PositiveLos Angeles Review of BooksBahr’s prose style is his main strength: lyrical, bleak, gothic, haunting ... Bahr has a particular talent for the simile, and one pleasure of this novel comes from taking the time to sit back and imagine each one, conjuring up the juxtaposition that his writing invites ... Fans of the mystery genre will consider the plot a bit thin. The mystery never escalates or complicates, and we barely see Ness’s investigation ... But even despite these weaknesses, The Houseboat thrives on the level of language and atmosphere, resulting in a beautifully written debut by an author to watch.
