All seems semi-comical with the hapless Henry. But alternating with the P.I.’s first-person chapters are third-person accounts of one, then two, then three other people whose paths cross Henry’s and each others’ in chilling fashion. The inventive Mr. Swanson never lets the willing reader down. With The Kind Worth Saving, he surpasses his own high standard.
Swanson ups the ante dramatically, improvising in triple time on his theme ... It isn’t so much plot twists that keep the reader reeling here (though there are plenty of those) as it is the growing realization of the horrors lurking within the minds of seemingly ordinary people.
Swanson’s especially good at capturing the complexity of Kimball’s inner life. Readers will be hard-pressed not to devour this in one sitting to ascertain whether, and how, past and present connect.