No Way Out is Christine Kersey's first novel. First efforts by authors reflect the author's best effort, and sometimes give a idea of the author's potential given time and experience. Some first novels are dismal. There are several I refused to review -- they were that bad! This book was pretty good, a nice first effort by this new author.

Abby and Eric Breuner are a happily married LDS couple, living in California. Eric works full time at a local construction firm as an accountant. Abby works part time at the local public library. Abby is pregnant with their third child. They have two daughters.

One day, when Eric fails to show up to a doctor's appointment with Abby, she is at first puzzled and angry, but the anger turns to worry as evening comes and she's had no word from her husband. Where has he gone? No one has seen him at work, either.

Eric has some skeletons in his closet. Past drug use seems to loom over their marriage, a hope that he would never return to that lifestyle, the fear that it might happen. Could this account for Eric's absence? Was he using again, or maybe even selling? And with Eric seemingly gone, how could she care for her children, and the child coming, by herself?

Abby turns to her "family unit" -- she has a sister and a mother she can call upon. But this is not an entirely functional family Kersey does a good job painting a picture of a real American Mormon family. No picture perfect group here, just a collection of people with their biases, hang-ups, and deep failings.

As the story progresses, we learn more and more about Eric's strange absence. When the FBI and the police are called in, the plot begins to come together, bringing us to an excitingly-written climax.

Kersey shows some real skills in this book. It is clear that she's thought through the story line carefully. Her pacing is good, her grasp of real people living in a real world showing in each episode.

One problem I had with the book -- if it can be called a problem -- is that she tends to be a bit heavy-handed when it comes to laying down the clues to the mystery of Eric's disappearance. Clearly she wants to leave literary bread crumbs for her readers to follow. I figured out who the bad guy was about halfway through the book, and was rather smug when it turned out I was right. Ach, it was easy. When the aim is to entice the reader into discovering the villain, the clues ought to be more subtle. Such nuanced writing is very difficult to do.

This reservation aside, No Way Out is an engaging first novel, filled with interesting characters and not a whiff of Pollyanna religion. The Breuner's faith in the gospel lies beneath their actions and motives, but never interferes with the flow of the story.

My guess is that Kersey will continue writing. I hope so. "No Way Out" is good reading, just in time for the summer vacation.

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Jeff Needle
July 15, 2005