Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier

"This summer’s Showtime series Twin Peaks: The Return was a rich and dizzying affair, though its narrative abstraction proved frustrating to those of us seeking closure. Now comes co-creator Mark Frost’s novel, which takes the form of FBI Agent Tamara Preston’s final, post-events-of-The-Return report to her supervisor, Gordon Cole. The Final Dossier is all story – in fact, it reads like the “story bible” television showrunners create to build a show’s narrative universe, filled with all the good, grounding stuff The Return never bothered with. But Frost is doing more than filling in blanks and checking boxes here. The chapters on The Log Lady and – surprisingly, perhaps – Sheriff Harry S. Truman are deft, gentle and moving. And the final chapter does something so quietly transformative to the show’s entire infrastructure that it takes a while to digest. Note: Only diehard fans need apply."