The Tutor

July 1, 2002
Remember Norman Bates, the über-creep from Hitchcock's Psycho? Julian Sawyer, the title character in Abrahams's latest suspense yarn, is clearly cut from the same cloth—a creep in sheep's clothing. Once again this author finds menace in dailiness, as he creates a scenario that's firmly grounded in real life, but which becomes increasingly (and fascinatingly) skewed—Leave It to Beaver
meets I Know What You Did Last Summer. Things begin routinely enough when Linda and Scott Gardner hire Julian to improve the less-than-acceptable SAT scores of their teenage son, Brandon. But before you can say "just like Norman Bates," the seemingly affable, helpful Julian earns the Gardners' trust and subtly exploits each family member's weakness in an attempt to topple their suburban house of cards. While Abrahams slowly ratchets up the tension, readers will discover that professional backstabbing, financial ruin and even murder are all within the scope of this tutor's lesson plans. As usual, the author's ear for the diverse details of everyday life is sharp; indeed, our empathy with these characters' recognizable quirks cleverly serves as a sort of buffer against the sinister goings-on—until it's nearly too late. Though all the characters here are deftly drawn (even Zippy, the Gardners' pooch, demonstrates an endearing personality in a brief, nonspeaking role), one merits special mention: not only is the immensely precocious Ruby Gardner passionate about Sherlock Holmes and anything colored blue and yellow, but she's wise well beyond her 11 years and almost smart enough to outfox Julian. Put it this way: if The Tutor
were a TV show, Ruby would be spun off into her own series in a Hollywood minute. (July)Forecast:Parents bemoaning prep course costs will enjoy seeing their darkest imaginings enacted, and fans will be snagged by sample chapters in mass market editions of
Last of the Dixie Heroes, The Fan and
Lights Out.

March 1, 2002
Another Perfect Crime? Brandon's new tutor, Julian, is the only person capable of getting through to the troubled teen and Brandon's little sister is the only person who realizes that Julian has an evil agenda of his own.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2002
Adult/High School-Hired by Scott and Linda Gardner to help their teenage son, Brandon, improve his SAT scores, Julian Sawyer quickly makes himself indispensable to the family. Only Ruby (Aruba Nicole Marx Gardner), 11, a precocious Sherlock Holmes devotee, begins to suspect that the tutor has sinister intent. The Gardners are upwardly mobile, middle-class people concerned with an Ivy League college acceptance for their only son. Scott, in business with his brother, suffers from a sibling inferiority complex, exacerbated by the success Tom's son has had with the SATs and tennis competitions. Linda, concerned with success at her job, baffled by her son's surliness, and frazzled by the whirl of family pressure, is a perfect target for the oh-so-capable Julian. Both parents wrestle with long-standing guilt and grief over the death of their firstborn son. Brandon is acting out, rebelling against pressures he really can't define. All three individuals are like lab animals to Julian; he experiments with their responses by subtly altering their environments. Ruby seems beyond his machinations and understanding and proves to be a worthy, capable adversary in this lethal duel of wits, as she follows clues in true Holmesian fashion. Reading this novel is a compelling roller-coaster ride-one just can't get off until it's over. Teens will enjoy the fast pace, the absorbing foray into deadly mind games, and the valiant heroine.-Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2002
The latest by suspense master Abrahams (author of 11 previous novels, including last year's " Last of the Dixie Heroes "[BKL My 1 01]) starts in a grand comic vein. Abrahams sends up a time-pressed couple's desire for perfection, focused on the points their son earns on his SATs. When the son comes in enough points below his cousin to fire up the parents' competitive glands, they hire a tutor. As any fan of Abrahams knows, this has " mistake "written all over it. The tutor, a young man in his twenties who feeds on low SAT scores, is wonderful at tutoring, but he's also wonderful at learning in-house secrets. Readers will watch in horror as the sociopathic tutor uses what he has learned against each member of the family. Besides the kind of breath-catching suspense Abrahams is known for, this novel is blessed with a delightful supporting character, a preteen girl obsessed with Sherlock Holmes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

Starred review from May 1, 2002
Abrahams (Last of the Dixie Heroes) is in great form with this psychological thriller featuring a suburban family and its deranged tutor/confidant. When Brandon Gardner lets his school work slip and does poorly on the SATs, his parents hire a tutor. Coming with excellent credentials from a local tutoring service, Julian Sawyer does a wonderful job; he really seems to connect with Brandon, becoming his friend and mentor. The family soon embraces Julian, who in turn gives business advice to Brandon's mom and stock tips to his dad. Eleven-year-old Ruby is the only family member Julian doesn't quite win over, for she senses that he has another agenda. What the Gardners don't know is that Julian is also working on his new creation, a sort of true-life performance novel based on the family's reaction to his phony stock tips, betrayal of secrets, and attempts to get Brandon arrested for drug dealing. Ruby's reading of Sherlock Holmes and the refusal of those whom Julian considers his "characters" to act exactly the way he wants them to keep thwarting him and make this a fun read throughout. Recommended for all public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/02.] Patrick Wall, University City P.L., MO

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.