Jake Lamar Ghosts of Saint Michel

Ghosts of Saint Michel

Jake Lamar

St. Martin's, June 2006, $24.95, 288 pp.

ISBN 0312289251

Afro-American Marva Dobbs has lived in France for almst four decades and doesn't plan to ever reside in America again. She has her own restaurant Marva's Soul Food Kitchen, is considered a celebrity and is married to Loic Reese for almost as long as she lived in France. They have one daughter Naima and ever since she was born, Loic and Marva have been faithful to each other.

That changes when the sixty-something year old Marva has an affair with the beautiful twenty-eight year old Hassan. After a summer in Breton with Loic, Marva realizes he knows about her affair so since she deeply loves her husband, she decides to break it off with Hassan. Before she can do that she finds that he and his cousins are considered terrorists by the police who believe they bombed the WORTHEE Building which houses a liberal think tank. After getting into an auto accident, Marva is taken to the hospital where she checks herself out after Hassan comes for her. Naima, who has come home to see her mother, finds the restaurant's manager murdered in the middle of the dining room. It is Naima who must figure out how to handle the mess her parents and Hassan have made of their lives.

GHOSTS OF SAINT MICHEL is a multi-layered complex mystery wrapped around a family drama. The storyline is fast paced with interesting characters especially the African-Americans (mindful of authors like Richard Wright and James Baldwin) who have easily integrated themselves into French society. Loic is the most complex character, whose past and present actions come as a complete surprise to the audience because they do not fit the image he projects. Jake Lamar has written a deep and enjoyable tale that keeps the audience interested in the incredible plotting.

Harriet Klausner