Darlings, I Want To Dine At Margaret's Passion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           If the above named restaurant, mentioned extensively in Mark McNease's latest novel, is actually based on a real place, I want to know what it is, and go there.   What it put me in mind of, girls, was a place from my past--Aggie's, which was down the way from the Film Forum, back in the day, and served great food.  If you went to the Film Forum, you ate at Aggie's--simple as that.  So Agige got to know you, would ask what you were going to see, talk about films of her past, or her experience of whatever revived film one was seeing--it was familiar and friendly.  Once, I honestly did not have enough cash on me.  Where my credit card was I cannot recall, or maybe Aggie did not take credit.  I signed my name and number to the check, said I would return and pay.  When I returned, the next day, after work, I think Aggie was genuinely shocked.  But it endeared me to her.

                                            Now, back to "Pride And Perilous."  Cute title, and even a high schooler--or at least an advanced high schooler--gets the riff being played on.  This is where two negatives add up to a positive--Mr. McNease is not Jane Austen, nor is he trying to be, and while he is heading into darker territory here than his previous book, "Murder At Pride Lodge," he, at least, is not Joan Didion.  And he looks a hell of a lot better than Joan!!!!!!!!!

                                                The book brings back all the key players, like Kyle Callahan and lesbian  detective Linda Sikorsky, from New Hope, PA.  The setting, interestingly switches to New York City, with Linda coming to town to witness a photographic exhibition Kyle is showing at something called the Katherine Collins Gallery.  But this is a mystery, and, before you know it, bodies start turning up.  The author here is going in a new direction, and this is where things get a little murky.

                                                 His perpetrator is revealed early on.  The reader learns how his disturbed character was formed, and that he is responsible for the murders in the book.  What he lacks is a motive that fully justifies his pathology.  Without being too revealing, all I will say is, I get it, but the individual's character is not explored enough to justify the specious motive that is revealed two thirds of the way through,.  (Though I will say I was wrong--I thought the killer was going after family members/siblings. Not so.)  and which leads to a climax that is almost a throwaway.

                                                   I actually had a bit of sympathy for the perp.  But beyond a certain point, I could not justify, even from a pathological viewpoint,  some of whom he was killing.  When Norman Bates, one of the great pathological killers ever, went after his victims, the reader always understood whom he was really killing was his mother.  That is because Robert Bloch builds up a valid case for Norman, so that his killings, however heinous, never come off as specious.

                                                     And this is something Mr. McNease needs to be mindful of, as, from what I understand, his next book is going to have an actual serial killer.  If he (McNease) was warming up for this with his perp here, he needs to do more work, if he is going to succeed with the next book.

                                                       Maybe it was Sophomore Slump, or Second Novel Jitters--"Pride And Perilous" just did not seem as gutsy--however enjoyable it was-- as the last book.  I look forward to the third, wherein some of these caveats should be ironed out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                           But, girls, if you need a fun, Summer Read--this is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!