Dan Graziano I Think She’s Trying to Tell Me Something

I Think She's Trying to Tell Me Something

Dan Graziano

Avon, Nov 2005, $12.95

ISBN: 006077875X

As he nears his thirtieth birthday, sportswriter Jack Byrnes wonders if he lost his mind when he starts seeing "ghosts" that he recognizes. He would not mind if the spirits were Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio or Mantle, but instead they are the specters of the women he courted, bedded, and dumped without a look back. He begins to wonder if perhaps he must make amends so that he can get on with his life, especially since he believes he has met his soulmate. His best friends Bernie and Jeff tease him, but also commiserate with his plight; vino veritas allows for a lot of whining.

Jack decides to visit each female who haunts him to apologize for what he did to them. As he meets with one ex after another, he begins to believe that he was not the only cause for their break-ups, as most are termagants, with the only nice one a lesbian. His quest has not happened the way he anticipated, but Jack keeps on trekking.

The premise is terrific, and the three amigos are fabulous when they get together. Jack's ghostly mission grips the audience as they expect to see him slowly (like Scrooge) evolve into a more compassionate, tolerant and understanding person. However, the problem is the women in his life were bigger losers than he ever was, so instead of accountability and responsibility, he escapes to the next beer unscathed, leaving the audience to wonder where he finds these boneheads. Still this is a solid hunk lit tale that sub-genre fans will enjoy, though the hero next gets his comeuppance.

Harriet Klausner