ELECTRIC GOD

From the author of the novel Pay It Forward comes a story of one man's search for redemption -- and yes, it's as formulaic as it sounds. Hayden Reese is a middle-aged guy mourning his dead dog, working odd jobs in a California highway town, and having a glum affair with a married woman. And boy, is he mad about it. His anger ranges from sulky to explosive -- and the latter type, we learn in flashback, cost him his wife and daughter. Reese, thanks to a darkly religious upbringing, believes God is smiting him -- but, of course, it all leads back to his dad. Hyde's writing is fine, but the dial-a-plot-point story is beyond salvation. C-