At 11:34 a.m. one Saturday in August 2019, Boyd Halverson strode into Community National Bank in Northern California. “How much is on hand, would you say?” he asked the teller. “I’ll want it all.”
“You’re robbing me?”
He revealed a Temptation .38 Special.
The teller, a diminutive redhead named Angie Bing, collected eighty-one thousand dollars.
Boyd stuffed the cash into a paper grocery bag. “I’m sorry about this,” he said, “but I’ll have to ask you to take a ride with me.”
So begins the adventure of Boyd Halverson—star journalist turned notorious online disinformation troll turned JCPenney manager—and his irrepressible hostage, Angie Bing. Haunted by his past and weary of his present, Boyd has one goal before the authorities catch up with him: settle a score with the man who destroyed his life. By Monday the pair reach Mexico; by winter, they are in a lakefront mansion in Minnesota. On their trail are hitmen, jealous lovers, ex-cons, an heiress, a billionaire shipping tycoon, a three-tour veteran of Iraq, and the ghosts of Boyd’s past. Everyone, it seems, except the police.
America Fantastica, the latest from Tim O'Brien, will be published October 24, 2023. Mariner Books, a Harper Collins imprint, provided an early galley for review.
While look through titles for upcoming ordering, the cover of this one jumped right out at me. Then the description was equally intriguing. I put it on my list to check out.
The story is contemporary with a backdrop of familiar current events at the time of writing. O'Brien uses the narrative parts to provide a bit of commentary on the state of those affairs here in the States as he discusses the grip mythomania (an abnormal or pathological tendency to exaggerate or tell lies) on our nation. The underlying themes of lies and truth are weaved throughout this novel.
The cast of characters, which swells right out of the gate, is varied and highlights the darker, morally questionable approaches to getting by in challenging situations. We're talking some truly ruthless people for fittingly ruthless time. On occasion, I found it difficult to keep track of everyone without a score card. O'Brien's dialogue reminds me of films by the Coen Brothers or Quentin Tarantino - where everyone is snappish and sarcastic.
At times, I felt this one didn't work for me but pressed on. In the end, I'm glad I did. This is one of those tales that will have you thinking about in the back of your mind long after you've finished the final page.
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