Dr. Larry Mathews received rave reviews for his 2010 novel, The Artificial Newfoundlander.

In the professor emeritus’ recently released sequel, An Exile’s Perfect Letter, the now 62-year-old English professor Hugh Norman is simply going through the motions on his way to retirement.

But when he learns of a long-lost friend’s sudden death, and then shockingly discovers a dead body in a city park, Hugh is compelled to deal with resurfacing memories, a cast of eccentric characters and a police detective who has taken a sudden interest in his life.

Meaning amid the turmoil

With its flawless sense of comedic timing and Hugh Norman’s consistently entertaining interior monologue, An Exile’s Perfect Letter is a sharp-witted look at how we create meaning amid the turmoil of random events.

The novel is an elegy for lost youth, a sendup, a love letter and a portrait of a man coming of age all over again.

The author

Dr. Mathews taught in Memorial University’s Department of English from 1984 until his retirement in 2015. He is the author of two previous works of fiction, The Sandblasting Hall of Fame and The Artificial Newfoundlander.

An Exile’s Perfect Letter is published by Breakwater Books.