Socket

Zimmerman captures exactly that unsettling feeling one gets in a foreign country one moment after things stop going one's way, which is always one moment too late. The flies buzz and resettle on the cluster in the corner. The stench rises. Crimes have been committed. DO NOT alert the authorities. Just read the book, before it's too late for you.And for God's sake, someone publish Zimmerman's next book. We're shriveling up out here for lack of that moisture only the Z-man can supply.

Don't let the fact that this is the winner of the Anvil Press 3 day novel award dissuade you--this is an impressive work of literature. Zimmerman, who taught in Ethiopia, perfectly captures the fear and frustration of being a westerner cast adrift in the third world. This novel's pace builds and builds until the suspense is almost a tangible thing bearing down on the reader; don't be fooled into thinking it's a mere thriller, though. The novel is wonderfully lyrical, and portrays a touching story of friendship in the midst of great fear, suffering, and injustice.

This book is excellent. After five pages, you will not be able to put it down. Two hours later, you will be finished.