseful drama filled with well-crafted characters and wonderful descriptions of Long Island. Its solid plot and tantalizing subject matter will win over many readers; highly recommended.-Susan Clifford Braun, Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Strong debut melodrama, solid as granite, not a cliche in sight. Screenwriter Mills's research into Long Island's South Fork fishing village of Amagansett as it was in 1947 stands forth with superb detail. The story draws its subject matter from village lore, from wondrous fishing scenes (especially for giant tuna), and from the invasion of the town by wealthy snobs-who allow no Jews on the fancy golf course. Conrad Labarde, son of Basque fishermen, and his retarded mate Rollo are hauling a seine into shore when it becomes clear that there's a woman's body in with the fish and big shark in their net. She's Lillian Wallace, a millionaire's daughter and, as we later learn, Conrad's secret lover-secret since her family would never approve of an affair with a fisherman. Conrad thinks she was murdered and begins a private investigation. Meanwhile, Deputy Sheriff Tom Hollis, with slightly more evidence, comes to the same thought and also begins his own secret investigation. The reader weighs various suspects until, halfway through, Mills lets us know who the bad guys are, although with no loss of suspense. So this is less murder mystery than, well, epic drama peopled with leathery fishermen, gabby townsfolk, and big-spending mansion dwellers. As background, perhaps a fifth of the pages fill in Conrad's incredible war record of fighting Nazis all over Europe, experience that develops his charisma and underpins the climax. Typical native lingo: "I got a mess o' clams and a bluefish needs eating. I'd boil up a lobster, only I'm sick to the hind teeth of the damned things."Sea, sky, tossing waves, curling whitecaps, foam, rowboats cutting through a wild unrest (as Whitman puts it)-not to mentionhigh humor and heartfelt sex. Agent: Stephanie Cabot/William Morris
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