Dirt Cheap

Lyn Miller-Lachmann's novel, "Dirt Cheap," is an eco-thriller that will strongly appeal to anyone interested in ecology and the crime novel genre. In this suspenseful novel, Nick Baran, a middle-aged professor, pursues the chemical company that he believes gave him leukemia and contaminated his suburban neighborhood. His wife feels isolated, exhausted and frightened by her husband's obsessive pursuit, and ultimately begins an affair with a powerful local attorney who opposes her husband's efforts. When Sandy (the idealistic teacher of Nick's son) joins Nick's crusade, she allows herself to be drawn into a retaliatory affair and into his messy and tragic life. Told from multiple points of view, "Dirt Cheap" explores the loss of innocence, the nature of courage, the price of material comforts, the place of faith and community, and the power of the individual to change lives. Lyn Miller-Lachmann is editor in chief of "MultiCultural Review" and an author and editor of reference books, textbooks, and books for young readers. Among these are the award-winning multicultural reference title "Our Family, Our Friends, Our World" and "Once Upon a Cuento," a collection of short stories for children by Latino authors. She lives in Albany, New York.