A swirling novel about a Chicago stage designer thrust into violence, “Right After the Weather” is literary fiction at its densest. Around Cate revolves a kaleidoscopic cast of dramatic characters who bounce off each other like billiard balls. Inner Chicago, in all its messy beauty, is brought gloriously to life. And in the background lurks seedy, capricious evil. Carol Anshaw’s pen is wonderfully streaming and a coruscating sense of humor pervades. I enjoyed “Right After the Weather” immensely, even when the plot lost traction as the novel inched towards an ambiguous climax. An author to watch.
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