Psychological insights abound in this debut novel. John Sanders, Jr., a Staten Island bartender, has lived a tough life and seen more misery than most. His hard-won wisdom takes the reader on a dark journey. A survivor's guide to life. ( )

John Sanders, Jr. hated his violent, hard drinking father whose quick temper was matched by the speed of his fists, so much so that when he is told that his father has been murdered his first reaction is to be glad. He'd written his father off years ago and the only reason to drive across Staten Island to the neighborhood he grew up in is to help his sister. She asks him to stay a few days, until the funeral's over and he finds himself forced to confront his feelings for his father and to re-examine the influence that relationship still has on his life. He sets out on a haphazard quest to find his father's killer, but that is very much not the focus of the story, which concentrates on chronicling one man's attempt to fix his own life without destroying the few relationships he has left.

This is a powerful book about grief and hate and family ties. The New York borough of Staten Island is richly drawn and colors the story, from the close-knit neighborhoods to the famous landfill that gives this novel its name and whose odor overpowers the scent of the ocean. This is also a story about growing up and wanting to escape a place, only to stay within a few miles of your childhood home. ( )

I agree with lesmcpherson below. Was not what I expected either. In fact, I gave up on it. Have too many other things to read and do not need to spend my time on books I cannot tolerate. ( )

Fresh Kills was unquestionably not what I thought the book would be about. I thought the book would be more mystery and suspense. It ended up being more about the loss of a father and how the family dealt with that. In all, it was a tolerable read but not the best. If the description would have been a little clearer, I think I would have liked it more. ( )