Bath Haus

March 29, 2021
At the start of this clever crime novel from Vernon (When You Find Me), 26-year-old recovering addict Oliver Park visits Haus, a Washington, D.C., bathhouse for anonymous gay sex, where he meets Kristian, who nearly strangles him to death. Terrified to tell his older partner, well-to-do surgeon Nathan Klein, that he’s been unfaithful, Oliver claims he was mugged while out for a run to explain his bruises. Then Oliver spots Kristian among the crew sent to do some repairs at the house he shares with Nathan, and starts receiving anonymous threatening text messages. Oliver tells a police officer, Det.-Sgt. Rachel Henning, about the attack, but she later gives him an ultimatum: either he tells Nathan the truth within three days or she will. When Rachel discovers Kristian’s body and the text messages continue, Oliver realizes someone else was behind what happened at Haus. Cunning lies and premeditated schemes, from gaslighting to murder, lead to the unraveling of Oliver and Nathan’s increasingly shaky relationship. Vernon keeps the suspense high as the plot twists and turns to the satisfying resolution. This is a no-brainer for Patricia Highsmith fans. Agent: Chris Bucci, CookeMcDermid.

May 1, 2021

Vernon's second novel (following When You Find Me) is gripping from its opening scene, and it tightens with each new plot twist. Oliver Park, a medical receptionist recovering from addiction, is the partner of Nathan, a distinguished trauma surgeon in Washington, DC. Oliver risks his and Nathan's idyllic relationship for a night of anonymous sex at Haus, a gay bathhouse, where he is nearly killed by a blond man with a Scandinavian accent. Rather than confess to his infidelity, he tells Nathan he was mugged while jogging. Before long, Oliver is managing a series of compounding crises: his attacker is still tormenting him, his lies to Nathan continue to escalate, he's filed two conflicting police reports, and the detective in charge of the case has no record of Haus. Switching between the perspectives of careening Oliver and skeptical Nathan, Vernon writes a frenetic present-tense narration that conveys the desperation of Oliver's situation: Without the loving attention and material comforts Nathan provides, Oliver might fall back into drugs and transience. VERDICT A sleek, sexy queer thriller for fans of B.A. Paris's Behind Closed Doors.--Michael Pucci, South Orange P.L., NJ

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2021
One night of infidelity sets this thriller in motion. While his partner, Nathan, is away at a medical conference, Oliver goes in search of some commitment-free sex. His fantasy takes a terrifying turn when the stranger he hooks up with tries to murder him. Oliver escapes with his life, but the repercussions of this encounter follow him home. When he tries to explain away the bruises encircling his neck by telling Nathan he was mugged, he's telling lies that will necessitate more lies. What makes the book compelling is the way author Vernon uses a deranged killer as a catalyst for revealing the hidden dimensions of the main characters' inner lives. Oliver was in Indiana, where Nathan was doing his residency, when they met at the trauma center of the South Bend hospital. The fact that Nathan is older, more accomplished, and exponentially wealthier means that Oliver has access to a lifestyle he'd never imagined. It also means there is a huge power imbalance in their relationship, and it's ultimately this dynamic that drives the plot--and it's the plot that makes the schlocky style endurable. "My stomach twists like a wet rag, wringing damp fear from itself" is unfortunate, but at least it makes a kind of sense. "The voices grow sharper, like bedazzled kitchen knives," however, is more baffling than revealing, and it's hard to know what to make of "martinis screaming for help through olive eyes" even in context. But it's Vernon's penchant for piling metaphor on top of metaphor that is most trying: "I center myself and clear my mind because the game is about to change. A snap of my fingers, and the stage will tilt in a new direction. Listing like the deck of a foundering ship, and I will not drown." It's also noteworthy that, while chapters alternate between Oliver's and Nathan's perspectives, they have indistinguishable voices. A gripping story rendered in overwrought prose.

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