THE FACE THIEF (reviewed on November 15, 2011)
In his jaunty, intermittently suspenseful
third novel, Gottlieb (Now You See Him, 2008, etc.) tracks a femme fatale/con
artist and her victims.
Margot Lassiter was only 16 when she began
learning how to control men through sex. Ice cold, she felt nothing for her
many conquests. An unhappy childhood behind her, she learned how to read people
during a stint at a New York fashion magazine. The plot kicks in when she asks
Lawrence Billings for private lessons. Middle-aged and happily married,
Lawrence is an expert on face and body language; his seminars are Dale Carnegie
spinoffs. Margot has moved on to an investment firm and needs to perfect her
game. She already has a target in her sights: John Potash, once a New York
educator trapped in a boring marriage, now a transplant in Northern California,
madly in love with his second wife and possessor of a sizable nest egg. Gottlieb
juggles the stories of Margot, Lawrence and John. Margot’s story is partially
flashbacks, for a mysterious fall down a staircase has resulted in memory loss
and broken bones. It feels awkward, and somewhat diminishes the drama of her
entrapment of John and Lawrence. She quickly separates John from his nest egg;
evidently sunny California has turned his brains to mush. Nor is Lawrence, who
should know better, immune to Margot’s charms; she almost wrecks his marriage.
But when a hard-boiled detective on surveillance duty also falls for her, that
strains reader credulity; he’s one sap too many. There are other problems:
Margot’s accomplices in the financial scam, who appear and disappear without
explanation, and a cavalier response to an attempted murder. Though these moves
are fumbled, Gottlieb is very good with the incidentals, especially John’s
relationship with his canny old mother.
Gottlieb is never dull, which is a bigger
compliment than it sounds, so we keep turning the pages, albeit with a raised
eyebrow.
Judul Asli: The Face Thief: A Novel
Penulis: Eli Gottlieb
Penerjemah: Sri Noor Verawaty
Diterbitkan Oleh: Pustaka Alvabet
Cetakan Pertama:
Bahasa Asli: Inggris
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