In the small town of Arnold Falls things keep going missing. Big things and little things. A phone. Judge Harschly’s gavel. A neon sign. A statue. Nothing of any great value beyond the sentimental. The mystery of these missing objects is the premise of HOT AIR, the second novel set in this picturesque Hudson River town from author Charlie Suisman. Revealed in chapters alternately narrated by the affable animal lover Jeebie Walker and an assortment of other eccentric townsfolk, this is the most gentle of mysteries where minor mishaps and small town foibles are the focus in place of any central story. As such HOT AIR serves as a portrait of a town as if told through closely interleaved short stories. That Suisman manages to spin so many narrative side plates whilst still building to a satisfying conclusion is a major triumph.
Much of the joy to be had in this entertaining novel comes from the relentless bickering and bantering of its oddball cast. Indeed, so kooky are the residents of Arnold Falls that a TV crew have arrived to document them. Suisman is excellent with dialogue, often using extended interchanges to ramp up the humor to the extent that the majority of the laughs in the book come from the character’s wisecracks and quips rather than situational comedy. The author is also not afraid to wander down a quirky side road for comic effect. If you ever wanted to know the name for yodelling at cattle or how a Victorian named John Henry Pepper invented a magic trick to make ghosts appear onstage then let HOT AIR be your guide.
Now that the stories from Arnold Falls, like those from Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon that this book most closely resembles, look set to run and run, Suisman uses HOT AIR to cleverly build on the success of his debut by opening out his world. For all of the light-hearted charm that he pumps into his writing he very occasionally hints that something a little more serious may loom in the background. A death from dependence on prescription drugs. Ill health. Family problems. In the landscape that Suisman is creating there are shadows in the sunshine and unexplored depths yet to investigate.
For those new to the town of Arnold Falls it might be as well to begin at the beginning with Charlie Suisman’s introductory debut. For those already onboard, HOT AIR is poignant, yet effortlessly amusing, and a worthy addition to what will surely become a much loved series of comic novels.
~Kent Lane for IndieReader