Rip It Up

Isabel Allende has sold more than 57 million books. If you round up, that’s 100 million books, which you could in turn sort of round up to 10 billion books, which would mean you are more likely to be a book by Isabel Allende than a human being. (Just go with us here.) If you are her new novel, Ripper, you should report immediately to Miami Dade College’s Chapman Conference Center (245 NE Fourth St., Miami) before Saturday at 7 p.m., because that’s when the Peruvian superstar author will sign you and hand you over to some prospective reader. She will also be interviewed onstage by Miami-based journalist and novelist Anjanette Delgado. Hey, Ripper, what are you about? If you answered you’re an S&M-tinged love story between a flatulent guy and the perforated snack packaging with which he is obsessed, you don’t know yourself very well. Ripper is a mystery about a teen detective hunting a serial killer in San Francisco. But this isn’t a book for teens any more than it is a book for San Franciscan serial killers. It’s simultaneously a thriller and an exploration of complicated family dynamics. Obviously, the mystery isn’t the big draw of the book when the killer’s identity is revealed in the title. For nonbooks who want to attend, you can buy a copy of Ripper ($28.99 plus tax) at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Miami Beach, or Bal Harbour Shops or online at booksandbooks.com. With the book, you’ll get admission for two. You can also buy the book and admission at the venue or by phone at 305-442-4408.
Sat., Feb. 1, 7 p.m., 2014