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About a year ago I read and reviewed a book titled THE UP AND COMER. The author, a guy named Howard Roughan (pronounced "Rowan," as the back flap of his new book helpfully points out) came out of absolutely nowhere. His debut was as impressive as anything I've ever happened across. There was also a … substance to his writing that told you, right away, that he had a mother lode, as opposed to a vein, of talent from which to mine.
Roughan has now published THE PROMISE OF A LIE, and he exceeds the promises implied in THE UP AND COMER. There's no sophomore slump here. The qualities that made his debut so great --- the confident writing, strong plotting and memorable characterization --- are once again present in massive quantities. And Roughan is not following a set formula either. The protagonist of THE UP AND COMER was a cad, Dr. David Remler, while the voice in THE PROMISE OF A LIE is a nice guy --- a compassionate, caring psychologist who is good at his work. He also has some benevolent notoriety, spurred by his expert testimony in a high-profile criminal case that in turn sparked sales of his book THE HUMAN PENDULUM, which begat television and radio interviews, which ... well, suffice to say, he's the type of guy who almost gets recognized wherever he goes. Remler has a small social circle but is still mourning the loss of Rebecca, his wife and the mother of their pre-born child, in an accident some years before.
Remler is accordingly somewhat vulnerable when Mr. Sam Kent, his new Thursday at 4:00 p.m. appointment, turns out to be the mysterious and beautiful Samantha Kent. The reason that Kent has consulted with Remler is that she wants to kill her husband, a fabulously wealthy venture capitalist who is psychologically abusive. Remler begins the therapeutic process with the goal of giving Kent the emotional strength to stand up to her husband and leave him, as opposed to ending his life. Remler also begins to feel the stirrings of emotions that he thought died with his wife and that are inappropriate, given the professional relationship he has with Kent.
He is awakened one night though by a frantic telephone call from Kent, who announces to Remler that she has, indeed, killed her husband. Remler rushes over to her apartment and discovers a murder victim --- and the police arrive immediately thereafter to find Remler at the scene. Remler gives them an account of what has happened, and he appears to be in the clear. That changes, however, when the police announce that Samantha Kent has returned home from a business trip to find her husband murdered and that she has never been in therapy with Remler --- and doesn't even know him.
Indeed, Remler has never seen this "new" Samantha Kent, and when he is charged with the murder of Samantha's husband, he is faced with the prospect of finding the mysterious woman who masqueraded as the wife of the murder victim and, perhaps just as importantly, ascertaining her motive for implicating him in the crime. Remler appears to be caught in a brilliantly spun web that he in part inadvertently helped to build, until a mysterious benefactor takes an anonymous interest in the case. Remler's own efforts lead him halfway across the country to uncover yet another layer to the mystery --- one that will ultimately put him in even greater danger.
Phillip Margolin generously contributed a back cover quotation to THE PROMISE OF A LIE, indicating that he read the novel in one day. I am sure he was not engaging in hyperbole. Even if you are able to ascertain early on what is really occurring here, Roughan is such a compelling stylist that you can't help but read on to find out how he is going to reach the conclusion that you suspect he is heading towards. The clues and hints that he scatters like breadcrumbs are always sweetened with additional questions and puzzles that intrigue rather than confound. THE PROMISE OF A LIE is also, perhaps unintentionally but possibly by design, a neat little morality tale, concerning the benefit of saving yourself, and your love, for the right person.
Roughan, with only two novels under his belt, is no longer merely a rising star; his work is busily establishing its own firm constellation. Very highly recommended.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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