This intriguing novel explores the mysterious and even occult events set in train by a pathetic notice in The Village Voice: Mother who lost son seeks son who has lost mother. To the pathos of loss is added the glamor of the mother"s extreme wealth and the quixotry of her wishing to choose a surrogate for her dead child from those who answer the ad. One might expect her to become a victim, but wealth and unsatisfied maternity give her an unpredictable ruthlessness. The tale is both artful and compelling. Lortz demonstrates that Americans are ready to contribute to the heretofore British genre of the educated thriller. -Booklist