Pimply, scrawny Henry Chase is a geek. When the high-school sweetheart accepts his stammering invitation to the prom, we're as surprised as he is. But when, at the end of the evening, she abruptly points out to him the obvious fact that they're from different worlds, we're not surprised. Cut from Kansas in 1990 to Manhattan, the present. The "Assassin" is the tough new kid on Wall Street, buffed and ready to rumble at the drop of a share. It turns out that the Assassin is our Henry, remade after the rebuke he's suffered. One wonders if we're heading toward Bret Easton Ellis country, but don't be misled by that gaping toilet pictured on the cover: Henry's List of Wrongs is nothing so much as a Capra-esque allegory about second chances. Henry's list includes the names of five people whose lives he has ruined during his rise to power, and the book follows his stabs at reparation. Shepherd's previous credits are for screenwriting (Joe Somebody), so talk of a movie starring Jim Carrey (our present-day Jimmy Stewart) seems appropriate and may fuel interest in this ultimately pleasant enough fantasy. Bob Lunn, Kansas City P.L., MO Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

---

Screenwriter Shepherd's first novel tells the entertaining if somewhat jerry-built story of a heartless cad's quest for love and redemption. As a senior in high school, Henry Chase is a wimp, with family problems to boot. He's elated when the girl of his dreams agrees to be his prom date, but on prom night she dumps him, hardening his heart and his resolve to succeed. Ten years later, Henry has mercilessly clawed his way to the top of the New York financial world, earning himself the nickname "The Assassin." But on a trip back to his home state of Kansas, he has an attack of conscience in a Wichita hotel room and is rescued by a mysterious chambermaid, Sophie Reilly, who insists that he make a list of the people he has wronged. The two of them set off on a cross-country odyssey, over the course of which Henry must make amends and seek forgiveness. Few of his victims are eager to grant him absolution, and more than one attacks him with blunt objects. Nevertheless, Henry perseveres, and as the journey continues he becomes more and more attracted to Sophie, whom, we soon learn, has secrets of her own. Like a screenplay, the novel is very visual and dialogue-based. There are gaping holes in the plot, and readers' emotions are shamelessly manipulated. Still, Shepherd taps successfully into the universal fantasy of revisiting the past, and the book should twang the heartstrings of readers willing to play along. Author tour. (Apr. 1) Forecast: All booksellers really need to know about this title is that screen rights have been sold to New Line Cinema, with Jim Carrey attached to star. The novel is as obvious as its jacket which features a toilet with the seat up but obvious in this case may equal big sales (particularly in paperback, provided the movie version pans out). Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.