The time has come A novel

Leitch's engaging latest (after How Lucky) follows a group of people caught up in a mass shooting in Athens, Ga. Among the cast is Theo Lindbergh, who recently inherited the town's pharmacy, and his customers: a middle-aged widow, a gruff but loving high school sports coach and his teenage son, a socially conscious young lawyer, a recovering alcoholic trying to keep his act together, and a military veteran employed as a hospital nurse. Their paths all converge one day at Lindbergh's when Tina Lamm, an elementary school teacher, shows up with a pair of pistols, unhinged psychologically by a string of personal misfortunes. For reasons not made entirely clear, Tina is convinced something bad has been going on at Lindbergh's and has taken it upon herself to set things right. Leitch's panoramic narrative hopscotches back and forth between the viewpoints of his characters as they go about their daily routines, oblivious to their impending fates. Leitch brings a Chekhovian economy to the storytelling--Tina's guns are mentioned in the first act, and they indeed go off before it's all over--but his emphasis is on the humanity of all involved. It's an all-too-plausible slice of life. Agent: David Gernert, Gernert Company. (May)

The routine lives of several residents of Athens, Georgia, collide unexpectedly when a fourth grade teacher seeks to avenge injustices she believes were caused by a prominent local family. Leitch launches the timeline of Tina Lamm's efforts to expose and end the misbehavior she believes has occurred for years at Lindbergh's--a family-owned drugstore in Athens--with a missive from Tina that (vaguely) explains why she feels her actions are needed. The ticking of Leitch's countdown clock grows louder as the backstories of the varied characters are gradually revealed. Tina's own unhappy family saga is one of loss and misunderstanding. Theo, the ambivalent heir to the Lindbergh legacy, copes as best he can with the weight of an inheritance and responsibilities he did not seek. Daphne, a local nurse and military veteran, relies on her strong religious faith to cope with the realities of her work and life. Widowed Dorothy attempts to create a new life for herself, while Karson, a lawyer by trade, balances his nonprofit social-development work with the need to support a family. Building contractor (and baseball coach) Jason walks the line between good ol' Southern guy and worried dad, while music entrepreneur David faces the demons of recovery and capitalism while running a popular venue in town. (Everyone has family, friends, and foes in their own orbit, and these characters wind up in the larger mix as well.) The racially mixed cast of characters comes together in an explosive episode that has elements that are both predictable and unexpected. Leitch touches on issues of historical concern as well as current social ills as the suspense builds toward Tina's misguided, violent attempt at settling scores in a game she may not totally understand. Humor and empathy propel Leitch's characters toward their fates. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.