David Pepin has been in love with his wife, Alice, since the moment they met in a university seminar on Alfred Hitchcock. After thirteen years of marriage, he still can’t imagine a remotely happy life without her—yet he obsessively contemplates her demise. Soon she is dead, and David is both deeply distraught and the prime suspect. The detectives investigating Alice’s suspicious death have plenty of personal experience with conjugal enigmas: Ward Hastroll is happily married until his wife inexplicably becomes voluntarily and militantly bedridden; and Sam Sheppard is especially sensitive to the intricacies of marital guilt and innocence, having decades before been convicted and then exonerated of the brutal murder of his wife. Still, these men are in the business of figuring things out, even as Pepin’s role in Alice’s death grows ever more confounding when they link him to a highly unusual hit man called Mobius. Like the Escher drawings that inspire the computer games David designs for a living, these complex, interlocking dramas are structurally and emotionally intense, subtle, and intriguing; they brilliantly explore the warring impulses of affection and hatred, and pose a host of arresting questions. Is it possible to know anyone fully, completely? Are murder and marriage two sides of the same coin, each endlessly recycling into the other? And what, in the end, is the truth about love? Mesmerizing, exhilarating, and profoundly moving, Mr. Peanut is a police procedural of the soul, a poignant investigation of the relentlessly mysterious human heart—and a first novel of the highest order.
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"Fantastic writing and brilliant insights into the mysteries of love and marriage. MR PEANUT is a surprising and captivating book you'll definitely want to share with your friends. Twisty turny til the end, Adam Ross absolutely delivers."
— Cameron (4 out of 5 stars)
" poop book "
— Arianna, 2/17/2014" This is a odd, sometimes brilliant, but, ultimately, an exhausting read. "
— Terry, 2/11/2014" Ok. So this book is not subtle. There are three couples and all the husbands are thinking about or are suspected of murdering their wives. I like the premise. There is a fine line between sex and violence, love and hate. I just wish the motif was not so heavy handed. Some very good writing, though- clean and witty. To be honest, I didn't understand Alice at all so it was difficult to feel compassion for her. "
— Rose, 2/3/2014" HATED IT. Reading about depressed people who hate each other but are too cowardly to make a change in their life; just like High Fidelity without the humor or saving graces of humanity. Stopped reading after skimming one particularly graphic and horrifying scene. Too self-indulgent. "
— Noralo, 2/2/2014" I loved this book! Many twists and turns. A book within a book and you're never quite sure until the end of what is real and what is not. A great book group read! "
— Eileen, 1/27/2014" Ridiculous. But some wonderfully written passages, particularly the hike in Hawaii had me on the edge of my seat. But I felt the sub plot took away a large part of the validity of the central story "
— Selma, 12/10/2013" Kinda interesting, kinda way too much tricky stuff. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this book. "
— Maya, 11/28/2013" Very interesting read. I liked the way the story was told and the depth of the characters. "
— Glenn, 11/17/2013" A great read. I'm impressed with the clever turns and twists of this book. Three marriages with chillingly honest exchanges make for fascinating reading from a new author for me. Throw in murder(?) and you have a book that will keep you up at night. "
— Elizabeth, 11/16/2013" Interesting story. A little confusing at times. A lot about view on marriage from the male characters in this story. "
— Sam, 11/16/2013" Pretty darn good debut novel, with three interwoven stories (two of which are murder stories). "
— Vickie, 11/11/2013" Ross' depiction of the depths of marriage is as much touching as terrifying. It's a really brilliant mystery, layered in meaning, and the last few pages are haunting. "
— Carly, 11/4/2013" Brilliant and dark and, at times, frustrating. It's hard to write too much about the plot without giving anything away, but I'm looking forward to discussing it with my bookclub. "
— Kita, 10/2/2013" In my mind, I couldn't connect the subplots within the story and it was hard for me to associate with any of the characters because they seemed shallow, mean, or both. There's some wonderfully vivid writing here, but the story didn't grab me. "
— Lucius, 6/17/2013" Oddly enticing.... "
— Evelyn, 4/10/2013" So much potential in the premise, but the leaden pace and the exceptionally purposeless convolutions in the storytelling ultimately killed this one for me. It's a shame, but I really can't recommend this when the flap copy is better than the story itself. "
— Jessica, 2/25/2013" i really loved this book. totally riveting. i liked it because it says a lot about pain and intimacy. "
— Amber, 9/27/2012" Just found this one disturbing on many levels. Couldn't finsh it. "
— Dawn, 8/4/2012" Ugh. Left me so unsatisfied at the end. "
— Judy, 4/25/2012" wowza. "
— medi, 3/2/2012" Well, this was an interesting book. The Fugitive sub-plot was fascinating. Good character development for David and Alice Pepin. The ending gets a bit murky and loses momentum. "
— Jan, 10/9/2011" This one threw me for a loop. Layers upon layers and a great wrapup. "
— Carolyn, 8/22/2011" Sure, it's not perfect, but I didn't find myself minding much. Fun, gutsy, suspenseful, sad, insightful. All in all, I loved it. "
— Travis, 7/30/2011" A mystery wrapped in a riddle surrounded by... murder? <br/> <br/>Solid enough plot (if not a little campy) to carry the extremely well written insights into the characters' motivations. "
— Patrick, 6/28/2011" Strange! aBOUT MEN WHO THINK OF WAYS TO KILL THEIR WIVES WITH PEANSTS.I AM ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS TOO! THAT'S WHAT IS FUNNY ABOUT THIS BOOK! "
— Beth, 6/24/2011" Took me awhile to get into, but then... it got good. A man fantasizes about killing his wife, which leads him to write a book, and then... <br/> <br/>Another book picked up after hearing an interview with the author on NPR. They haven't let me down yet. "
— Donna, 6/17/2011" Meh...far too disconnected for my taste. The story of Sam Sheppard feels stuck in the middle and I kept having to check that I was still reading the right book on my kindle. "
— Gena, 6/5/2011" The ending was a 4 star but the rest of the book was just a 3. "
— Spinster, 6/4/2011" This is the *only* book in the history of my ability to read where I closed it at the end only to turn it over and read it again, straight from the beginning. It's as though Hitchcock and Escher came together to write a book. "
— Anastacia, 6/2/2011" Feisty and fun, though it seemed to have a few meaningless tangents and kind of wimped out at the end ( telling rather than showing). Still, a quick and engaging read. "
— Joel, 5/31/2011" Mr. Peanut is absolutely fascinating! Read it! "
— Marianne, 5/29/2011" Official review is being saved for publication in "Tennessee Libraries". "
— Nicole, 5/23/2011" Very good mystery. Interesting character development. I like this guy. Insight into bad relationships. "
— Mike, 5/22/2011Adam Ross was born and raised in New York City and attended the Trinity School, where he was a state champion wrestler. A child actor, he has appeared in movies, commercials, and television shows, as well as on radio dramas such as The Eternal Light and E. G. Marshall‘s Mystery Theater. He graduated with departmental honors in English from Vassar College and holds an MA and MFA in creative writing from Hollins University and Washington University, respectively. His nonfiction has been published in The Nashville Scene, the New York Times Book Review, NFocus, P.O.V., the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Beast, and Jungle Law. Ross and his wife relocated to Nashville in 1995, where they continue to reside with their two daughters.
Mark Deakins is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and actor whose television appearances include Head Case, Star Trek: Voyager, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His film credits include Intervention, Star Trek: Insurrection, and The Devil’s Advocate. He wrote, directed, and produced the short film The Smith Interviews.