Malma station A novel

Three passengers face unnerving uncertainties on a train ride through Sweden in this lyrical if overwrought psychological thriller from Schulman (The Survivors). Reeling from an ugly divorce, Harriet grapples with her desirability as she travels to Malma with her elderly father. Aboard the same train, meticulous, controlling Oskar struggles to save his foundering marriage, while young Yana sets out to discover the truth about her missing mother after finding a mysterious photo album among her deceased father's possessions. Through flashbacks, Schulman gradually reveals the points of connection between these characters, linking them in consistently surprising ways as the suspense mounts. Shrewd misdirection and sinewy prose ("She moves briskly through the narrow aisle, and he observes the gazes of those who catch sight of her for the first time. He always does that, even now he does it") set the novel up for success, but Schulman's ambition eventually outstrips his ability, and the plot devolves into a tangle of far-fetched misery. Though not without its virtues, this fails to stick the landing. (Jan.)