Red Glove

I finished listening to RED GLOVE by Holly Black (Books on Tape 2011) read by Jesse Eisenberg on the drive in this morning. Sequels are a dicey business, but Holly Black draws readers in once more. As the final music faded on the last CD I began immediately wanting the next book in The Curseworkers series (the first book was WHITE CAT). Eisenberg delivers a solid performance as a reader. He does an almost unvoiced reading, something that works well with this novel. <357>

Cassel Sharpe is back at school but his life is soon disrupted by two things: the arrival of Lila, the daughter of a crime boss and a young woman who has been worked by Cassel's mother to be entirely devoted to him. Then, Cassel's brother Philip is murdered: the only clue is a videotape of a woman leaving the apartment wearing red gloves. The Feds want Cassel to help them solve this murder and to work for them on other cases. Cassel knows this will place him in great danger. The story is a dandy mystery with plenty of red herrings. It is also a story of romance and relationships and family and trust and betrayal. Black will leave readers/listeners wanting more.