Reservation Road

Reservation Road (1998) by John Burnham Schwartz. A family stops at an out-of-the-way service station so that their daughter can use the bathroom. While they're going about their business, a car spins out of the night and hits their 10-year-old son -- who is standing too close to the road -- and kills him. The hit-and-run driver hesitates, then continues on his way. Thus begins "Reservation Road," Schwartz's novel of grief and guilt. The fates of two families are intertwined as the mystery plays itself out -- the police are unable to locate the guilty party, and the grieving father eventually takes justice into his own hands. It makes for an entertaining read, although I felt the ending fell a little flat. Grade: B+