Review of Patti Liszkay's new novel, "Hail Mary"

Review of Patti Liszkay’s novel Hail Mary [Blackrose. $17.95. Release date May 7, 2020]

If it’s true, as writing teachers say, that “only trouble is interesting,”
Patti Liszkay’s new novel, Hail Mary, is interesting indeed.
Many of the characters first appeared in her debut novel,
Equal and Opposite Reactions, and their complicated and
fascinating lives are on full display in this new book.
Liszkay is masterful in telling her story via dialogue--so
much so it’s as if we are viewing a play or a movie.
One of the principal characters is Trysta, who has spent
much of her life lying to survive--lying to her lovers, her
friends, and to herself. And oh what a tangled web! She
ends up in her early twenties with two ex-husbands and
children by 3 different men. She has felt it necessary to trade
sex for security, and eventually discovers, in sessions with
psychologist Dr. Laura Cavanni, surprising things about herself.
After these counseling sessions, we are left to wonder about the
motivations of her counselor. There is so much here that is unsure,
just as in life outside of novels.

Hail Mary (the title refers to a “Hail Mary” desperation pass in football)
is full of action and conflict and it keeps you reading. It has a driving
energy. It is at times funny, poignant, and obscene (at least in the
sense of an incredibly colorful use of language and hilarious lessons i
n Philadelphia mafiosi dialect!). And in the end, this novel acts out
what it means to genuinely love flawed human beings. Toward the
end of the novel there is a heartwarming, beautiful scene that shows
love and goodness in action; I can’t reveal any more without spoiling
things. I highly recommend Patti Liszkay’s fine second novel.

Amazon Review for Patti Liszkay’s book "Equal and Opposite Reactions"

I wrote the following review of Patti Liszkay's novel for Amazon.com

An Engaging and Timely Debut Novel

Patti Liszkay’s debut novel, Equal and Opposite Reactions, is full of trouble, and as writing instructors tell their students, “Only trouble is interesting.” The novel is a story of blossoming love, broken love that has turned to hatred, greed, and selflessness. And if that weren’t enough, there is a plot twist involving an issue that has been in the news in the first months of Donald Trump’s administration—the massive roundup and deportation of undocumented immigrants. We see the difficult choices left for these immigrants, their families, and supporters and the wide ripples of damage these policies are causing.

Patti Liszkay tells much of her story via dialogue and action, with a minimum of exposition. In that way her novel is much like a movie or play. The dialogue rings true, even when it is bilingual, in Spanish and English. The characters are vivid, and, frankly, fun.

The novel is set primarily in working class Northeast Philadelphia, and the author has a fine grasp of the geography as well as the ethnic mix and voices of the area. Honestly, I was amazed at how much the author knows—about different kinds of people and professions, about legal issues involving immigration, and the twists and turns of the human heart

There are some minor flaws that will be corrected in future editions—typos, and the use of backwards accent marks in the Spanish sections. Some of the legal issues are out-of-date because of very recent Trump Administration decisions. But overall, this is a very engaging novel, with the sweetest of love stories. It makes you hope that Patti Liszkay continues writing fiction!

If you want to see Patti's book on Amazon.com, click here.