Fans of unreliable narrators – get ready to love this book. Each character looks out for himself (some more than others), tells lies, and behaves oddly, and they all desperately want to avoid punishment for the tragedy that happens in the latter half of the book. The author is generous with tropes (narcissism, infidelity, money, desperation) and it mostly works to create this sometimes fast-paced story. I was not sure if I hated or felt sorry for the main character, the eponymous Man of the Year.

The author is skilled at creating circumstances that change with perception. Each chapter is told in the point of view from each character, so the disconnect between perception is magnified. Some characters get to speak only once, which is jarring. I had to think for a moment or two when a minor character took over the narration. Some of these narrators are never heard from again; they tell their story just for the reader to see things from yet another angle.

Dr. Hart is a tragic figure, cuckolded by his son’s friend, who is staying with the family over the summer. The stereotypical “guest staying in the pool house” provides a convenient location for some activities that muddy the plot and/or provide tension. His wife Elizabeth seems self-centered and vacuous – I am not sure if that was what the author intended, or if she was written that way on purpose. I disliked her almost from the start and did not change my feelings when the book was finished. However, I did end up disliking the rest of the characters towards the end, regardless of how the plot twisted. At that point, I was heartily sick of everyone’s machinations and drama and self-servitude.

I would give the book four and a half stars, for while the plot was engaging there were a few draggy spots and as mentioned above, some characters faded in and out. This fading caused me to disengage a bit when they reappeared since I thought they were on the fringe, not actually moving the story along. ( )

DNF at p187, because it says a lot when I have a physical book and three hours of train time and yet I read everything on my phone instead. If anyone wants to spoil the ending, please do, because I'm curious enough/want to be able to roll my eyes at the "surprise" there probably will be. ( )

This book would be good for a book club and should be made into a movie. Lots of word pictures and quotable lines. ( )

Man of the Year by Caroline Louise Walker is a diabolically clever mystery.

Dr. Robert Hart is Sag Harbor's newly minted Man of the Year but instead of riding high, he is beset by doubts and suspicions about his wife Elizabeth's fidelity. Robert's college age son Jonah and his best friend Nick Carpenter are visiting when Elizabeth invites Nick to stay with the three of them for the summer. Robert is less than pleased since he is very eager to see the last of Nick. Plus Elizabeth's invitation ratchets up his certainty she and Nick are sleeping together. He then begins a concerted, sly campaign to induce Nick to leave but exactly how far is Robert willing to gto to eject their houseguest?

Robert is a self-centered and possessive man who quickly becomes paranoid about the people around him. He has his reasons for distrusting Elizabeth but is he reading the situation with Nick correctly? Unable to find definitive proof of their affair, Robert instead does everything he can to get rid of the young man. He starts making some very ill-thought out decisions that eventually come back to haunt him and place him in a very precarious position. Just as things begin to spiral further of control, Robert must contend with unexpected situations both at work and at home.

With a unique premise, Man of the Year is a fascinating character driven mystery. Unfortunately most of the story takes place inside of Robert's head which is not the most pleasant experience. Although Robert is the primary narrator, a few chapters are written from various character's perspectives. The storyline is intriguing but the pacing is quite slow until around the half way point. With some shocking twists and stunning turns, Caroline Louise Walker brings the novel to a bit of a frustratingly ambiguous conclusion. All in all, an entertaining debut. ( )

4-4.5 stars. ( )