The Center of Things

There is something about a tabloid reporter novel that draws me like a moth to a flame. This one by Jenny McPhee has more than a hint of 40s noir about it that hooks me in even though it takes place in the present. It is a novel that in a strange but somehow logical way blends Hollywood scandal with physics. Marie Brown is a too tall, half deaf, under appreciated, single tabloid reporter who latches on to the story of her life. Film femme fatale Nora Mars is dying and Marie scores interviews with both Nora's ex husband and her sister. She is also researching a physics thesis at the New York Library and strikes up a relationship there with Marco Trentadue, a "freelance intellectual" who entices her to reveal a great deal about her true self. Marie is an awkward yet adorable heroine. There are a few diversions in the story that keep the reader engaged. It's the sort of off kilter romantic novel that appeals to me. If you're looking for a quirky romantic novel with a twist or two check this one out.