The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel

 Another great one by this author, my third. 

Spoilers below:

And apparently, I read the last two out of order! I was plenty in when I realized some of the characters seemed familiar. Vincent (female) came up early, but I just figured the author liked using that unusual name for a woman. But no, same Vincent as in my last of hers, Sea of Tranquility. This one less sci-fi but equally magical realism, if a bit more muted. 

Vincent of the 5-min videos, which got her into trouble (or will) in the last book I read. Mirella searching her out, blaming her for the suicide of her husband/boyfriend, Faisal. 

This one centers upon a Madoff-like Ponzi scheme (the author admits to using that as the model), led by Alkaitis, who meets and 'acquires' Vincent in the glass hotel of the title. Fake wife, fake life. Vincent meets Mirella and become friends. 

The book bops around in time, Vincent's drug addicted brother making appearances (also in the next book). He steals her films and makes a short-lived career of it. 

Alkaitis is caught, of course. It's 2008 and everyone is asking for their funds. He doesn't have enough in the fake fund he's running to pay them out and finally the woman who's been screaming to the rooftops of his criminality is proven right, and off to jail he goes for 170 years. 

No, he doesn't live that long. The reader doesn't know how much of his sentence he serves (another book, Ms. St. John Mandel?), but he does start seeing the ghosts of his closest investor-friends, dreaming of a "counter-life" where he escapes to UAE instead of being arrested. Other characters start seeing ghosts too, to include Paul after his sister Vincent dies.

Spoilers done.

This author is very good, reminding me of Victor LaValle. She's got other books I haven't read yet which I probably will. But I'm kind of interested if any of them or her future books will include these familiar characters. I've kind of grown attached.