Fabrizio del Wrongo writes:

Kirsten Mortensen’s latest novel, which is about a small chemical engineering company in upstate New York, is very clever. Kirsten’s fiction, which includes idiosyncratic works like “Can Job,” doesn’t fit comfortably into any particular box. That’s part of its charm. This particular book is especially multifaceted: it’s got espionage, romance, creepy scientists, arson, and lots and lots of pheromones. When a spoiled SoCal girl inherits the company, her presence initiates a struggle for control, not just for the firm, but for her romantic affections. Will she fall for the sarcastic sales guy or run off with the skeevy executive? The former’s got ex issues. The latter’s got a high-tech love potion — and he’s not afraid to use it. The writing is filled with the sort of small-town insight and quirky character detail one expects from one of Kirsten’s books, but the tone is more R-rated, more along the lines of a thriller. It’d make a cool Jonathan Demme movie — if Jonathan Demme movies were still worth seeing. You can buy it here.