I am honestly not sure whether I would recommend this novel or not. Ginsberg is unique. Each novel that she writes is completely different from the one before. The story here has all of the elements of a thriller: a long-lost daughter, an enticing "working girl" living across the street, a mysterious Asian family whom nobody seems to know at all, the couple who are pillars of the community yet seem to harbor dark secrets. This is not a thriller; there are no desperate chase scenes, no psychological manipulation, no sudden terror. When wildfires strike the San Diego area, Joe Montana's teenage daughter, with whom he ha recently become acquainted, disappears, leaving her newborn baby and a lot of questions behind. Joe takes several days to report the disappearance to the police, which I found to be a little unrealistic no matter what problems existed in their relationship. Joe lacks moral fiber, which is unusual in a man in his role. He should be worried and proactive, but instead he seems emotionally cut off from his own life.
I guess what this novel lacks is two things: likable characters and excitement. The characters are all flawed and and they tend to deal with problems very slowly and very ineffectively. They could actually live next door to any of us, though, but I don't think they would make for a very interesting neighborhood. Ginsberg is an excellent writer, though, so don't let me discourage you completely. This might just be a novel that deserves a second look and a little more in-depth analysis.
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