True failure

If all fiction is based on secrets and lies, this caustically comic novel by Higley (Old Open, 2017) takes that theme to a new level. In suburban Chicago, accountant Ben conceals his recent firing from his wife, Tara, while frantically attempting to get booked on the Shark Tank-esque show Big Shot--despite the fact that he has no idea to pitch. Tara, meanwhile, hasn't told Ben that she was pregnant and had a miscarriage and spends her time making fictional logs of her day care charges' activities for the children's parents. In L.A., Big Shot producer Marcy attempts to parlay Ben's presence on the show into a disaster that will end in her leaving the show to pursue a filmmaking career, while her intern Callie pretends to be keeping tabs on an imprisoned killer that Marcy fears. When these characters and their deceits and expectations collide, the result is even more dramatically bizarre than readers may expect. Higley's parade of wisecracks and sitcom-y scenes doesn't quite undermine his persistent affection for his characters and their misbegotten dreams.

Higley (Cardinal) serves up a charming story of flailing characters and their intersecting deceits. When Ben gets laid off from his corporate accounting job in Chicago, he neglects to tell his wife, Tara, who runs a day care, preferring to wait until he gets hired somewhere else. Instead of applying for jobs, though, he becomes obsessed with landing a role on the reality show Big Shot, which follows a similar premise to Shark Tank. He brainstorms various investment ideas ("Who was the ideal person to invest in? A woman? A beautiful woman who needed money? That seemed like a possible version of right") and comes up with the bizarre notion of pitching a fund to support Law and Order SVU star Mariska Hargitay, on the basis that she's been attacked in some way and needs help. Other chapters follow Tara, who's solely focused on getting pregnant and fabricates daily reports to parents at her day care, and Big Shot producer Marcy, who detests her job and lies about extravagant vacation plans to justify a request for time off. The strange logic works from the perspective of Higley's quirky characters, and he raises the stakes as their stories entwine. The result is a delightfully offbeat tale. Agent: Monika Woods, Triangle House. (Feb.)