L.A. EVENT: SCOTT O'CONNOR AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS

Scott O'Connor first came across my radar with his sharp little 2004 novella Among Wolves. Since then, we've become pals - he's acknowledged in Harry, Revised for assisting me in the mechanics of throwing a punch - and I'm terribly excited to read his debut novel Untouchable.  It's described thusly:

It is the autumn of 1999. A year has passed since Lucy Darby's unexpected death, leaving her husband David and son Whitley to mend the gaping hole in their lives. David, a trauma-site cleanup technician, spends his nights expunging the violent remains of strangers, helping their families to move on, though he is unable to do the same. Whitley – an 11 year-old social pariah known simply as The Kid – hasn't spoken since his mother's death. Instead, he communicates through a growing collection of notebooks, living in a safer world of his own silent imagining.

His publisher has set up a nice page which includes a trailer and a first chapter download, but I'm writing to advise you he's reading at Skylight this Tuesday evening, and although I am sick as a dog, I'll be there spreading my germs through the crowd, and hope you can come by and check it out as well.  Scott is an engaging reader, smart and witty and a splendid time is guaranteed for all.