The Salinger Contract by Adam Langer

Description from Goodreads

An enthralling literary mystery that connects some of the world’s most famous authors—from Norman Mailer and Truman Capote to B. Traven and J. D. Salinger—to a sinister collector in Chicago.

Adam Langer, the narrator of this deft and wide-ranging novel by the author of the same name, tells the intertwining tales of two writers navigating a plot neither one of them could have ever imagined. There may be no other escape than to write their way out of it.

Adam is a writer and stay-at-home dad in Bloomington, Indiana, drawn into an uneasy friendship with the charismatic and bestselling thriller author Conner Joyce. Conner is having trouble writing his next book, and when a menacing stranger approaches him with an odd—and lucrative—proposal, events quickly begin to spiral out of control.

A novel of literary crimes and misdemeanors, The Salinger Contract will delight anyone who loves a fast-paced story told with humor, wit, and intrigue.

I gave this book four stars out of five

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the authors style and found it very difficult to put this book down. I was always eager to know what was going to happen next, always wanting to read just a few more pages.

The plot was interesting and filled with suspense. The characters well rounded and very real. I loved the literary context of this book, and the way that famous authors were weaved in to this story of what was ultimately the escapades of a criminal mastermind.

There were always a few surprises for each of the main characters, in this cleverly written story. The big reveal kept me guessing right to the nice little twist at the end.

Told mostly from the viewpoint of the author, it was interesting how he was recounting a story that was being told to him. It was nice to understand his thought processes about whether the story being told to him was true, whether the character relating it to him was reliable, and ultimately good for the reader in determining the reliability of the narrator himself.

If you want a thrilling, well written, literary mystery that will keep you guessing to the end, then this would be a good book for you. I heartily recommend it. A most enjoyable read.

This review is based on a digital ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher.