There are several reasons why a book can be considered a good read. The main one, of course, is simply that the writer has a way with words. And make no mistake, John Bemrose, an arts critic whose first novel, 2004’s The Island Walkers, was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, is just such a writer. From the opening line (“The sun suffers through a cloudless sky”), Bemrose fills his second book’s 300-plus pages with prose that is lush and poetic, polished and crisp.

The story, unfortunately, is rather mundane. Ann is an artist (with a temperament to match) who is married to Richard, a lawyer with political aspirations and a desire for a comfortable life. The couple and their Ritalin-dependent son divide their time between the small Ontario town of Black Falls and their cottage on sleepy Lake Nigushi, which borders a native reservation. Their already fragile relationship is further endangered when Ann’s first love, a native man named Billy, returns to the lake after a 10-year absence that was spurred by a failed land claim for which Richard acted as legal counsel.

The trajectory of the plot is predictable. Bemrose attempts to create some intrigue, frequently referring to an argument between Billy and Richard that tore their friendship apart. But when the much-anticipated confrontation is finally described, the reader is left wondering what all the fuss was about.

And the appeal of the female member of the love triangle is a mystery. Why are these two men so enamoured of her? Ann is selfish and given to melancholy, and other than a penchant for skinny-dipping, she’s not particularly exciting. Yet Billy and Richard are drawn to her like moths to a campfire. This detail is one of many that should sink The Last Woman, but Bemrose’s impressive mastery of language rescues the novel, which will doubtlessly secure its place on the good reads list for many.