The Four Corners of the Sky Review

PUB DATE: May 2009

Thank you to Danielle at Source Books for sending me this book to read and review. I jumped at the chance to read the book for two reasons, one is I have never read anything by Michael Malone before and two because the book sounded really good.

This is Michael’s twelfth book in fiction. He has written two non fiction books and a collection of short stories.

I have never read anything by Michael before. I have to say that it was a slow start for me but once I got about half way into the book I really started to enjoy it. I enjoyed the book it was like a cat and mouse chase throughout the book.

The book is about Annie Peregrine Goode. The first six years of her life she is on the run with her father Jack who is a con man. There is never a dull moment on the run with Jack. When Annie turns seven Jack realizes that life on the run isn’t good for Annie that she needs a stable life and its too dangerous for her to be with Jack. So on her seventh birthday he drives her to Pilgrim’s Rest in Emerald North Carolina. He leaves her with his sister Sam and her friend Clarke. Just before he leaves Annie he tells her, her birthday present is in the barn its a old Piper Warrior plane called the King of the Sky. Then he takes off and Annie doesn’t see him again for many years.

Annie gets on with her life and Sam tried to give her a normal upbringing as best as she can. Sam and Clarke legally adopt Annie since Jack is never around and they can’t get in touch with him. When she gets older she learns to fly the plane. She has a love for flying and speed with this love she enrolls into the Navy. While in the Navy she impulsively marries another Navy pilot, Brad. Their marriage is short lived when she catches Brad in bed with another man’s wife. She lives Brad telling him she is divorcing him. Although Brad will try to convince Annie he still wants her to stay married to him.

Almost divorced, almost 26 years old, and ace flyer and an instructor in the Navy, Annie heads to Pilgrim’s Rest to celebrate her birthday. On the way there she gets a phone call from a Miami Police Sergeant Daniel Hart and he is looking for her father. She informs him she has no idea where he is. Apparently Jack stole a statue called The Queen of the Sea many years ago and the authorities want it back. He is also wanted on number of felonies and outstanding warrants.

When Annie gets to Pilgrim’s Rest she discovers that Jack is dying and he needs her help. At first she is unsure knowing that Jack has pulled that con before, then agrees to help him on one condition and that is he has to tell her who her real mother is and not some mad up story. The only thing she knows about her mother is that she didn’t want to have kids then. So Jack put Claudette Colbert as her mother cause she had told her parents that they shouldn’t get rid of her. Claudette was a famous movie star.

So she rushes off to help Jack swearing she will do anything to protect and help him cause even though he abandoned her when she was a kid she still loves him.

Is Jack really dying or is this another one of his cons? Will Annie finally get the answers she is looking for? What will the future hold for Annie?

The Four Corners of the Sky was featured in People’s Magazine this past weekend. They gave the book 4 stars. It was chosen as the People’s Pick. You can read the articlein People’s Magazine here.