Underwhemed

If I needed two words to describe this novel. I'd say: White fear.

The audience is seduced by Reddick. He's a white artist who witnessed a "kidnapping". Reddick's identity crisis, haphazard finances, and lack of direction make this novel work. The only major problem is: White guilt get old and convoluted. A broad conversation about gentrified cities, racial profiling, and American greed is sprinkled in for good measure. But those conversations add nothing to the calculus we get when the novel ends. Franky Dutton is underdeveloped. Buckley Seward is a scared, rich, opaque shadow. And Derek is the only black character that truly cements the author's commitment to the community of Brooklyn and Bed-Stuy. So we have a love letter to New York City merged together by an elusive property development known as Restoration Heights.

There was nothing to restore. There was falsehood. Reddick was Bruce Wayne. Derek was Robin. The Genie could have been the Riddler. And I'm glad it's fiction because no African American man named Reddick given this character's journey would have been so deluded. ( )

This is a first novel by Wil Medearis. It works well on the psychological and political level but does not really come together as a mystery. I do not understand what is compelling our young hero Reddick to take on the investigation. Yes he is curious, but most of us do not allow our curiosity to drive us like this. Reddick's logical leaps are a bit hard to digest too.

The secondary story lines follow themes of racial and community identity and outline the social changes effected by economic change in neighborhoods. People familiar with the film "Battle for Brooklyn" and in the rhetoric about gentrification will recognize them.

All in all it isn't too bad and we can hope that Mr. Medearis's next novel will build on his experience with this one.

I received a review copy of "Restoration Heights" by Wil Medearis (Hanover Square) through NetGalley.com. ( )