You Only Call When You're in Trouble

You Only Call When You're in Trouble is author Stephen McCauley's seventh book.  It follows the lives of the Kemp family and their friends and acquaintances. Tom Kemp is a sixtysomething architect about to be replaced by a younger employee. He specializes in tiny houses. Sister Dorothy has never had stable employment but managed to raise daughter Cecily. Cecily is a 34 college professor who is being investigated for improper behavior with a student. Tom has always supported Cecily and Dorothy to the detriment of his romantic relationships. After decades of lying about the identity of Cecily's father, Dorothy decides

to invite both of them to the opening of her new business where she has promised herself that she will tell Cecily the truth.

I thought the first half of the book was entertaining but got bogged down in all the details of this weekend business opening. There were several other characters who didn't provide much insight into the story.  When these other characters failed to offer a reason for the action, or lack of action, I became a little bored. While in the beginning I thought this book was going to be a 5 star read, it fizzled into a 3 star story. The novel was the first of McCauley's that I have read and I am sad that it will probably be my last. It had such promise.

3 out of 5 stars.