The Show House

by Dan Lopez

Overview

Quirky Orlando retirees Thaddeus and Cheryl, and adoptive parents Steven and Peter, come together for a family weekend in Orlando, where Cheryl anxiously hopes to repair the dysfunctional and toxic relationship between her husband and their son. When news of a serial killer that targets gay men at nightclubs rocks their community, over-worked pharmacist Laila grows concerned for her handsome and arrogant younger half-brother, Alex, who has been missing for several months. Meanwhile, the calculating murderer’s own life begins to spiral out of control as he unwittingly falls for a would-be victim. Overwhelmed by meeting his granddaughter Gertie for the first time, Thaddeus kidnaps her in order to take her to Disney World setting off a wild goose chase where these intertwined families finally collide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944700034
Publisher:	The Unnamed Press
Publication date:	12/13/2016
Pages:	298
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Dan J. Lopez's work has appeared in The Collagist, Storychord, Mary Literary, Time Out New York, and Lambda Literary, among others. The Show House is his first novel. He lives in Los Angeles.

Editorial Reviews

10/31/2016
In Lopez’s first novel, a witch’s brew of family dysfunction, perversity, and murder, Florida retirees Thaddeus and Cheryl Bloom are looking forward to visiting their son, Stevie, from whom Thaddeus has been estranged for years, and Stevie’s partner, Peter, as well as meeting their adoptive granddaughter, Gertie. Meanwhile, a serial killer is targeting gay men, making pharmacist Laila Morales worry about her spoiled younger brother, Alex. Plus there’s a hurricane, a possible objective correlative of the protagonists’ inner state. But it’s hard to say, since the story is told from multiple points of view, including the murderer. Lopez has gathered the right ingredients for a firestorm, but something is missing, like a no-salt recipe. None of the characters come to life, and there’s no one to care about or empathize with: Thaddeus is a whiny old man whose so-called jokes offend others, Cheryl is controlling and manipulative, and Stevie is clearly not being honest about his life. They could all kill one another and readers wouldn’t care. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"The Show House is a knife's edge of a book. Lopez balances humor, terror, the political, and the personal in a fascinating read where the ground is always shifting."—Erika Swyler, author of The Book of Speculation

"A witch’s brew of family dysfunction, perversity, and murder."—Publishers Weekly

"The Show House is at once a nuanced psychological thriller and a thoughtful exploration of familial love and dysfunction set in sun-stroked, hurricane-threatened Orlando. Danger lurks around every corner. This is a compelling debut by a talented new writer. "—Edan Lepucki, author of California

From the Publisher