MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Tommy Quinn is out of place. He is a young, not so ambitious man starting out in the financial world who is surrounded by wealthy and oblivious people, from his bosses to his circle of acquaintances. He tells his story through a wonderfully written first-person account in this debut novel. It succeeds as a poignant, often hilarious coming-of-age story. Narrator Kirby Heyborne crafts perfectly appropriate voices for the characters, including a benevolent and gregarious Indian man, a Latin boss, air-headed men and women, and a sad girlfriend. The best characterization, though, is given to an especially shallow friend, whose dialogue keeps the reader chuckling. Long live hedonism and laugh-out-loud writing. Vachon is here to stay. Let's hope he and Heyborne team up again. M.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]