James Anderson’s new mystery novel, “Lullaby Road,” invites readers to ride along on a central Utah highway with Ben Adams, a half-Jewish, half-American Indian truck driver who was adopted and raised by a Mormon couple.
The stark landscape of Utah’s high desert and the story’s themes — considering issues of immigration and child trafficking — are unusual ground for a mystery novel.
Early reviews have praised Anderson’s writing, noting the main character’s “dolefully observant and engagingly self-deprecating voice” (Kirkus Reviews), as well as the lasting impression of the “arresting desert vistas and distinctive characters” (Publishers Weekly).
In addition to the marketing firepower of his New York publisher, Crown, Anderson, 65, is borrowing a storytelling trick from multimedia-focused younger readers to help his novel find a wide audience.