Secrets, blackmail, and murder make for a tantalizing trifecta in Johnson’s edgy and entertaining novel. If the buzz in Tinseltown over his soon-to-be-released movie, It Is What It Is, is to be believed, then hunky Kendrick Black is on the verge of becoming a huge star—and after five years of struggling, he’s more than ready. Then, while visiting family in Minnesota, Kendrick gets into an accident, inadvertently killing a little girl who jumps in front of his car. He flees the scene in a panic before calling Lenox, his best friend, who takes care of everything and counsels him to carry on as if nothing ever happened. As Kendrick’s star continues to rise, he begins having nightmares about the hit-and-run, plagued by shame and guilt, problems that are compounded when Sabathany, his opportunistic girlfriend, learns Kendrick’s secret and decides to blackmail him. The well-plotted story features some complex characters who all seem to have an angle—some are devoid of a moral compass while others, such as Kendrick, test the limits of how far they’re willing to allow their moral compasses to veer for the sake of their survival. This is a sharp, suspenseful novel. (BookLife)