77. An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England by Brock Clarke

Sam Pulsifer grew up listening to spooky stories about the Emily Dickinson House in Amherst, Massachusetts from his English teacher mother. After taking a tour of it at the age of 18, he snuck back in at night and dropped a cigarette, ultimately causing the house to catch fire and killing two people who were upstairs. He served ten years in a minimum security prison, and after his release created a new life for himself, including a wife and children. He is living the perfect life in a Massachusetts suburb when the son of the people he killed turns up at his house demanding an apology. Shortly after, more home of New England writers start to burn down. Is Sam the arsonist? Is he being set up?

Full of literary references and details, this is a wonderful book for anyone who loves reading and literature. It is extremely sarcastic, bitterly funny, and full of absurdity. Do not think of this as a mystery, although readers will be puzzled as to who is actually setting the fires. What is fact and what is fiction becomes harder and harder to tell as the novel progresses, but readers are definitely in for a crazy ride.