Killer potential A novel

Evie Gordon is a 29-year-old SAT tutor in Los Angeles who stumbles on the murdered bodies of the parents of her wealthy student, Serena Victor, at their swanky mansion. Things go from bad to worse when she throws a vase at her tutee and flees the scene with a mute woman in tow. Evie's entertaining introspection on adulting takes a back seat as the two fugitives navigate their tense circumstances and their growing attraction to each other. The two carjack, steal, assume false identities, and even commit murders as they drive across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, all the way to Florida. As they keep running from authorities and the bounty for their arrest grows higher, both women realize that all they want is a fresh start together. Readers will wonder how the two are able to stay undetected for so long. The story line later pivots to the other woman's story of how she ended up at the Victors' home. Ultimately, Deitch's debut, a steamy take on Thelma and Louise, is somewhat underwhelming if diverting.

A 29-year-old SAT tutor turned murder suspect goes on the lam in Deitch's stylish debut. When Evie Gordon reports to the Victor family's mansion in L.A.'s Los Feliz neighborhood for a study session with 17-year-old Serena, she finds the door ajar. Nobody answers her shouts, so she proceeds to the garden, where she discovers the corpses of Serena's parents. Evie then retreats to the foyer, where she hears a noise from under the stairs. Inside a compartment is a young woman bound with an electrical cord, whom Evie frees just as Serena arrives. Serena initially mistakes the duo for intruders, and in the resulting chaos, Evie knocks Serena unconscious, possibly killing her. Serena's boyfriend then walks in, prompting the panicked pair to run, and a manhunt to start. Evie knows the truth likely resides with her fellow fugitive; unfortunately for her, however, the woman won't speak. Deitch's twisty tale takes the form of an after-the-fact tell-all by Evie, and her wry narration adds texture and fizz to the action without skimping on character development. Neo-noir fans will get a kick out of this. Agent: Stephanie Delman, Trellis Literary. (Mar.)