Michael Gruber is one of an extremely rare breed of writers who can inform and instruct readers on subjects in which they never knew they had an interest, while consistently providing the highest caliber of entertainment. The author of a half-dozen novels, Gruber has chosen as many different areas of focus, yet makes each one his métier. His previous novels have explored and explained Santería, salvia, forgery and a "lost" play by Shakespeare, among other things. In each, he is provocative, deeply intelligent and utterly original. More important, he is also a fantastic storyteller. Since Gruber never draws from the same well twice, it isn't quite accurate to call The Good Son a departure. Yet, while it's as fascinating and involving as his others, this timely novel does have more gravitas. For several reasons, it is also considerably riskier.
Sonia Laghari, the lynchpin of this story and one of Gruber's most intriguing characters, is a Jungian analyst and writer with a complicated past. The American-born daughter of circus performers, Sonia converted to Islam when she married into a wealthy Pakistani family. Fluent in many languages and religions, Sonia has long had a fatwa on her head for violating Islamic law by going on the Hajj dressed as a man--and then writing a book about her experiences. Despite this, Sonia has returned to Pakistan to host, of all things, a conference on peace. Before the conference begins, however, Sonia and her group are kidnapped by terrorists and told they will be executed one by one. Not the type to submit without a fight, Sonia begins chipping away at the psyches of her captors using Jungian psychology and dream interpretation.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Sonia's son, Theo Bailey, an ex-Delta fighter who is now part of a secret military intelligence-gathering team, begins mounting a covert campaign to rescue his mother. A former mujahid, Theo was once known as Kakay Ghazan--a warrior who is now the stuff of legends. As Theo begins manipulating the system (and various governments), he attracts the attention of Cynthia Lam, an overly ambitious NSA translator who spends her days searching cell phone and Internet intercepts for terrorist chatter.
These are the bare bones of an intricate, complicated plot that, despite its many turns and depth of information, never drags and continues to ratchet the tension and suspense. While not particularly likable (and therein the author's risk), Sonia and Theo are possibly the most interesting and multifaceted characters created in recent memory. In placing them within such a rich, layered and entertaining story, Michael Gruber proves once again that he is one of our most talented novelists.--Debra Ginsberg
Shelf Talker: A brilliant and unusual thriller about belief, politics and family from the outstanding Michael Gruber.