The Names (Vintage Contemporaries) by Don Delillo, a review from Powells.com by Jill Owens.
"Published a few years before White Noise, The Names is a very different kind of novel. Much less directly funny (although very witty, at times), somewhat darker, but just as skillful, The Names seems to be one of Don DeLillo's most underread works, at least by fans that I know. Simultaneously a suspenseful murder mystery, a meditation on family and loss, and a poetic exploration of language itself, The Names is an incredible book that will remind you of the range of possibilities the novel can offer." Read the entire Powells.com review.