The main plot is Cayce's pursuit of the creator of the footage. The footage is a film (or is it?) being released, in no certain order, in segments over the Web. Cayce is interested in finding the creator because she is a devotee of the footage. Her employer is interested in finding it because, to him, it represents genius viral marketing.

There are things going on in this book that I think I need to read again to explain. On the other hand, I don't really want to explain it because it would spoil the read. So, buy it, read it, and maybe we could start a discussion thread.

The Emperor of Ocean Park, Stephen L. Carter

The story of the Garland family, as narrated by Talcott Garland, the second son and youngest living child (there was Abby, but her death is what the book is partly about). Talcott is a law professor, married to an attorney that he isn't quite sure is faithful, and son of the Famous Oliver Garland, disgraced former Appeals Court Judge. The Judge, as Talcott and just about everybody else calls him, dies and sets in motion a mystery that may cost Talcott his job, his wife and his family. Did I mention that Taclott is black? And grew up part of the privileged black class of Washington D.C.?

Fascinating, if somewhat meandering, book. Kept me up till all hours of the night for the past couple of days. The story itself is pretty straightforward: The Judge dies and leaves "arrangements" for Talcott to take care of. Talcott has no idea what these arrangments are or even about. The rest of the book is the discovery of these arrangements.

While pursuing the mystery, we get detours into the life of teaching at a law school, growing up rich and black, questions of marital and family loyalty, religion, and race.