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The Anger Meridian
"The Anger Meridian is an impossible-to-put-down book. Kaylie Jones is a master storyteller, and this is her best one yet."
--Ann Hood, author of An Italian Wife
"The Anger Meridian is a sexy, sleek page-turner. Uncertain Merryn loses her husband in an unsavory accident--and her first instinct is to flee. She gathers her beloved hyper-allergic daughter and a teddy bear full of cash and races across the border to her mother's house in the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende. But Merryn feels the noose tightening as her flamboyant, overbearing mother begins to threaten and the FBI closes in. Jones deftly weaves together a thriller, a family drama, a romance, and a story of self-awakening in this taut, suspenseful, and beautiful novel."
--Taylor Polites, author of The Rebel Wife
"Kaylie Jones has written a narrative that ingeniously marries the atmosphere of the longtime outpost of American expats in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with a narrator who lives in so much denial that she creates her own magic realism. And the mother, a living nightmare, is too awful to be true, and too true not to believe. The characters in this book made me laugh, drop my jaw in outrage, nod in acknowledgment, and then they hung around long after I turned the last page."
--Beverly Donofrio, author of Astonished: A Story of Healing and Finding Grace
Praise for Kaylie Jones:
"Although we've gotten used to second-generation actors equaling or surpassing the accomplishments of their parents, the same hasn't happened with second-generation novelists. Nonetheless there are a few, and added to their small number ought to be Kaylie Jones."
-- New York Times
Merryn Huntley is rudely awakened to the many bad decisions she has made in her life when she is told by two Dallas police officers that her wealthy husband Beau has been killed in a car accident, along with a local waitress. Merryn's first instinct is to flee in order to protect her nine-year-old daughter, and the only place that feels safe enough is her mother's beautiful, isolated home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Merryn's mother, the redoubtable Bibi, always said to her as a child, When you tell a lie, make sure you keep it as close to the truth as possible, because it will be easier to remember. Ironically, from the moment Merryn arrives, she is forced into twisting the truth--about how much she knew of her husband and his shady business affairs; about her own secret lovers; and most importantly, that she is beginning to doubt the one person who has always been the greatest influence in her life: her mother.
The situation worsens when two FBI agents show up and begin to ask Merryn questions about her husband's business, which only intensifies her need to continue lying. While Merryn's perfect life begins to crumble around her, she must decide whether or not she can face the most painful reality of all--that she has been lying to herself her entire life.
--Ann Hood, author of An Italian Wife
"The Anger Meridian is a sexy, sleek page-turner. Uncertain Merryn loses her husband in an unsavory accident--and her first instinct is to flee. She gathers her beloved hyper-allergic daughter and a teddy bear full of cash and races across the border to her mother's house in the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende. But Merryn feels the noose tightening as her flamboyant, overbearing mother begins to threaten and the FBI closes in. Jones deftly weaves together a thriller, a family drama, a romance, and a story of self-awakening in this taut, suspenseful, and beautiful novel."
--Taylor Polites, author of The Rebel Wife
"Kaylie Jones has written a narrative that ingeniously marries the atmosphere of the longtime outpost of American expats in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with a narrator who lives in so much denial that she creates her own magic realism. And the mother, a living nightmare, is too awful to be true, and too true not to believe. The characters in this book made me laugh, drop my jaw in outrage, nod in acknowledgment, and then they hung around long after I turned the last page."
--Beverly Donofrio, author of Astonished: A Story of Healing and Finding Grace
Praise for Kaylie Jones:
"Although we've gotten used to second-generation actors equaling or surpassing the accomplishments of their parents, the same hasn't happened with second-generation novelists. Nonetheless there are a few, and added to their small number ought to be Kaylie Jones."
-- New York Times
Merryn Huntley is rudely awakened to the many bad decisions she has made in her life when she is told by two Dallas police officers that her wealthy husband Beau has been killed in a car accident, along with a local waitress. Merryn's first instinct is to flee in order to protect her nine-year-old daughter, and the only place that feels safe enough is her mother's beautiful, isolated home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Merryn's mother, the redoubtable Bibi, always said to her as a child, When you tell a lie, make sure you keep it as close to the truth as possible, because it will be easier to remember. Ironically, from the moment Merryn arrives, she is forced into twisting the truth--about how much she knew of her husband and his shady business affairs; about her own secret lovers; and most importantly, that she is beginning to doubt the one person who has always been the greatest influence in her life: her mother.
The situation worsens when two FBI agents show up and begin to ask Merryn questions about her husband's business, which only intensifies her need to continue lying. While Merryn's perfect life begins to crumble around her, she must decide whether or not she can face the most painful reality of all--that she has been lying to herself her entire life.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2015
10 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Kaylie Jones
20 books43 followersKaylie was born in Paris, France and attended French schools until she returned with her family to the U.S. in 1974. Her father was the novelist James Jones.
Kaylie began to study Russian as her third language at age 8, and continued to study the language and literature through her four undergraduate years at Wesleyan University and her two years at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where she received her MFA in Writing.
Kylie Jones has published six books, the most recent a memoir, Lies My Mother Never Told Me. Her novel A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries was adapted as a Merchant Ivory film in 1998.
Jones has been teaching for more than twenty-five years, and is a faculty member in the Stony Brook Southampton MFA in Creative Writing & Literature program and in Wilkes University’s MFA in Creative Writing program. She is the author of Speak Now and the editor of Long Island Noir. Her newest endeavor is her publishing imprint with Akashic Books, Kaylie Jones Books.
Kaylie began to study Russian as her third language at age 8, and continued to study the language and literature through her four undergraduate years at Wesleyan University and her two years at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, where she received her MFA in Writing.
Kylie Jones has published six books, the most recent a memoir, Lies My Mother Never Told Me. Her novel A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries was adapted as a Merchant Ivory film in 1998.
Jones has been teaching for more than twenty-five years, and is a faculty member in the Stony Brook Southampton MFA in Creative Writing & Literature program and in Wilkes University’s MFA in Creative Writing program. She is the author of Speak Now and the editor of Long Island Noir. Her newest endeavor is her publishing imprint with Akashic Books, Kaylie Jones Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
January 2, 2016
Merryn Huntly is a problematic protagonist, the perfect kind, and "The Anger Meridian" is writing at its best, story at its finest. Kaylie Jones, author of "Lies My Mother Never Told Me: A Memoir," crafts a masterpiece that won't quit with this suspenseful mystery. She knows how to put it all together, something I’m not sure can be taught: action, dialogue, description, to create flawless story that keeps you mesmerized, hands down the best book I’ve read this year which is fitting, it being December 31.
The story starts out literally with a bang and then a road trip from Dallas Texas to San Miguel Mexico where we’re introduced to Merryn’s mother, hard-to-like Vivienne Alderman, aka Bibi and her cronies Calisto and Faye. We have both the pleasure and frustration of taking an insane ride inside the conflicted mind of Merryn, flawed protagonist to say the least, but probably not unlike the many of us who feel tugged at on all sides by negativity and at the same time driven by a desire to do the right thing. We experience first-person narrator, Merryn’s 2-week evolution from excuse-making (for others like Bibi) victim to spear-hurling heroine (at Faye and Calisto), and it’s refreshing. Coming just in the nick of time family attorney, Harvey Berger is a great character.
Thank goodness for angels which in this story comes in the form of sometimes bratty, sometimes lovable, but always junior heroine, ultra-intelligent Tenney, Merryn’s nine-year-old superdaughter. Jones’ prose is powerful and her descriptions of the San Miguel landscape, vivid. They place the reader firmly in the space and inside the pages.
Here’s a taste: “I turn and gaze at the city spread out below us. The stars glow palely across the great dome of the sky, and bits of mica in the road glint brightly, giving the impression of a mirror to the sky. The flat-roofed houses lining the street are like dark steps descending the mountainside. A few yellow lights twinkle peacefully in the valley, the mountains guarding us like sleeping giants curled up on their sides.” But my quote of the novel comes by way of yoga instructor, Alberto Zaldana. “Why do so many people refuse freedom, even when it is offered to them? I will tell you why. It is because the cage is a much safer place.”
But don’t get comfortable because carefully constructed conflict is the order of day for aptly titled "The Anger Meridian" and there is tension at every turn. I love the pacing and awkwardness of the relationship between Dr. Steve and Merryn, so authentic. The love-making scenes are short, to the point, and mega-powerful.
Jones’ also does a masterful job of building character (the cute and cuddly canine, Sophie included) and drawing contrast between them, not just in the showing over telling and snappy dialogue (perfectly placed EspanoI adding to the authenticity of the story), but on a deeper level still. Merryn’s quirks, the little notes to self and the head in the freezer are priceless.
"The Anger Meridian" is an easy, must-read, hard-to-put-down, page-turner. On a scale from one to five, an easy six plus. My highest recommendation!
The story starts out literally with a bang and then a road trip from Dallas Texas to San Miguel Mexico where we’re introduced to Merryn’s mother, hard-to-like Vivienne Alderman, aka Bibi and her cronies Calisto and Faye. We have both the pleasure and frustration of taking an insane ride inside the conflicted mind of Merryn, flawed protagonist to say the least, but probably not unlike the many of us who feel tugged at on all sides by negativity and at the same time driven by a desire to do the right thing. We experience first-person narrator, Merryn’s 2-week evolution from excuse-making (for others like Bibi) victim to spear-hurling heroine (at Faye and Calisto), and it’s refreshing. Coming just in the nick of time family attorney, Harvey Berger is a great character.
Thank goodness for angels which in this story comes in the form of sometimes bratty, sometimes lovable, but always junior heroine, ultra-intelligent Tenney, Merryn’s nine-year-old superdaughter. Jones’ prose is powerful and her descriptions of the San Miguel landscape, vivid. They place the reader firmly in the space and inside the pages.
Here’s a taste: “I turn and gaze at the city spread out below us. The stars glow palely across the great dome of the sky, and bits of mica in the road glint brightly, giving the impression of a mirror to the sky. The flat-roofed houses lining the street are like dark steps descending the mountainside. A few yellow lights twinkle peacefully in the valley, the mountains guarding us like sleeping giants curled up on their sides.” But my quote of the novel comes by way of yoga instructor, Alberto Zaldana. “Why do so many people refuse freedom, even when it is offered to them? I will tell you why. It is because the cage is a much safer place.”
But don’t get comfortable because carefully constructed conflict is the order of day for aptly titled "The Anger Meridian" and there is tension at every turn. I love the pacing and awkwardness of the relationship between Dr. Steve and Merryn, so authentic. The love-making scenes are short, to the point, and mega-powerful.
Jones’ also does a masterful job of building character (the cute and cuddly canine, Sophie included) and drawing contrast between them, not just in the showing over telling and snappy dialogue (perfectly placed EspanoI adding to the authenticity of the story), but on a deeper level still. Merryn’s quirks, the little notes to self and the head in the freezer are priceless.
"The Anger Meridian" is an easy, must-read, hard-to-put-down, page-turner. On a scale from one to five, an easy six plus. My highest recommendation!
March 19, 2016
The Anger Meridian is easily one of the best novels I've ever read. It's beautifully descriptive, but not overdone. I felt like I could see the San Miguel Landscape. Kaylie Jones creates a flawed protagonist in Merryn, an adorable secondary character in her genius daughter Tenney, and a sympathetic antagonist in Merryn's domineering mother Bibi. Jones holds back nothing in this literary masterpiece, but still finds something special to reveal toward the end that will knock the reader's socks off. I absolutely love this book and give it my highest recommendation.
April 15, 2015
Sagas and series are a dime a dozen and are hardly worth reading. Kaylie Jones' The Anger Meridian screams for a sequel. The characters are so well developed that it is sad to say goodbye on the final page - they are young, they have much to do yet and I want to know what happens to them next. Jones creates a superb sense of place and carries the reader over each cobblestone in San Miguel de Allende. The intense heat is palpable and the reader's shirt sticks to one's back along with Merryn's yoga gear. Sophia, the lovely and lovable dog has as much pluck and personality as Tenney, the brilliant 9-year old. Even the reprehensible mother, Bibi, jumps visibly off the page through Jones' depiction of her wardrobe, mannerisms and speech. Just when it seems that Bibi can't be more hateful she turns a corner and Jones dialogue unfurls the mystery of why she is who she is and what she did to her daughter. Poole never sounded so delicious and Jones' unerring description of Mexican pastries - smelling better than they ever taste - is spot on. Warm, scary, disturbing and lovable characters and an interesting story line make The Anger Meridian worth reading and sharing.
November 24, 2015
What a book!! Kaylie Jones explores the taboo subject of the toxic mother, something I wish we'd see more of in mainstream lit. It's riveting to read about, and I'd love it if we could all get away from the mother-worship trend we see in our culture. Moms make mistakes. Big ones. Merryn, the protagonist, is good company, even if she does have a steep learning curve. One of my favorite scenes: Merryn on the waterslide, coerced into it by her nine year old precocious daughter Tenny. How many times have I found myself shooting down one of those tubular nightmares?! Merryn's interior world is so exquisitely drawn, so intuitive, even when it is just plain wrong. Watching her come to trust herself is a truly terrific reading experience. And this is no plodding family drama; there's sex, there's laundered money, rich old ladies and hot, sultry San Miguel. There is also devoted love between Merryn and her daughter, which turns out to be her saving grace.
January 24, 2015
Review:http://bookjunkiereview.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-anger-meridian-by-kaylie-jones.html
Merryn Huntley’s life has been turned upside down after her husband Beau is killed in a car accident. In order to protect herself and Tenney, her nine year old daughter, they both flee to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to Bibi. Since Merryn was young Bibi told her “When you tell a lie, make sure you keep it as close to the truth as possible, because it will be easier to remember.” Merryn has taken this belief way too heart. Merryn will witness her life fall apart as lie after lie is exposed from her husband’s so-called business to unearthing Bibi’s ruthless reign and the isolation she subjected Merryn to. That is if Merryn decides to not only fight for the truth but for her very life.
I have always known Kaylie as a first rate novelist with reading Celeste Ascending, Speak Now and her memoir Lies My Mother Never Told Me. She vividly captures the landscape with intricate details that left me in awe. At times, I was annoyed with Merryn and her refusal to face reality. As for Bibi, she’s a great case study of the nightmare that no mother should subject their children to.
The title is an interesting choice. Merryn’s yoga instructor explains that the anger meridian is the time in the twenty four hour cycle when anger is at its strongest.
This isn’t the first time that I read The Anger Meridian with Kaylie being so kind enough to letting me read the draft last year. I was instantly hooked and it was impossible to put my kindle down.
Kaylie has outdone herself with The Anger Meridian a thrilling and suspenseful novel that will have you hopelessly hooked from page one and will refuse to relinquish your eyes to every page, regardless of sleep deprivation.
Merryn Huntley’s life has been turned upside down after her husband Beau is killed in a car accident. In order to protect herself and Tenney, her nine year old daughter, they both flee to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to Bibi. Since Merryn was young Bibi told her “When you tell a lie, make sure you keep it as close to the truth as possible, because it will be easier to remember.” Merryn has taken this belief way too heart. Merryn will witness her life fall apart as lie after lie is exposed from her husband’s so-called business to unearthing Bibi’s ruthless reign and the isolation she subjected Merryn to. That is if Merryn decides to not only fight for the truth but for her very life.
I have always known Kaylie as a first rate novelist with reading Celeste Ascending, Speak Now and her memoir Lies My Mother Never Told Me. She vividly captures the landscape with intricate details that left me in awe. At times, I was annoyed with Merryn and her refusal to face reality. As for Bibi, she’s a great case study of the nightmare that no mother should subject their children to.
The title is an interesting choice. Merryn’s yoga instructor explains that the anger meridian is the time in the twenty four hour cycle when anger is at its strongest.
This isn’t the first time that I read The Anger Meridian with Kaylie being so kind enough to letting me read the draft last year. I was instantly hooked and it was impossible to put my kindle down.
Kaylie has outdone herself with The Anger Meridian a thrilling and suspenseful novel that will have you hopelessly hooked from page one and will refuse to relinquish your eyes to every page, regardless of sleep deprivation.
January 4, 2017
I heard Kaylie Jones speak about her father, James Jones, at the Norman Mailer Society Conference in New Jersey, and I was intrigued enough to want to read her. The Anger Meridian kept me interested with its constant theme of deception--both self and that inflicted by others--versus the truth. Ms. Jones drops a few allusions to literary figures of her father's time, and I sensed, based on the panel at the Mailer Society, that she was trying to exorcise some personal demons in writing this. Yet, the main character, Merryn Huntley, is complex in and of herself. A seeming wallflower who posts notes in her house as reminders of how not to upset her husband, she has inner strength and a certain cleverness to her that belies her exterior. Her reaction to her husband's death should make readers initially wonder if we're dealing with a sociopath to some degree or someone a bit crazy in other ways. Is her cautiousness about what Tenney, her daughter, eats a sign of paranoia, as Merryn's mother thinks? How much does she really know about her husband's financial shenanigans? As the novel moves forward and we discover the abusiveness of her relationship with her mother, we come to understand Merryn better--the conflicts, the desires, the impulsiveness--and the novel becomes an interesting character study. The setting of San Miguel added some flavor to the book, as well. I think too many loose ends were tied together in the end. It struck me as very pat. It would have also been nice to see a female character other than Merryn the narrator who was not either cold and calculating or cast in a domestic/victim role. But overall, the book held up. It has enough suspense to keep readers turning pages but with enough depth to make us think afterwards.
April 22, 2016
This was the bookclub read for January 2016. The main character supposedly has a secret that she alludes to from the starting--and shocker there really isn't one. I could not muster any interest in the main character because she was spineless and had no plans of how to change her own life. She depended on others to get her out of situations she put herself in. The romance was ridiculously predictable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2015
One day! So obviously I couldn't put it down. Sharp and fascinating characters, vivid setting, suspense and romance. Ms. Jones has a master's hand. Read it!!!
June 14, 2020
A lot of ideas covered..perhaps too many!
It's a fast ride with a lot of characters interacting. Little depth in the characters, especially our unreliable narrator. But taking time to polish and edit would really make this so much better. There are several insightful stories here that could be explored so much more. The ending is rushed. I think the author has many interest experiences in the locals (Mexico) and she wanted to use them all. The pilgrimage at the end comes out of nowhere . Nuance is lacking.
It's a fast ride with a lot of characters interacting. Little depth in the characters, especially our unreliable narrator. But taking time to polish and edit would really make this so much better. There are several insightful stories here that could be explored so much more. The ending is rushed. I think the author has many interest experiences in the locals (Mexico) and she wanted to use them all. The pilgrimage at the end comes out of nowhere . Nuance is lacking.
November 23, 2023
Grabbed this book because it came up in a random search for "San Miguel de Allende" and I needed a paperback to read at the pool. I devoured this book in 24 hours. The flow of the story unfolding around Merryn and her daughter was just right for a story like this...tossed from one disaster into another, the inner turmoil, the outer chaos, the characters coming into the story one by one to add layers and depth, the descriptions of the scenery and the heat and the moments in time...it was a joy to read!
January 23, 2019
The book's title attracted me and I found the meaning that was given by a Yoga instructor/healer intriguing. The Mexican landscape of San Miguel provides a colorful backdrop for the story and I even learned a few things about the San Juan de los Lagos pilgrimage and eCoins. A captivating plot line with good character development, Kaylie certainly inherited some writing skills from her father.
August 19, 2015
Book Review: THE ANGER MERIDIAN by Kaylie Jones
Akashic Books, Trade Paperback (ISBN 978-1617753510)
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Merryn Huntley is a woman who has been keeping herself in line for her entire life. If she had her own crest, the motto would be, “Estote semper parati” – “Always be prepared.” A model of self-restraint, Merryn keeps notes written in French all over her Dallas home in order to remind her about things she says and does which upset her husband Beau, a wealthy real estate tycoon who is rarely home. (Merryn’s late father was a diplomat, and Merryn grew up in Paris and also Cameroon, attending French schools, so she is fluent in French.) Merryn’s life revolves around being a good wife, and a good mother to her nine-year-old daughter Tenney. But life spins out of control when two uniformed officers show up at 3:35 a.m. to tell Merryn that her husband was in a car accident with a waitress from the Blue Bayou. The car hit a tree head-on while Beau was getting head from LouKeesha. Merryn knew Beau had been cheating on her, but Beau’s social circle assumes she is extraordinarily naïve. She is anything but. The phone rings and rings, and Merryn listens to the voice mail messages. Jocelyn, the wife of Beau’s business partner Bucky, calls to console Merryn, but Merryn really has no friends in Dallas. A banker leaves a message regarding past due mortgage payments. When Merryn tries using her credit cards, they are all declined. Merryn wants to protect Tenney from the scandal surrounding Beau’s death, and decides that they’ll go to stay with her mother Vivienne “Bibi” in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She takes Beau’s “emergency” cash—two thousand five hundred dollars—and hides it in the back of Tenney’s battery-operated talking bear, Blueberry. Then she drives with Tenney to Mexico.
Kaylie Jones combines action, humor, insight, bawdiness, tenderness, flashback, a great story, complex characters, and creates a complicated, compelling woman protagonist, and that is only the first chapter of THE ANGER MERIDIAN! This literary psychological thriller only gets better with each page. The plot developments are intricate without being too elaborate. Beau’s business dealings leaned to the nefarious. The real intrigue, however, comes from Merryn’s past and her relationship with her mother Bibi. Bibi is a full-fledged bitch out of a 1940’s melodrama, but she is not a caricature. Bibi is beautiful, vain, self-involved, and, as Merryn notes, does not possess any natural compassion for others, especially not for Merryn.
While she should be fully focused on dealing with the fallout from Beau’s corrupt business practices—including visits from two FBI agents, and a possible connection to a terrorist, Merryn uses much of her strength and energy on keeping Bibi happy. It’s a fool’s errand and a Sisyphean task. Merryn has been psychologically abused by Bibi all her life. Yet she is an incredible mother to Tenney. Tenney is an incredibly intelligent little girl, but Merryn realizes that she is a little girl, a child who needs to be protected, loved, disciplined, fed, and heard. Precisely because Merryn is a good mother, she manages to confront the evil which terrifies her the most. She faces the twisted lies she has told herself in order to survive a lifetime of Bibi’s neglect, bullying, and cruelty. Merryn masters true self-preservation.
While the criminal aspects of this novel are fascinating and brilliantly conceived, the transformation of Merryn from helpless trauma victim to fully realized, self-empowered (and sexy!) woman is what captures the reader’s attention. Kaylie Jones’s writing is awe-inspiring, and The Anger Meridian is a spectacular and true domestic, psychological thriller.
Read this novel now. I've read it three times since June. It is life-affirming. You'll crave strong Mexican coffee and tasty food, wander the streets of San Miguel, feel the heat of the sun, and heat generated by a certain American physician. You will be utterly captivated by Merryn and Tenney.
Akashic Books, Trade Paperback (ISBN 978-1617753510)
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Merryn Huntley is a woman who has been keeping herself in line for her entire life. If she had her own crest, the motto would be, “Estote semper parati” – “Always be prepared.” A model of self-restraint, Merryn keeps notes written in French all over her Dallas home in order to remind her about things she says and does which upset her husband Beau, a wealthy real estate tycoon who is rarely home. (Merryn’s late father was a diplomat, and Merryn grew up in Paris and also Cameroon, attending French schools, so she is fluent in French.) Merryn’s life revolves around being a good wife, and a good mother to her nine-year-old daughter Tenney. But life spins out of control when two uniformed officers show up at 3:35 a.m. to tell Merryn that her husband was in a car accident with a waitress from the Blue Bayou. The car hit a tree head-on while Beau was getting head from LouKeesha. Merryn knew Beau had been cheating on her, but Beau’s social circle assumes she is extraordinarily naïve. She is anything but. The phone rings and rings, and Merryn listens to the voice mail messages. Jocelyn, the wife of Beau’s business partner Bucky, calls to console Merryn, but Merryn really has no friends in Dallas. A banker leaves a message regarding past due mortgage payments. When Merryn tries using her credit cards, they are all declined. Merryn wants to protect Tenney from the scandal surrounding Beau’s death, and decides that they’ll go to stay with her mother Vivienne “Bibi” in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She takes Beau’s “emergency” cash—two thousand five hundred dollars—and hides it in the back of Tenney’s battery-operated talking bear, Blueberry. Then she drives with Tenney to Mexico.
Kaylie Jones combines action, humor, insight, bawdiness, tenderness, flashback, a great story, complex characters, and creates a complicated, compelling woman protagonist, and that is only the first chapter of THE ANGER MERIDIAN! This literary psychological thriller only gets better with each page. The plot developments are intricate without being too elaborate. Beau’s business dealings leaned to the nefarious. The real intrigue, however, comes from Merryn’s past and her relationship with her mother Bibi. Bibi is a full-fledged bitch out of a 1940’s melodrama, but she is not a caricature. Bibi is beautiful, vain, self-involved, and, as Merryn notes, does not possess any natural compassion for others, especially not for Merryn.
While she should be fully focused on dealing with the fallout from Beau’s corrupt business practices—including visits from two FBI agents, and a possible connection to a terrorist, Merryn uses much of her strength and energy on keeping Bibi happy. It’s a fool’s errand and a Sisyphean task. Merryn has been psychologically abused by Bibi all her life. Yet she is an incredible mother to Tenney. Tenney is an incredibly intelligent little girl, but Merryn realizes that she is a little girl, a child who needs to be protected, loved, disciplined, fed, and heard. Precisely because Merryn is a good mother, she manages to confront the evil which terrifies her the most. She faces the twisted lies she has told herself in order to survive a lifetime of Bibi’s neglect, bullying, and cruelty. Merryn masters true self-preservation.
While the criminal aspects of this novel are fascinating and brilliantly conceived, the transformation of Merryn from helpless trauma victim to fully realized, self-empowered (and sexy!) woman is what captures the reader’s attention. Kaylie Jones’s writing is awe-inspiring, and The Anger Meridian is a spectacular and true domestic, psychological thriller.
Read this novel now. I've read it three times since June. It is life-affirming. You'll crave strong Mexican coffee and tasty food, wander the streets of San Miguel, feel the heat of the sun, and heat generated by a certain American physician. You will be utterly captivated by Merryn and Tenney.
August 11, 2015
I received an ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Merryn Huntley is prone to anxiety attacks, has constant headaches, and hasn't slept well for years. When the police knock on the door at her Dallas home and inform her that her husband Beau has died in a car accident, Merryn feels nothing but relief. She has been married to Beau for over ten years and he was always disconnected from and disinterested in his wife and their nine year old daughter, Tenney. In fact, when Beau crashed his car, a local waitress with whom he was having yet another affair was also in the car.
Merryn packs up her daughter and immediately flees to San Miguel, Mexico where her mother has a plush home with fabulous views. One of the greatest strengths of the book are the descriptions of San Miguel's intense, blazing sun, its dusty streets and its markets full of local people and tourists. But when Merryn gets to Mexico, comfort is the last thing she gets from her mother. Merryn's mother, whom they call Bibi, drinks too much, gossips about her so-called friends, and belittles Merryn every chance she gets. Throughout the book Merryn struggles to deal with her strained relationship with her mother. Bibi is not a likeable character and the degrading words she constantly hurls at her daughter makes us glad that she comes to a tragic end.
While Merryn is in San Miguel, she also has to deal with constant calls from the FBI. It seems that Beau was making himself rich by laundering enormous sums of money for terrorists. Merryn had nothing to do with her husband's business and she is very worried that she will not be able to convince the feds that she is innocent. Merryn is already a nervous person but with her mother's constant berating, the circumstances of her husband's death and the FBI breathing down her neck she is at her breaking point.
To complicate her life even further, Merryn also meets an American doctor in Mexico that she is instantly drawn to. But Dr. Fuller has a reputation for sleeping with wealthy American widows in order to raise money for his health clinic. On the one hand his sexual promiscuity disgusts her, but on the other hand she is very attracted to him, especially since he is so kind to her daughter Tenney.
The best characters in the book are Tenney who is a chess prodigy and her stray dog, Sophia. Tenney and Sophia seem to possess the strength that Merryn lacks and in the end Merryn makes the right decisions because she realizes that she has to be strong for her daughter.
THE ANGER MERIDIAN is a fun and quick summer read with an interesting and complex plot. Takes this one to the beach for a good end-of-the-summer read.
For more of my reviews visit: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com
Merryn Huntley is prone to anxiety attacks, has constant headaches, and hasn't slept well for years. When the police knock on the door at her Dallas home and inform her that her husband Beau has died in a car accident, Merryn feels nothing but relief. She has been married to Beau for over ten years and he was always disconnected from and disinterested in his wife and their nine year old daughter, Tenney. In fact, when Beau crashed his car, a local waitress with whom he was having yet another affair was also in the car.
Merryn packs up her daughter and immediately flees to San Miguel, Mexico where her mother has a plush home with fabulous views. One of the greatest strengths of the book are the descriptions of San Miguel's intense, blazing sun, its dusty streets and its markets full of local people and tourists. But when Merryn gets to Mexico, comfort is the last thing she gets from her mother. Merryn's mother, whom they call Bibi, drinks too much, gossips about her so-called friends, and belittles Merryn every chance she gets. Throughout the book Merryn struggles to deal with her strained relationship with her mother. Bibi is not a likeable character and the degrading words she constantly hurls at her daughter makes us glad that she comes to a tragic end.
While Merryn is in San Miguel, she also has to deal with constant calls from the FBI. It seems that Beau was making himself rich by laundering enormous sums of money for terrorists. Merryn had nothing to do with her husband's business and she is very worried that she will not be able to convince the feds that she is innocent. Merryn is already a nervous person but with her mother's constant berating, the circumstances of her husband's death and the FBI breathing down her neck she is at her breaking point.
To complicate her life even further, Merryn also meets an American doctor in Mexico that she is instantly drawn to. But Dr. Fuller has a reputation for sleeping with wealthy American widows in order to raise money for his health clinic. On the one hand his sexual promiscuity disgusts her, but on the other hand she is very attracted to him, especially since he is so kind to her daughter Tenney.
The best characters in the book are Tenney who is a chess prodigy and her stray dog, Sophia. Tenney and Sophia seem to possess the strength that Merryn lacks and in the end Merryn makes the right decisions because she realizes that she has to be strong for her daughter.
THE ANGER MERIDIAN is a fun and quick summer read with an interesting and complex plot. Takes this one to the beach for a good end-of-the-summer read.
For more of my reviews visit: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com
August 6, 2015
Merryn Huntley in The Anger Meridian by Kaylee Jones had to struggle all her life with lies told by her mother about her, lies to her and the lies that she told herself. She posts notes to herself in French or Spanish all over her Dallas house about what to not to do and what not to say to her husband Beau. Their marriage is very shaky and chooses not to see it. Merryn has a nine year old daughter, Tenney who is very intelligent and can easily see through her mother’s lies and is protective of her. One night, some policemen come to her door and tell her that her husband died in a car accident with another woman.
Her mother, Bibi, has always told her if you are going to lie, make it close to the truth as possible. Merryn does not want her daughter to know about Beau and the other woman and any of the other secrets that she has kept. So she takes off for San Miguel de Allende. Mexico for her mother’s estate. Merryn is afraid to tell her mother that she coming. She quickly sells what she can and leaves. Her mother is pure evil. She drinks all the time, she is extremely verbally abusive to Merryn. Merryn soaks it in and fears her and believes that her mother is wonderful and she is all the things that her mother says about her. At times, I wanted walk into the book and throttle her mother, Bibi.
That is not the only story though, her husband’s business has put her and Tenney in greater jeopardy. She dutifully signed the tax returns without reading them and partied with people she didn’t like.
Her daughter helps her to grow up and see what is wrong and not to accept it any more. This book had my attention all the way through and it was very difficult to lay down. There were layers upon layers of meaning and somehow Mexico seemed the perfect place for Merryn to escape abused life. A pregnant stray dog adopted by Tenney modeled the mothering behavior that Merryn never got.
I really loved this book. I loved how Kaylie Jones imagined an abused child going from one situation to another and being blind about the harm done to herself. There is a mystery but what hooked me what the evil mother and her unending abuse of her daughter.
I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
Her mother, Bibi, has always told her if you are going to lie, make it close to the truth as possible. Merryn does not want her daughter to know about Beau and the other woman and any of the other secrets that she has kept. So she takes off for San Miguel de Allende. Mexico for her mother’s estate. Merryn is afraid to tell her mother that she coming. She quickly sells what she can and leaves. Her mother is pure evil. She drinks all the time, she is extremely verbally abusive to Merryn. Merryn soaks it in and fears her and believes that her mother is wonderful and she is all the things that her mother says about her. At times, I wanted walk into the book and throttle her mother, Bibi.
That is not the only story though, her husband’s business has put her and Tenney in greater jeopardy. She dutifully signed the tax returns without reading them and partied with people she didn’t like.
Her daughter helps her to grow up and see what is wrong and not to accept it any more. This book had my attention all the way through and it was very difficult to lay down. There were layers upon layers of meaning and somehow Mexico seemed the perfect place for Merryn to escape abused life. A pregnant stray dog adopted by Tenney modeled the mothering behavior that Merryn never got.
I really loved this book. I loved how Kaylie Jones imagined an abused child going from one situation to another and being blind about the harm done to herself. There is a mystery but what hooked me what the evil mother and her unending abuse of her daughter.
I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.
September 3, 2015
Lulled by a life of rich comforts, Merryn Huntley has been turning an intentionally blind eye to her rich husband’s various infidelities and shady business dealings for so long that it has become her way of life. While no one is terribly sad at his untimely, embarrassing demise, the party is definitely over, and vultures immediately begin circling. In response, Merryn decisively pulls up stakes with her nine-year-old daughter, Tenney, and drives to her mother’s in San Miguel de Allende (south of the border, down Mexico way). Though relieved, (“We are free,” she thinks), Merryn doesn’t know that you can’t outrun your problems. But her husband’s business partners and tax officials seem the least of her worries when stacked up against her mother, Bibi: a bitchy, pushy, hateful, spiteful, greedy old cougar who says terrible things. Bibi’s sharp villainy is countered somewhat by Tenney, whose precociousness and fragility (food issues) smacks of just a little too much sugar in the frosting. It’s easy to feel pity for poor little Merryn and her panic attacks and her self-doubt, but to her credit Jones nails that most challenging of authorial sleights of hand: making readers like (mostly, anyway) unlikable characters. At times Merryn says unlikable things, things one “shouldn’t” say. Like, when considering the pearls and diamonds of her velvety-caged life: “I worked hard for them. Keeping my mouth shut, keeping his world perfect and uncomplicated…” And while Merryn finds comfort only in “my own inability to stand up for myself,” readers will find themselves really rooting for her—and Bibi and Tenney, too. Much evocative writing will be skimmed by readers wanting the story to move along, a disservice to Jones’s craftsmanship, such as Merryn thinking “…fig tree leaves are five-fingered, flat and wide, like the hands of green giants, and they caress my arm as I pass.” VERDICT Jones’s (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) unpredictable, stirring tale of moral ambiguity slowly resolves into explorations of feminine strength.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
December 26, 2016
A wife's stateside life unravels when news of her famous husband's extracurricular activities makes the papers. The protagonist, in shock, depressed, and broke, heads to Mexico to recover at her mother's mini-estate. While going home to family is Merryn's only option, home is not a word she connects with her mother.
Kaylie Jones creates a tense fictional narrative about the bumpy road her characters are forced to travel, the inevitable need to recover from our relationship wounds, and the casualties family cycles produce if left unchecked.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in literary, character-driven fiction.
Kaylie Jones creates a tense fictional narrative about the bumpy road her characters are forced to travel, the inevitable need to recover from our relationship wounds, and the casualties family cycles produce if left unchecked.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in literary, character-driven fiction.
February 19, 2016
Some of the worse lies that are told are those we tell ourselves. This is the essence of the story of Merryn Huntley, a young mother whose husband has recently died in a car crash while accompanied by his mistress. As if this isn't enough to scandalize their Dallas community, it turns out that he also had questionable business dealings that now have the FBI freezing his assets and following up on his business associates.
Seeking to shield her young daughter (and herself?) from these scandals, Merryn flees the country for San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where her mother is part of the active social scene of expats living there. Merryn's mother has always been critical of her daughter's behavior, and never more so now, considering the mess she's gotten into.
There's more to the story at every level here, however, and that is the brilliance of Author Kaylie Jones's writing. She knows how to plum the depths of self-deceit, and it's only gradually that we learn just the depths to which Merryn has gone to hide the truth from herself about her marriage, her husband's business dealings, even her own childhood.
Things come to a head when the FBI come looking for her in Mexico, and she can no longer hide her head in the sand. Above all, it is the love and responsibility she feels toward her own daughter that will lead Merryn to address all the lies she has told herself for so long. Indeed, her own young daughter's strength inspires her to do better.
This fascinating novel bases its mystery not so much on unfolding events, although these are well paced, but instead how a person can live a parallel life to the truth, based on an ever-shifting set of lies and misrepresentations. There's real danger is remaking the truth to avoid conflict, and that is never more apparent than in this well crafted book.
Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.
Seeking to shield her young daughter (and herself?) from these scandals, Merryn flees the country for San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where her mother is part of the active social scene of expats living there. Merryn's mother has always been critical of her daughter's behavior, and never more so now, considering the mess she's gotten into.
There's more to the story at every level here, however, and that is the brilliance of Author Kaylie Jones's writing. She knows how to plum the depths of self-deceit, and it's only gradually that we learn just the depths to which Merryn has gone to hide the truth from herself about her marriage, her husband's business dealings, even her own childhood.
Things come to a head when the FBI come looking for her in Mexico, and she can no longer hide her head in the sand. Above all, it is the love and responsibility she feels toward her own daughter that will lead Merryn to address all the lies she has told herself for so long. Indeed, her own young daughter's strength inspires her to do better.
This fascinating novel bases its mystery not so much on unfolding events, although these are well paced, but instead how a person can live a parallel life to the truth, based on an ever-shifting set of lies and misrepresentations. There's real danger is remaking the truth to avoid conflict, and that is never more apparent than in this well crafted book.
Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.
January 7, 2016
I received this book for free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
A more accurate rating would likely waffle to a 3 or 3.5 star rating but the book was such a strong 4 to me the first 80% of book that I'm rounding up.
The book centers around Merryn Huntley and the chain of events that follows the sudden death of her husband Beau. As it comes to light post mortem, besides being abusive to Merryn, Beau was also involved with shady business. Merryn and her young daughter Tenley are then transported far away to beautiful San Miguel to live with Merryn's abusive, narcissistic mother while the FBI investigation is carried out.
What I liked about this book was the pacing, the beautiful backdrop, a varied cast of characters, complicated interpersonal relationships, and the promise of messy resolutions to a host of interconnected dilemmas that Merryn is caught between. I love that the book approached abusive relationships and that we got to see an accurate representation of an adult of a narcissistic parent who is grappling with both the inadequacies she was made to feel while also raising a child of her own.
What I didn't like was that there were no messy resolutions! The whole book builds up these complicated situations and the fact that Merryn is not well equipped to deal with any of them. I was ready. I was so ready to see how Merryn developed and progressed through these situations or alternatively, how Merryn didn't develop and thus how her situation would have worsened. What I got were high stakes dilemmas that were resolved seamlessly within a page without any input on Merryn's part.
The book was such a ride but ultimately, I was supremely let down by how the conflicts in this novel were resolved.
A more accurate rating would likely waffle to a 3 or 3.5 star rating but the book was such a strong 4 to me the first 80% of book that I'm rounding up.
The book centers around Merryn Huntley and the chain of events that follows the sudden death of her husband Beau. As it comes to light post mortem, besides being abusive to Merryn, Beau was also involved with shady business. Merryn and her young daughter Tenley are then transported far away to beautiful San Miguel to live with Merryn's abusive, narcissistic mother while the FBI investigation is carried out.
What I liked about this book was the pacing, the beautiful backdrop, a varied cast of characters, complicated interpersonal relationships, and the promise of messy resolutions to a host of interconnected dilemmas that Merryn is caught between. I love that the book approached abusive relationships and that we got to see an accurate representation of an adult of a narcissistic parent who is grappling with both the inadequacies she was made to feel while also raising a child of her own.
What I didn't like was that there were no messy resolutions! The whole book builds up these complicated situations and the fact that Merryn is not well equipped to deal with any of them. I was ready. I was so ready to see how Merryn developed and progressed through these situations or alternatively, how Merryn didn't develop and thus how her situation would have worsened. What I got were high stakes dilemmas that were resolved seamlessly within a page without any input on Merryn's part.
The book was such a ride but ultimately, I was supremely let down by how the conflicts in this novel were resolved.
July 11, 2015
I was very happy to receive this book from giveaways, it was a first reads book. It was very hard to rate it and I was flip-flopping between 3 and 4 stars, probably 3.5 stars would be a good compromise. The book is very vivid and it was easy for me to imagine the landscapes and views of San Miguel, Mexico The story is rich; there is crime, huge amounts of money, romance, silliness, abusive parents, rescue dogs, doctors sleeping around, yoga instructors, chess competitions, helping the poor, young guys taking advantage of old ladies.... the list can go on. The main character is clearly a privileged women, first rich and affluent parents and then a rich even though shady husband. There is a hint on possibility that a world can collapse even for the privileged... but the story seems more like a fairy tail. Everything just works out even the borderline anorexic child starts eating Mexican food. The story is captivating as one wants to know what happens next. My issue was that I couldn't feel too strongly about the main character... too many issues... too many migraines and too many instances when other people had to help her. The attempts to show that not everything s as it seems to be. Definitely it shows how strong and independent females can rise even when they were suppressed by their mothers and husbands. Tenney is my favorite character. There is nothing better than a little girl beating old guys in chess and learning gram stain and microscopy in general at a tender age of 9. It is a fast read book as the action is fast paced.
August 23, 2015
I received this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
The Anger Meridian by Kaylie Jones opens with Merryn receiving the news that her wealthy and abusive husband Beau has been killed in a car accident. Another woman that he has been having an affair with is also in the car. As rumors and gossip swirl about his affair among the socialites of Dallas, Merryn discovers all of her credit card and bank accounts have been shut down. Grabbing what cash there is in the house she takes off with her nine year old daughter Tenney to her mother Bibi's residence in San Miguel de Alende, Mexico. Soon she discovers that the FBI has been investigating her husband and realizes that she also is suspect and may have unknowingly been an accomplice. In Mexico she remembers bits of her childhood as her mother continue to verbally abuse her. She struggles to be strong for her daughter but by habit is submissive to the abuse of her mother.
I enjoyed reading this novel immensely. It was a quick read that you don't want to put down and had the right mix of drama, action, romance, and humor. Ms. Jones does a wonderful job of developing the characters and provides intricate details about the landscape and climate. I could literally taste the dust in my mouth and feel the heat of the sun! Initially I had a little bit of trouble getting behind the protagonist, Merryn as I saw her as being incredibly weak but as the story progressed I empathized more with her and admired the strength she summoned for her daughter.
The Anger Meridian by Kaylie Jones opens with Merryn receiving the news that her wealthy and abusive husband Beau has been killed in a car accident. Another woman that he has been having an affair with is also in the car. As rumors and gossip swirl about his affair among the socialites of Dallas, Merryn discovers all of her credit card and bank accounts have been shut down. Grabbing what cash there is in the house she takes off with her nine year old daughter Tenney to her mother Bibi's residence in San Miguel de Alende, Mexico. Soon she discovers that the FBI has been investigating her husband and realizes that she also is suspect and may have unknowingly been an accomplice. In Mexico she remembers bits of her childhood as her mother continue to verbally abuse her. She struggles to be strong for her daughter but by habit is submissive to the abuse of her mother.
I enjoyed reading this novel immensely. It was a quick read that you don't want to put down and had the right mix of drama, action, romance, and humor. Ms. Jones does a wonderful job of developing the characters and provides intricate details about the landscape and climate. I could literally taste the dust in my mouth and feel the heat of the sun! Initially I had a little bit of trouble getting behind the protagonist, Merryn as I saw her as being incredibly weak but as the story progressed I empathized more with her and admired the strength she summoned for her daughter.
September 28, 2015
Ok this is a bizarre book! The main character, Merryn, is she a victim or a perpetrator? Is she a good person or not? What is true in the story and what is a lie she is telling to herself and/or others? She's an unreliable character, as the author states at the end of the book.
The story opens as Merryn meets the police at the door, thankful it is not her drunk abusive husband. Her husband has died in an accident with a young woman in the car. So Merryn lies and says her husband was the perfect husband. What??? She then takes off with her daughter to Mexico to see her mother. Ok and you got it... again the mother is a perfect mother and Merryn had a wonderful childhood. What??? And off the tale goes. All the way up to the very end the author is able to keep up with the suspense of not knowing what to believe about Merryn and her life. Well done and riveting I didn't want to put it down. And yes bizarre.
PS I also liked the moral of the story "If you can't make some good from the bad of life -- what is the point?". Well done!
The story opens as Merryn meets the police at the door, thankful it is not her drunk abusive husband. Her husband has died in an accident with a young woman in the car. So Merryn lies and says her husband was the perfect husband. What??? She then takes off with her daughter to Mexico to see her mother. Ok and you got it... again the mother is a perfect mother and Merryn had a wonderful childhood. What??? And off the tale goes. All the way up to the very end the author is able to keep up with the suspense of not knowing what to believe about Merryn and her life. Well done and riveting I didn't want to put it down. And yes bizarre.
PS I also liked the moral of the story "If you can't make some good from the bad of life -- what is the point?". Well done!
April 19, 2016
I just finished this and I'm laughing at myself for not noticing the cup on the cover is a margarita glass--not a chalice like I originally inferred. I must say I'm so so so happy with this book, reading some of the reviews left on here made me wary I was in for a let down but that was not the case. I received this book as an Advance reading copy through a GoodReads giveaway, but had no time to get to it until now and I'm sorely hurt by my own lack of time. This novel is beautifully written and exciting to read. I was not once bored or skipping through and only reading the dialogue. Every bit of this book mattered to the store--no fluff. I can see where some would review this book as disappointing at the end but I believe this is because of the writing being so great we were expecting a dramatic ending with guns ablazin' but I enjoyed the "happily ever after" ending. It wasn't too unbelievable. And the full circle of being abused to helping the abused really made me happy!
June 21, 2015
Merryn Huntley has been done wrong by practically everyone in her life, but she wants to believe the best. This makes for a complex, unreliable narrator who is faced finding the truth. Her mother is a brilliant liar. While Merryn is dealing with the loss of her husband (he drove into a tree in the middle of a quickie with the local waitress), she is thrust into a whirlwind of lies. Merryn and her smart, chess-playing nine-year-old daughter Tenney find themselves in situations that force them to clarify what the truth is, especially in a face off with Merryn's mother. The writing is swift and tender. Jones delves into the complexity of mother/daughter relationships with a compassionate keen eye. I especially loved her descriptive passages on San Miguel, Mexico. I highly recommend this novel.
June 30, 2015
THE ANGER MERIDIAN is a brilliantly written novel of suspense and surprises, vivid and charming language, and fascinating characters, both loveable and loathsome and undoubtedly authentic. The plot offers just the right mix of drama and comedy with a flawless integration of psychology and dysfunctional family dynamics; the dialogue, predominantly English but with Spanish and French peppered throughout, stays true to the characters’ personalities and backgrounds and can be read with ease.
This book is an absolute page-turner. I started reading the novel at a busy time and THE ANGER MERIDIAN soon became a top priority, superseding work and sleep until I could finish the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires a thrilling page-turner but doesn’t want to compromise on substance and literary merit. Well done and thank you, Kaylie Jones!
This book is an absolute page-turner. I started reading the novel at a busy time and THE ANGER MERIDIAN soon became a top priority, superseding work and sleep until I could finish the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires a thrilling page-turner but doesn’t want to compromise on substance and literary merit. Well done and thank you, Kaylie Jones!
January 5, 2016
"It's over" is Merryn's first thought when a policeman tells her that her husband has died in a car accident. Merryn, an emotionally abused wife, flees to her mother's house in San Miguel, Mexico with her nine-year-old daughter as it becomes clear that her husband was involved in shady business dealings that will lead to an FBI investigation. This book has many characters that are normally clichés - the abused wife, the child with medical problems, the overbearing mother, the way-too-young surly boyfriend, the yoga instructor/healer, the female FBI agent who seems to be everywhere, and the ex-prescription-drug-addict doctor who runs a free children's clinic. In this story they are all developed and become interesting. This book starts strong and keeps you guessing about Merryn's secrets until the end.
June 18, 2015
The Anger MeridianKaylie Jones
Jones is one of those great tricky writers where the character is so totally human, you feel like you are looking into her head and seeing her brain working! The story centers on an intensely interesting woman who has too many people to please and cracks in every corner of her life. Merryn tries solving her problems in old ways, but it is not enough. It's a tight mystery wrapped around one of those challenging primary relationships we all love/hate. I ripped through this novel never able to predict where it was headed.
Jones is one of those great tricky writers where the character is so totally human, you feel like you are looking into her head and seeing her brain working! The story centers on an intensely interesting woman who has too many people to please and cracks in every corner of her life. Merryn tries solving her problems in old ways, but it is not enough. It's a tight mystery wrapped around one of those challenging primary relationships we all love/hate. I ripped through this novel never able to predict where it was headed.
September 29, 2015
Merryn finds out that her cheating husband cheated not only with their marriage, but also with his business. Upon his death, she and her young daughter flee the United States for Mexico, hoping to find some peace with her mother. But that is not to be, as her mother continues her abusive relationship with Merryn. In the meantime, Merryn finds that the FBI wants to talk with her about her husband's dealings with terrorists and money laundering. Constantly feeling trapped, Merryn explores life in Mexico.
While Merryn is weak, she wants to finally "grow up", if not for herself, then for her daughter.
While Merryn is weak, she wants to finally "grow up", if not for herself, then for her daughter.
November 24, 2015
I love this book. Merryn, who wears sundresses and Eileen Fisher slacks and has headaches and bruxism and a nine-year old daughter,and takes pills, runs to her mother’s house in San Miguel after her vacuous rich husband Beau is killed - there to, in an awesome way -- flail around with more vacuous rich types (her mother Bibi, her mother's friends, her mother's lover Calisto) as well as a rescue dog and a motorcycle riding Dr Handsome (non-judgmental, sexually available and partial to Merryn -- perfect.!)) All this and Merryn may have pushed her mother off a cliff. What more could you want? Read it. Buy it. I did. Awesome
June 19, 2015
I received a copy of The Anger Meridian from Akashic Books and posted a book review on my blog. While I can't say I felt much kinship to Kaylie Jones' characters, that didn't prevent me from quickly finishing the book. It is a nice reminder that children are often stronger than we give them credit for and we should be mindful of how we raise them, so that we don't pass along our worst traits.
For those looking for a nice easy read, full of drama and a hint of mystery, give The Anger Meridian a try.
For those looking for a nice easy read, full of drama and a hint of mystery, give The Anger Meridian a try.
August 3, 2015
The Anger Meridian is a sexy, sleek page-turner. Uncertain Merryn loses her husband in an unsavory accident--and her first instinct is to flee. She gathers her beloved hyper-allergic daughter and a teddy bear full of cash and races across the border to her mother's house in the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende. But Merryn feels the noose tightening as her flamboyant, overbearing mother begins to threaten and the FBI closes in. Jones deftly weaves together a thriller, a family drama, a romance, and a story of self-awakening in this taut, suspenseful, and beautiful novel.
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