The famously false memoirs of James Frey may be yesterday’s news, but as this funny riff reminds us, literary fakes are as old as literature itself. Ian Minot is an aspiring writer who labors over short stories that seem destined to remain unread. His beautiful Romanian girlfriend, Anya Petrescu, finds success more easily—and leaves Ian for Blade Markham, a bloviating ex-gangbanger whose “so-called memoir” is a best-seller. When Ian is approached by ex-editor Jed Roth, who wants Ian to publish Jed’s pulpy tale of book theft and murder as a memoir, then renounce it, it’s a chance for both of them to get revenge: Jed on his former employer, and Ian on the world. Although Langer may be too cute for some (he employs made-up slang in which a penis is a portnoy), he does an engaging job with the hall-of-mirrors plot. And if readers can predict that the book they’re reading is the one that Ian ends up writing, they’ll never guess the ending. Just when you want a surprising twist, Langer delivers several.

A price to pay

The Good Samaritan--Mom Sings an Aria--The Woman I envied--New York Blues--Small Homicide--The Gentleman from Paris--The lord of Central Park--A craving for originality--The day of the bullet--The crime of the century--The back stairway--The hawk and the dome of hell--The beatings--A place of her own--The medical finger--The corpse in the Statue of Liberty--The cop and the anthem--Jericho and the cardboard box--The man who came back--The quality of mercy--Murder in one scene--The missing man--The garrulous garrity grand scam--God save the mark: A novel.

Manhattan Heat by Alice Orr released on Mar 25, 1996 is available now for purchase.

An all-inclusive guide to New York City features little-known resources and amusements, tips on dealing with the city's problems, and advice on the best services, shopping, and restaurants, all organized into useful categories such as Arts & Diversions, Coping, Services, Restaurants, Spirits, Sports, and Stores. Original.