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Son Finds Fresh Feelings For Father

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By K. SUE COLLINS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 14, 2008

"Fresh Kills," by Bill Loehfelm (Putnam, $25)

How do you handle the death of a parent you do not miss? Where do you turn? More importantly, how do you care for a grieving sibling?

Bill Loehfelm addresses these questions in his debut novel, "Fresh Kills," symbolically named for the New York City landfill that emerged after 9/11.

When his father is inexplicably murdered in a shooting, John Sanders Jr. at first has trouble striking the correct emotional chord. Detached from his father for years and blaming him for his tumultuous life, John has trouble understanding why his sister, Julia, mourns their father and plans the funeral. As no killer is brought to justice, John directs his frustration at the police. He attempts to seek out his father's murderer.

Distracted by three women - his sister, his former flame Virginia and his current on-again, off-again girlfriend, Molly - John finds his life spiraling to the edge. He begins lashing out at his sister, the police and himself, alienating all those important in his life. Torn by various emotions, he struggles to find some semblance of normalcy in the wake of his father's death.

For his first book, Loehfelm strives to reach the same depth as Dennis Lehane's "Mystic River." The result is less epic, but with a personal touch from John's first-person narration. "Fresh Kills" follows a son's cathartic self-journey as he copes with his father's death.

K. Sue Collins of Tampa is a crime novelist.

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