Some books aim for originality while others take a topical premise and explore it in a variety of ways. I think of the latter as “ripped from the headlines” novels. If you watched classic Law & Order, you will remember their tendency to build plots from recent newsworthy events, often switching secondary elements to keep things fresh. Some novelists do the same thing.
Here are three topical books and the events they plumb.
One hot topic these days is wrongful conviction. As DNA testing frees men who have been in prison for years, confidence in institutions wavers and core notions of fairness are challenged. Although a relatively rare occurence — only a small percentage of the incarcerated are ever exonerated — famous cases inspire docuseries and public concern.
Tayari Jones deftly explores the topic in An American Marriage. Newly married, Roy and Celestial stay in a motel while visiting his parents in Louisiana. After a spat with his wife, Roy interacts with an older woman near the ice machine who is raped later that night. She identifies him as her assailant and he gets twelve years.
While chiefly about Roy and Celestial’s marriage, there is also a dark shadow over the narrative about the indignity of being falsely accused. This is an effective story about an important topic.
2.
Matt Evans is a successful car dealer living in Denver with his wife and children. One day on a hiking trip, his wife falls to her death. In alternate chapters, we learn a Midwestern detective is investigating a suspicious fire that killed Matt’s first wife.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because a man named Harold Henthorn went to prison under similar circumstances. His first wife died in a freak accident, and years later his second wife did as well. By the second crime, police were paying closer attention.
Chaney takes this bare bones plot and makes it her own. She is one step ahead of the reader, crafting a suspenseful and satisfying story.
3.
Anne and Marco are an attractive young couple with an adorable baby. Intrigued by their new neighbors, they accept a dinner invitation and leave their daughter home alone. When she is kidnapped, suspicion falls on the parents.
There are some obvious parallels to the Maddie McCann story, including the poignancy of losing a child under these freak circumstances and the judgment that the parents face. Lapena builds tension effectively before going off the rails with a implausible conclusion.
Books Smitten 