My mother lent me this book because I am a female Navy pilot and because she thought the plot was entertaining. She warned me that Mr. Malone wasn't entirely accurate in his portrayal of Naval Aviation. Her warning proved to be an understatement. And what a shame. The plot and the characters were entertaining, quirky, and well-written. But every single time Mr. Malone brought the Navy into his story, I cringed with embarrassment at his utter failure to do even the tiniest bit of research into even the most basic elements of my world. Each mistake forcefully ejected me out of the story and made me consider whether I wanted to continue reading and risk further insult.

The inaccuracies ranged from the the simple to the profound. Annapolis is the location of the Naval Academy; there is no flight training performed there. And as far as flight school goes, no speed records are ever set by a student or an instructor. Indeed, Navy pilots haven't been setting speed records anywhere in years and years. The braided lieutenant's cap Annie is continuously donning and doffing does not exist anywhere in a Navy officer's seabag of uniforms; neither is this white officer's jacket she seems to wear often. Neither do we go strolling about town in our uniforms if we have a choice. A rockstar jet pilot like Brad would never have a drug problem, as Navy officers and sailors are subject to frequent random drug testing and our culture simply doesn't accept drug use. These examples are only a few; I could take up more space than I am willing to fill listing others.

I expect errata when I read fiction that involves the Navy. The culture, lingo, and traditions are complicated. This book, however, got almost everything wrong. Mr. Malone, if you are going to create a character whose identity depends on her status as a Naval Aviator, please take the time to do a little bit of research. Just a little. You could have reached out to any of the many female Navy pilots out there and asked one of us to fact check your work. Instead, you took the lazy way out and just plain made up what you didn't know. Despite very much enjoying your characters and story line, I am straddling the line between being annoyed and being downright insulted by your carelessness about something that is very dear to me.

Readers, in spite of the fact that I liked the story and the characters, I recommend you skip this one unless the author issues a revision.

I adore Michael Malone's writing. Handling Sin is one of my all-time favorite books. I really wanted to love The Four Corners of the Sky, but it was such an obvious rehash of Handling Sin, only not as funny and not as entertaining, that it left me disappointed. Wayward but loving father who send rational child on scavenger hunt/wild goose chase? Check. Treasure hunt for historical relic? Check. Character who wants to literate but has only made it through part of a major work and thus frequently mangles language (i.e., Weeper Berg's reading the dictionary vs. Raffy Rook's obsession with Shakespeare)? Check. Quirky family, including sane aunt figure who serves as a contrast to the other crazies? Check.

The jumping back and forth between the past and the present was convoluted, the story of the big con was confusing and hard to follow, and the characters simply were not as compelling as Malone is capable of. A decent beach read -- you'll want to keep going just to see how it all turns out -- but nothing great.

Four Corners of the Sky has an entertaining story, wonderful characters, and beautiful writing. It's the kind of book you can keep on your night stand long after you've finished it, to pick up and re-read chapters just to remember how much you enjoyed the plot, the people, and the places Michael Malone takes you. It's a keeper!