In 2005, The Sunday Business Post cited up-and-coming author John Boyne as one of 40 Irish people under 40 who were likely to be "the movers and shakers who will define the country's culture, politics, style and economics in 2005 and beyond." Boyne is not only doing great in Ireland but in America as well, where four of his books have been published. First came "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," which chronicled a child's efforts to grasp the Holocaust. Then came "Crippen: A Novel of Murder," another dark historical novel about a (somewhat) forgotten murder case which unfolded in 1910 and involved a mild-mannered doctor named Hawley Crippen. "Crippen" was followed by "The Thief of Time," in which Boyne echoed Pete Hamill's "Forever" and gave us a story of a man blessed (or cursed) with eternal life. Now, in "Next of Kin," Boyne explores the British love affair between Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson. That famous story, however, serves as more of a backdrop to other conflicts in Next of Kin. Boyne's protagonist is the wealthy and prominent Owen Montignac, who is hoping his late uncle will leave him enough money to continue living well, not to mention pay off some gambling debts. If Owen doesn't come up with a substantial amount of money, he has been told he will be killed. In desperation, it is Owen himself who may be forced to turn to murder. In "Next of Kin," Boyne continues to prove he is an excellent historical novelist, recreating 1930s London vividly, and painting a biting portrait of the upper classes. ($24.95 / 368 pages / Thomas Dunne)