There is nothing that says a suspense novel need not be well written….

As familiar, even overly familiar, as the form is, it nevertheless allows for wit, cleverness, displays of arcane knowledge, daring invention, and, every now and then, good writing. A case in point is Fata Morgana, by William Kotzwinkle, a fine young writer previously known for such "serious" novels as The Fan Man and Doctor Rat. The title of this new work is taken from the Italian and means a mirage, especially one that is the work of a sorceress or, as employed here by Kotzwinkle, a sorcerer. (p. 23)

[Kotzwinkle takes] us on an almost dreamlike journey. The details seem real enough, but real in the way a movie is real. Though the atmosphere of nineteenth-century Paris is there—the smells of food and perfumes, the mode of dress, the dingy cafés and the great...