Richard North Patterson is one of today’s best contemporary writers, and where this novel is not his crowning glory, “Fall from Grace” definitely keeps us entertained.
Adam Blaine, has been estranged from his father, Benjamin, a famous author. Now, after years apart, he returns for his father's funeral.
Adam is shocked to learn that his father has recently changed his will so that his home and most of his estate go to a young actress, Carla Pacelli, his father’s current lover, and Jenny Leigh, a former girlfriend of Adam’s. Benjamin's wife, who is Adam's mother, Clarice, and Adam's brother, Teddy, who is gay, are left out of the will.
Adam finds himself in a precarious position. He is the executor of his father’s will, and faces being true to his father, or doing justice for his mother and brother.
A major complication is added when the police determine that Benjamin did not die accidentally, but murdered.
Patterson, who is usually a master at character development, misses the boat with Adam Blaine. There are hints at a more complete man, but we are never allowed to see behind the wall. This makes me question if this is the beginning of a character to be used a following novel.
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