Safe in Heaven Dead

"Robert Elgin died on the street, knocked down and run over by a Second Avenue bus while pursuing a woman he thought he could not live without." How's that for an opening line grabber? With these arresting words debut novelist Samuel Ligon hooks readers who find themselves eagerly turning pages to discover just what brought Elgin to such an abrupt, untimely end. Tracking the answer to this question is pure pleasure as Mr. Ligon reveals his story in authoritative, gripping prose. We learn that Elgin was once living the good life, the very good life in Michigan. He was happily married to Laura, and the father of two young children, Carrie, 5, and Tommy, 2. He worked in county labor, a negotiator. It was on the job that he quickly discovered just how seamy political corruption can be. His boss developed an acute case of political aspirations, and told Elgin to broker an under the counter deal that would fatten the gubernatorial wannabe's campaign chest. Soon after that another shock: Elgin learns that Carrie has been sexually abused by a 12-year-old neighbor boy. Before long he and Laura are up to their necks in the miasma of a justice system that seemed to offer no justice or safety for Carrie. Laura was pleased with the counseling the girl received, and found solace in her church. Elgin, on the other hand, bolted. He stole the dirty money and went to New York where he assumed another identity. Cash, he discovered, bought more than new clothes and a hotel room; it bought a false Social Security card and driver's license - it bought a whole new life. It also bought utter loneliness. Elgin realized "...there was not one person in the whole world, the whole universe, who he could talk to, or who knew who he was now - William Oliver, with no past, no context, no human encumbrance. It was as if he were dead..." Carla, a doctoral student at Columbia University who moonlights as a paid escort, revived him. She, too, wanted to put a great deal behind her. They teamed up, and with just under half a million dollars began a luxury filled trek across the country. But, where will they wind up and why? "Safe In Heaven Dead" is an accomplished first novel. Hopefully, it is also promise of what is yet to come from this extraordinary author. - Gail Cooke

This is an entertaining novel that's wise in its knowledge of official corruption, of rationalizations made by people to make right and moral their selfish choices. The story achieves an unusual thing: it keeps the suspense of a mystery while making children central players in this very adult drama. With each changed point of view, the literary voice re-grabs and holds you, not letting you go. The guy can write!

A great debut novel. The writing style is very straight forward, the characters are interesting, the situations are compelling. I was impressed by the author's ability to articulate complicated feelings in his characters. The book jacket makes it sound like it's going to be a pretty crazy ride, when in fact it's more about everyday people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and choose one out of many ways to deal with the problems they are facing. While you may not personally choose to deal with your problems the way these characters did, the writing is so well done that you can see how someone would choose that path. Overall, a fast read and great book. I'm looking forward to Mr. Ligon's next novel!

excellent book. The characters and their interaction with each other is what kept me reading. Shifting in point of view from the first-person perspective of a grad student/call girl in ny to the close-third pov of the main character, Ligon nails the voice of each of his characters. The dialogue is tight, the prose clean, and what really perked up my ears is the slight change in pov between his main character in his domestic life and in his life on the run. The pace of the book is quick, but the attention to subtle human adaptation is not lost in the speed of the story. Recommended.