Diane’s death was, indeed, the result of a lover’s quarrel, but not at the hands of Steve Poultron. Diane had several lovers concurrently, and underestimated the passion that at least one brought to their relationship. The esteemed judge, Jay Hutchin, discovering Diane’s relationship with Poultron, confronts her, and, when she is not sufficiently contrite, smothers her with a pillow.

Ironically, just after Diane’s death, Hutchin learns his name is on the short list for the position of U.S. Attorney General, a job he has secretly coveted throughout his career. Blameless as his life has been until that fateful moment of confrontation with Diane, Hutchin is determined to prevent discovery of his horrible deed, no matter what action he is forced to take.

As a way to kill several hours on an airplane or some time on the beach working on a suntan, The Other Extreme might be an adequate choice. The action moves along at a rapid pace, though there are some bizarre side excursions. Ryan, Kit’s son engages in some extremely unusual behavior. Early in the book, he wakes up in the middle of the night and sneaks out of the house. Kit finds him digging in the dirt either trying to bury something or uncover something. In another situation, he blurts out some threats to Judge Hutchin, a man he has never met.

On the negative side, the author relies heavily on astrology and reincarnation to justify the actions of the characters. There is nothing wrong with astrology or reincarnation, but they are out of the main stream of what is usually considered rational thought, and therefore might better fit in a novel that purported to be less than realistic fiction. As the novel stands, it forces the reader to be very liberal in his “willing suspension of disbelief.”

Moreover, there are several small inaccuracies that indicate lack of careful research on the author’s part. For example, a woman of about fifty relates an incident in her childhood in which she is on the beach with her father when he begins to exhibit symptoms of a heart attack. He tells her to call 911 - which she does, saving his life. This event had to have taken place thirty-five or more years ago, at which time there was no emergency 911 system available. Also, Kit uses her dog to sniff out an important piece of evidence in the motel room where Diane Jackson died. Do motel owners really let lawyers tamper with a crime scene? Why didn’t the police use canine power to search the room as Kit did?

The characters do not behave consistently. In one instance, Kit is concerned about her son’s erratic behavior, having seen him almost walk off the bridge to nowhere. Yet she allows him to wander around after dark on the hotel grounds that aren’t far from the ocean. This is not really expected behavior for a concerned mother.

For those who believe in astrology and/or reincarnation or those with a great capacity for willing suspension of disbelief this book might make a worthy companion for a long airplane ride. For the more critical or cynical reader, better hope the movie on the plane is good or you need a long nap.

--Andy Plonka