The Next Right Thing

April 9, 2012
In Barden's new novel (after John Wayne), Laguna Beach, Calif. cop-turned-homebuilder Randy Chalmers knows he owes his sobriety to his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor Terry Elias. But when Terry is found dead from a heroin overdose in a sleazy hotel room, Randy risks everything for answers in this hard-hitting tale of revenge and redemption. Clean for 15 years, Terry was a legend at AA, taking the newly sober under his wing. He guided Randyâwho was thrown off the force for nearly beating a man to death âthrough his anger issues and helped him stay clean for eight years. But as Randy discovers, Terry wasn't as saintly as he appeared. Working off tips from fellow AA member Wade, Randy retraces Terry's last days. Refusing to believe that Terry would be caught up in drugs, Randy, with his single-minded determination to preserve Terry's memory, alienates those around him as he sinks back into oldâand violentâhabits. As his relationships with his girlfriend and his daughter become strained, and bodies start turning up, Randy must decide the price he's willing to pay to uncover the truth. Barden makes the addiction cycle as believable and painfully raw as possible, and as such his characters aren't necessarily likeable. But they ring true nonetheless.

January 15, 2012
A 12-stepping ex-cop goes on a grand tour of seedy Southern California to investigate his sponsor's shocking overdose. Randy, the hero of Barden's busy but engaging debut, has a lot of the trappings of a noir hero in the Chandler and Hammett vein: a sixth sense for telling when somebody's lying, women he's trying (and failing) to do right by and a hot temper that alternately helps and hurts him. The chief distinction here is that Randy is a recovering alcoholic, which gives this story a healthy amount of verve and black comedy. Rather than sounding preachy or cowed, Randy has the bravado and attitude of a man who's fighting hard for his sobriety. He's distraught to learn that his AA sponsor, Terry, died of a heroin overdose, and solving the mystery leads him into the worlds of recovery houses, pot dealers, pornographers and drug-enforcement agents. The multitude of threads Randy follows bog down the story somewhat, especially because little distinguishes the various bad guys--one SoCal goon is as craven and greedy as any other. But the novel has some solid anchors in Terry, whom Randy fondly remembers as a font of tough love, Randy's skeptical girlfriend Mary Pat and his daughter, Alison, who clarifies what the stakes are. More memorable than the plot or characters, though, is Randy's voice. Like many people in recovery, he spends a lot of time working through past errors and regrets (a violent drunken beating that got him booted from the force is just one), and he can be sanctimonious at times. But he's no cardboard AA spokesperson, and when he interacts with the young addicts slipping in and out of recovery, he underscores just how much of a struggle sobriety can be. A slightly clunky thriller that succeeds on the emotional and physical muscle of its narrator.

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October 1, 2011

Big-time Southern California homebuilder Randy Chalmers owes it all to friend, lawyer, and Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor Terry Elias. So when Terry is found dead of a heroin overdose after years of sobriety, Randy is not only shocked but angry enough to launch his own investigation (he's a former policeman). Sounds like a typical suspense novel, but since Jennifer Egan and Jonathan Lethem are raving about it, it's obviously something more.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2012
Disgraced Southern California cop Randy Chalmers would have drowned himself in drink if it weren't for Terry Elias, the Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor who helped him stare down the demons that were destroying his life. So when Terry is found dead of a heroin overdose in a sleazy motel, Randy becomes singularly focused on seeking justice. Randy knew Terry was no angel, but he had no idea what kind of deep, dark trouble his friend was in, from Internet pornography and pot farms to shady real estate deals. As Randy pursues clues to Terry's demise, he must contend with challenges of his own: a difficult ex-wife, a distant daughter, and a recovering addict girlfriend about to give him the shove. Barden, who has been in recovery himself for years, vividly renders the culture of Alcoholics Anonymous and the flawed souls who depend on it to stay sane and alive. While billed as a thriller, The Next Right Thing is less mystery than tale of male friendship.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)