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Knowing that "Hold Me Now" chronicles a young gay man’s violent death and a father’s grief might incline readers to turn away. But the novel comprises so much more: a picture of parental love hobbled by incomprehension, a reflection on the underappreciated ordinary and a struggle against oppressive tensions.
When fifty-something Paul Brenner receives the unimaginable news of his son's murder, he succumbs to a desperate need for rest and escape, spending days holed up in his apartment and embarking on reckless activities. As a lawyer, he possesses a legal mind but cannot read people and his emotional subconscious takes time to surface. The details of the crime come to light while Brenner remains embattled both with his own heart and with a supporting cast of characters: his daughter, his ailing mother, his ex-wife and a national reporter.
Author Stephen Gauer maintains full control over these complexities, trusting his readers' intuition and never underscoring what he has already rendered. He builds a psychological study of unwavering breadth and depth. That his subject is at times unlikable doesn't matter; Brenner's anger and sorrow feed on each other and culminate in a beautiful catharsis.
