THE STRANGER GAME defies ready categorization. Peter Gadol is best known as an author of “serious” (as opposed to “genre”) fiction, but his latest definitely has mystery elements that cling to it like morning dew on grass. Still, the overall mood of the tale itself is one of contemporary drama, and is so much of our present time and culture as to occasionally seem three-dimensional.

Rebecca is the first person narrator of the piece, an artist of sorts who would be more successful, aesthetically and otherwise, if she was able to focus a bit more consistently on her craft. She has been in an on-again, off-again relationship with Ezra for years, with the two flitting across each other’s life track, leaving and then returning. The puzzle in the book begins when Ezra suddenly disappears, abandoning his apartment, belongings and car while leaving Rebecca to clean up in his wake. She reports his absence to the police, who are somewhat nonchalant in their reaction.

"THE STRANGER GAME is haunting, certainly one of the most paranoid-inducing tales that I have read in a while. It is faintly reminiscent of Philip K. Dick’s later work...even as it takes the concept of Facebook lurkers one step further and into the real world."

What is telling, though, is that they think Ezra might be playing the “stranger game,” which involves picking out a random stranger and following him or her for varying distances and/or extended periods of time. Indeed, Rebecca and Ezra played a variation of it, where they would people-watch and make up stories speculating as to who these individuals were, what they were doing and for what purpose. The stranger game takes this a bit further, but there are rules to it, some of which seem to be stretched.

Rebecca is all but resigned to Ezra’s disappearance when she encounters a rather odd man named Carey, who is very much into the game as well. The two tentatively begin their own relationship, but when Carey also disappears, Rebecca is convinced that he, too, has met with foul play. The unexpected then occurs, in several different ways. It appears that the stranger game is much more prevalent than Rebecca realizes, with layers to it that may well extend into law enforcement and government. She ultimately recognizes that she needs to get away from the game and its practitioners, but her options are limited. They also may be futile.

THE STRANGER GAME is haunting, certainly one of the most paranoid-inducing tales that I have read in a while. It is faintly reminiscent of Philip K. Dick’s later work (without the religious overtones), even as it takes the concept of Facebook lurkers one step further and into the real world. It is not necessarily surprising to learn that the book has been quickly optioned for a television series by FX, though I believe it will be difficult to translate Gadol’s moody, troubled atmosphere to the small screen. It still should be worth at least a sample. The source material, on the other hand, is worth your complete and undivided attention.