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The Same River Twiceby Ted Mooney |
Arlene Almas: The river is the Seine, and the story is that of Odile,
a French fashion designer, and her American husband Max, an indie movie director. Their
life in Paris goes well until Odile uncharacteristically accepts a request for a favor by
traveling to Russia with a companion, a stranger to her, to pick up a collection of old Soviet
banners. This sets in motion a plot pitting Odile against various thugs and criminals. At the
same time, Max is filming an unscripted movie involving their friends Rachel and Groot, who are
repairing and renovating the houseboat on which they live, moored on the Seine. All inevitably
become enmeshed in the escalating violence initiated by Odile's actions. Perhaps we see the same
river twice in the sense that one exists in real life and the second appears in Max's movie, which
manages to capture most of the action. This book is a thriller written in a literate manner,
with the characters' relationships as much a part of the narrative as the criminal plotting.
The unfolding events held my interest until the very end.
Rating: ***
