Brutal Music A Novel

The novel follows a double narrative in alternating chapters: one strand describes the events after these inexplicable acts of violence from the viewpoint of Chris s father, Tommy; the other, from Chris s viewpoint, traces the events leading up to Jim s death and his own bungled suicide attempt. As the two narratives converge, father and son must face shocking new insights into themselves, each other, and their own responsibility for what has happened. In the final chapter we catch a fleeting glimpse of how this family may ultimately be able to heal. By dispassionately confronting the unspeakable, "Brutal Music" moves beyond the headlines to forge a compelling portrait of our violent crime culture in our baffling times."