Miracle Myx

Two near-death experiences have transformed Myx Amens; he hasn't slept for three years. His first near-death experience, a lightning strike, left him with a photographic memory while his second, drowning, induced synesthesia, so he smells and feels colors, sees sounds, and tastes the thoughts and feelings of others. These skill sets endow Myx to investigate local unsolved homicides and ruffle a lot of feathers. The murders are disturbing—a beautiful teen with her lower lip cut off; her boyfriend sexually mutilated—and leave Myx wondering What could the killer possibly want with these body parts? A third victim, the town's tattoo artist, could be the clue to link the other two victims, but a tattoo seems a thin motive for murder. Myx discovers a baffling puzzle box which may hold secrets dating back centuries to town founder Elbridge Sonnet, and is possibly connected to the tattoo murders. For an unblinking 42 hours, Myx's high-performance synesthetic brain probes the dirty secrets of Miracle, Massachusetts, in search of the astonishing truth. This thoroughly original, beautifully written novel introduces one of the most intriguing protagonists in recent literature.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* In the Massachusetts town of Miracle lives Myx Amens, only 14 years old but a key player in the Miracle police force. Heck, Myx has already died twice, so what’s a little danger in the line of duty? His first death (by lightning) left him with a photographic memory. His second death (at the hands of a bully) left him unable to sleep and his senses discombobulated: he can smell sounds, feel tastes, and hear feelings. This unusal affliction is called synesthesia, and with a doctor’s help Myx has learned to live with it. When corpses start turning up with odd parts missing, the cops reluctantly call on bionic Myx to use his particular skills to help investigate the crimes (hearing feelings comes in pretty handing when you’re asking questions). Myx, whose sleepless nights allow him ample time for sleuthing, proves especially adept at drawing people out, especially the beautiful, grieving mother of one of the victims. What makes this debut novel exceptional is Diotalevi’s clever use of Myx’s sense-mingling; more than a mere plot device, the character’s synesthetic gift enables the author to wax poetic one minute (her hand smelled pink with carved curls of green) and comic the next (her breasts talked to me, but I’m keeping their conversation private). A wickedly funny, surprisingly moving genre-bending tale of small-town secrets, lies, and revenge. --Mary Frances Wilkens

Booklist, starred review

"What makes this debut novel exceptional is Diotalevi’s clever use of Myx’s sense-mingling; more than a mere plot device, the character’s synesthetic gift enables the author to wax poetic one minute ("her hand smelled pink with carved curls of green") and comic the next ("her breasts talked to me, but I’m keeping their conversation private). A wickedly funny, surprisingly moving genre-bending tale of small-town secrets, lies, and revenge."

About the Author

Dave Diotalevi is the author of God's Questions. He has contributed articles to Photoshop Fix and Woman's World magazine. He lives in Milford, Massachusetts.

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