Ravens George Dawes Green Grand Central Publishing July 09. $24.99

The title, Ravens, George Dawes Green's newest novel in fourteen years may be a bit of wordplay on raving. All the characters in this new work have their idiosyncrasies; as well they should given this is a psychological thriller. Ravens, like other thrillers, tends toward a formulaic approach. All good thrillers, and Ravens is one, strive to give you the roller coaster effect. Green's characters run up and down the emotional gamut and the reader is right along for the ride
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Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko, two frustrated young men, fleeing dead end jobs for some Florida ideal, stop briefly in Brunswick Georgia, just to put air in a slow leaking tire. When Shaw overhears the young woman at the cash register talking to her friend about how her gas station sold the winning 318 million dollar lottery ticket to a local resident he decides to stay. He talks himself and Romeo into an extortion plot. The Boatwright family, Jase, Tara, Mitch and Patsy become his unwilling victims. With Shaw working on the Boatwright's from within and Romeo circling the town as the threat from without, Green has us on board the roller coaster and we're quickly up and down the little hills working toward the big one. If you're looking for a speedy read, a thriller plot, some well drawn characters and a bit of a twist finish, Ravens provides it. A nice premise paying off in a wild ride/read.

Dave Biemann