Garcia’s Heart

A searing debut novel told with the dexterity of Graham Greene, the moral complexity of Ian McEwan, and the tension of a thriller. Dazzling new fiction writer Liam Durcan blends his knowledge of the intricacies of neuroscience with a literary ability for riveting, layered storytelling. In García’s Heart, neurologist Patrick Lazerenko travels to The Hague to witness the war crimes trial of his beloved mentor, Hernan García, a Honduran doctor accused of involvement in torture. Driven by his own youthful memories of the man and his family, Lazerenko is determined to get to the truth behind the shocking accusations, even as the prosecution and a relentless journalist suspect Patrick of hiding information. The defense has its own ideas for Patrick, hoping to use his latest research to help vindicate García. As Patrick struggles with his conscience, and the pressures from the neuroeconomics company he abandoned in Boston, he must also contend with seeing García’s daughter, his former lover, and the surprising influence a shady advocacy group seems to have over her, and with the fact García himself is refusing to speak, to anyone. Taut, probing, highly intelligent, skillfully written, García’s Heart delves into the central issues of today, from terrorism to bioethics, and the age-old dilemmas of loyalty and betrayal.