Peter Spiegelman

An isolated enclave and a big secret

Peter Spiegelman’s uncanny ability to tell a story is the compelling reason to read “A Secret About a Secret.” This tale unfolds in the first-person narrative of Agent Myles, and consists of what he says to others, what they say to him, what he says directly to readers, and most importantly what he says to himself. The investigation is methodical and focused; subtle implications of past relationships and personal interactions are disclosed in the show more conversations. Chapters are conveniently labeled with day and time of day, with most events occurring over two weeks.

There is no clear definition of Agent Myles’ position within the vaunted “Standard Division;” he does not even know exactly why he has been dispatched. However, he is authorized to examine, to investigate, to discover, to take confessions, to punish, and to simply bear witness. This assignment sends him to a company that is a cloistered academic environment into which only a select few are admitted. It primarily develops genetic therapies using adeno-associated viruses as vectors for vaccines. Nothing of “this” sort has ever happened, but he wonders if there have perhaps been past “incidents” that should also be examined. Standard Division is looking for first-person testimony; therefore, Agent Myles starts in the cafeteria where the body was found. The body? There was no body; then, there was.

Speigleman’s linguistic artistry manifests itself in descriptive language and exquisite explanations. The places -- “The road was long and secret: a tunnel of trees that leaned overhead and wept like mourners in the wind.” The people --“Her voice was low and pleasant … calm, and friendly. A voice to tell you how the market did today, without provoking mania or panic.”

I received a review copy of “A Secret About a Secret” from Peter Spiegelman, Knopf Publishing, and Penguin Random House. Spiegelman packs everything into this story that readers want: nail-biting suspense, tense drama, and startling events. Of course, there is always that one piece of the puzzle that has been there from the start, that one little thing, so easy to overlook, but so important that it holds the answers to all the questions.
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“A Secret About a Secret” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books. show less

I almost gave up on this book, but pushed through and finished. I’m not sorry I did, but I wasn’t rewarded with anything new in the heist/caper genre. The ending was predictable and mostly I finished to see whether I was right. I was.

So what put me off considering I liked two other books by Spiegelman? First it was the whole cabron, chica, jefe schtick with Latin Mike. Latin. Mike. As if the whole Spanish lingo dropping wasn’t enough. It put me in mind of something Philip Marlowe said show more to Dolores in The Little Sister. She, too, peppered her speech with little nuggets of Spanish as part of a disguise. Marlowe called her on it, saying “The only thing Mexican about you is a few words and a careful way of talking that’s supposed to give the impression of a person speaking a language they had to learn. Like saying “do not” instead of “don’t”. That sort of thing.” Latin Mike lays it on thick and it was mildly insulting to read.

Second it was the lack of anyone I could root for. Usually in a good caper novel there is some loveable rogue who wants to right a wrong or something. Barring that, the guy has to be charismatic even if you can’t justify his crime. Not so with this crew. Carr is a bit whiny and can’t control the complainers or curb the hostility in his own team. And team is being generous. Of course you’re supposed to suspect everyone and some are more obvious than others, but if you read enough of this kind of thing, you’ll spot the real bad guy. Hint; it isn’t Mike, irritating as he is.

Val is just a wish-fulfilment vehicle and she deflects every question or dodges every duty she doesn’t like with sex and it seems she shares the joy with more than just Carr (which is asking for trouble on its own). If Carr was half the schemer he thinks he is he’d have kept her at arm's length instead of letting her play him. He sees through her, but not enough to keep his hands off her. Yeah. That and he’s being played by someone else with an even longer game. He has glimmers of his incompetence, but not enough insight to understand just why he’s in the position he is.

And speaking of weak schemer; Carr gets bad intel, the job goes pear-shaped and he consistently blames the source of the information. Any leader worth his salt would have verified a lot of what he was told before going in. So he’s forced to improvise and the rest of the gripers go along with him, bitching loudly. Some of that should have been a give away to Carr as it was to me as a reader. Why would Mike and the others be so distrustful of him yet stick to him? Duh.

The whole thing with Carr’s father was unnecessary and didn’t humanize him in the least. Neither did the family secret unless you want to count the ghost of irony that ties it to the ultimate solution in the plot. Ugh. If you want good heist/caper books read Ross Thomas instead. He was the master! show less

A decent series, but one that doesn’t appear to have caught fire. This is the 3rd one and it’s already 8 years old. Maybe Spiegelman has run out of steam. On one hand it’s dramatic and compelling - John’s brother David is an overbearing asshole who whines and cries about the situation he’s in; the one he created himself. Once it’s revealed what the villain of the piece is really doing, I couldn’t wait for David to become Interview No. 9. It was a complete mystery why John even show more gave him the time of day, much less helped him extricate himself from a vengeance he so richly deserved. On the other hand, there is a bit too much repetitive detail of the quotidian kind - must we know every single beverage every single character imbibes? Oy vey. Still, I’ll probably read the middle book at some point and a new one if it’s ever published. show less

Dr. Knox begins with an intense emergency, a young boy is brought to Knox’ clinic, in danger of dying of anaphylaxis. He and his crew are on it, though, and the boy pulls through. Knox talks to the mother, notes she is covered in bruises before she excuses herself, saying she’ll be back as she heads to the bathroom. Of course, she slips out the back, disappearing, leaving her son behind. Knox is certain, though, she will be back and resists his nurse Lydia’s insistence she call DCFS. A show more review of the clinic security videos offer an explanation for her disappearance, some thuggish enforcers were seen at the front of the clinic.

Next Knox is off with his good friend, former soldier-mercenary and all-around good guy with a gun Sutter, to do some off the books doctoring. These under the table, unreported missions of mercy are a source of the intrigue, drama and comedy that are part of this books charm.

Knox is the newest generation of many generations of doctors, but years with a relief organization in war zones has toughened him up and dedicated him to serving those most in need. Rejecting the comforts of a New England practice catering to the wealthy, he opens a clinic in a poor, underserved neighborhood in Los Angeles. He’s got plenty of troubles, too, such as an expiring lease and a landlord looking to sell. Yet, he risks everything to protect Alex. the boy left behind.

There’s more than one group of thugs chasing Alex and his mother, adding to the danger. They range from the Brays, the 1% of the 1% with deep pockets and deeper political power to Siggy, Russian mobster and human trafficker. In the moral universe of this stories thugs, Siggy is on the nicer end.

I liked Dr. Knox. Peter Spiegelman, the author also edited Wall Street Noir, an edition of the Akashic Noir series and it was outstanding. I also read his Black Maps, the first in series featuring John March, a cop turned private eye with a focus on Wall Street, high finance criminality. It was also intricately plotted. In this novel, Spiegelman pretty much writes Knox into a corner. How he gets himself out is probably the only way he could, but it is a bit unlikely. It felt just a like deus ex machine, though we were introduced to our deus early enough for it to be fair, it just felt unworthy of the rest of the book which was thoughtful, exciting and well done.

One of the ways Dr. Knox sets itself apart from other thrillers is that his friends and coworkers who are effected by his decisions to take on the bad guys speak up about how unfair that it. They question his judgment and his values. After all, he is helping hundreds of people with his clinic, but he is willing to jeopardize all of that for this woman and her son. What about those people? And what about putting their lives at risk? He didn’t ask their permission before dragging them into danger. Openly questioning that privilege elevates Dr. Knox, asking its readers to think a little more deeply about how our heroes have multiple responsibilities and how sometimes knowing what is the right thing is harder than we think.

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