Three Easy Lessons

"How did I get drawn into all this secrecy, into this deadly underground world of hide and seek in which every relationship is corrupt and treacherous?" complains one of the narrators of this witty, gritty, fast paced thriller. It seems that everyone has something to hide in Three Easy Lessons, certainly the members of the explosive love triangle at the center of the action: Maria, a struggling piano teacher; Vasily, a pretentious Russian mobster; and Steve, a hedonistic Afghan war vet. The three protagonists are each facing a midlife crisis. Maria is in financial straits, is worrying about her mother's health, and has never had a decent relationship. Vasily wants to leave behind his criminal confederates and apply his entrepreneurial talents in the art world. Steve's marriage is on the rocks, and he's drowning his dissatisfaction in booze and drugs. They're not very good for each other, so much so that their individual chances of survival are each looking fairly poor. Edgy suspense, offbeat humor, and startling plot twists continue nonstop up until the nailbiting denouement. A slew of colorful minor characters, including crooked cops, a Jamaican drug lord, and a mail order bride, further energize the dramatic conflicts, and provide some comic relief to counterbalance the building tension produced by the growing awareness of imminent danger. The novel has a strong New York City sense of place - from Brighton Beach to Sutton Place to Chinatown - with gripping scenes in war torn Odesa, a Russian labor camp, and the streets of Kingston, Jamaica adding to the atmospherics.