Fatal Flaw by William Lashner

I don't post a lot of fiction reviews because most of the fiction I read is intentionally "mindless." Sometimes I stumble on an exception. Lashner's use of language and his insights are exceptional.

The book is essentially about irrational men irrationally in love with a woman who suckers them all.

Lust will make a fool of any man, but it is only love that can truly ruin him.

Nostalgia is a fire fueled by failures of memory.

There are several threads in the book and most of the characters alternate between despicable and sympathetic.

Nothing existed to temper his desire. Whatever he wanted was right, whoever opposed him was wrong, everything he did was justified and proper, everything in this universe existed for the purpose of serving him. You could see it in the way he dealt with people, the way he dealt with problems, the way, finally, he dealt the cards. It was subtle, but not too subtle for someone trained to see the flip of the finger and the distinct sound of cards slipped from the bottom of the deck at crucial points in the game.

He manages to state the obvious and make it funny:

"All very technical, Officer Cantwell" "Most of our work is. That's why we're called technicians."

I'll read the rest of Lashner's catalog.