It took nearly a decade for Josh
Aterovis’ fifth novel in the Killian Kendall mystery series to be published but
it was worth the wait. Three publishers
in a row went out of business that led to the delay in the next installment in
the young adult mystery/paranormal genres that feature the gay teenage private
investigator, Killian Kendall.
The series has received accolades. Aterovis’ third book, All Lost Things, for example, was a 2010 Lambda Award
finalist for Best Mystery. MLR Press, an independent LGBT publisher, expressed
interest in the acclaimed series, which is back in print with updated editions,
setting the stage for the fifth book’s arrival.
With A Change in Worlds: A Killian Kendall Mystery, Aterovis continues
his mastery of storytelling, scene-setting, character development and detail. The
book has a fast pace and commands your attention with a host of dramatic
sequences and a bit of humor thrown into the mix.
Gorgeously written, there are
passages in which the prose is near poetic. Eighteen year-old Killian Kendall describes
the action in the first person and elicits likeability so there is no choice
but to root for him as was the case in the previous novels.
It is difficult to fathom,
however, that the central character is indeed a teenager. His knowledge of
antiques, décor, criminal analysis, investigative techniques and other areas is
such that one would expect from someone twice his age or older. His wisdom is well beyond his years. And even
his vocabulary is more akin to an older person when using such words as “odiferous”
and “prickle.” Do 18 year-olds actually say
such things?
Nonetheless, Killian is
presented as a role model for gay youth and is a hero in all his adventures.
As described in the previous
novels in the series, Killian had to overcome his challenges growing up gay on Maryland’s
Eastern Shore. His father rejected him and was ultimately taken in by a gay
couple named Adam and Steve, no less. He witnessed a friend being murdered, and
Killian had also been nearly murdered himself on several occasions as well as actually
having killed someone (in self-defense). He possesses Gifts in which he can be
visited by the dead under certain circumstances—not something he welcomed and
has had difficulty in controlling.
His earlier solutions to crimes
led him to being employed as an assistant to a private investigator whose
guidance and instruction led Killian to be proficient in the field allowing him
to probe cases on his own. On top of
that Killian had a boyfriend named Asher.
They broke up. A new boyfriend
Micah emerged. And the drama involving these relationships came to head in the
subplot in A Change in Worlds.
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| Author Josh Aterovis |
The main storyline in this novel
centers on the theft of potentially valuable artifacts from an archaeological excavation
at a Native American site on the Eastern Shore.
Fletcher, a tribal elder, was assaulted resulting in his suffering a heart
attack in which he survived.
Killian was asked to look into
the thefts and along the way, two people were murdered and he narrowly escaped
the same fate. Interspersed throughout is
Killian’s awareness of angry spirits through his Gifts—angry because a sacred
burial site has been disturbed by the archeologists—with one such spirit,
seeing that Killian is an ally, ultimately saved his life. As quoted in the
book, “The dead are not powerless…There is no death, only a change in worlds.”
Through Killian’s investigation,
Aterovis takes the reader on numerous interviews of potential suspects
regarding the thefts and murders. Each encounter
provides a plausible reason not to rule the subject out altogether, but at the
same time no direct linkage to the crimes could be established. The pace is
brisk and the tension mounts as Killian attempts to solve the crimes while
putting him in danger.
As that takes place, Killian’s
love life is also examined effectively resulting in pressure in attempting to
figure out what he wants. He is guided
by his extended alternative family as well as sage advice from his mother.
There is much to describe
regarding the plot and the characters but it would do no service to spoil any
of the suspense here. What can be said is that Aterovis’ A Change in Worlds is a solid Grisham-esque mystery thriller with a
heart-pounding climax that makes us yearn for the sixth installment of the
series.
____
A Change in Worlds;
Josh Aterovis; published by MLR Press, LLC; August 2018; $8.99; print format:
ISBN# 978-1-64122-168-9; eBook format available.
Book
Release Party
Author Josh Aterovis will host a
book release party on September 3 at the Windup Space, 12 W. North Avenue,
Baltimore, MD 21201. The event, which will
take place between 7 and 10 p.m., celebrates the release of A Change of Worlds and the upcoming
release of Never Alone and Other Stories,
Aterovis’ book of short stories.
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