Prelude to Hemlock is a black comedy that follows the fortunes of the young narrator, Jeffrey Edwards. A contrarian by nature and libertine by choice, Jeff is charming, caustic, fiercely intelligent...and fiercely self-destructive. Jeff writes lyrics for his sister Kim, a gifted rock musician, and as Kim's musical star rises, the siblings become entangled in events both comic and appalling. Along the way, Jeff contends with his pill-popping mother; his breezy and scheming father; and his dope-smoking girlfriend, Tall Patty. As these characters intertwine and collide, Kim's career approaches the bright brink of success--even as she and Jeff approach the darkest brink of disaster. Jeff understands that what the righteous really dread is a world with no sinners, but he and Kim cannot quite grasp the cost of truly living as they please. A witch's brew, part J.D. Salinger, part Nabokov, with a dose of Poe. If you ever wondered what kind of culture created Kurt Cobain--and killed him--buckle up. — Phillip Gardner Prelude to Hemlock is a distrubing and darkly funny novel told in a pitch perfect voice. Olga G. Galvin