A House by the Side of the Road

In this tantalizing mystery, Chicago's Meg Kessinger transplants herself to rural Pennsylvania upon inheriting a quaint old house. There, she acquires a watchdog in the form of a persistent stray and, unknown to her, a lot of trouble--for among the many secrets harbored by the quiet town of Harrison is one in her new home. Readers know what Meg doesn't: shortly before Meg's arrival, the woman who rented the house was murdered. Although we don't know who the murderer is, we are aware that he will return in search of a damning audiotape that's hidden in the house. Meg makes the acquaintance of realtor Mike Mulcahy, who also had inherited property from a relative, Hannah Ehrlich, an apparent heart attack victim. Meg's neighbors, the Ruschmans, provide her with friendship as well as the opportunity to coach a Little League team. But someone keeps searching her home, and a suspicious Meg determines to discover both the whereabouts of the previous tenant and the real cause of Hannah's death. Meg basks in the attentions of Mulcahy and another admirer, Jack Deutsch, but events and her probings propel her toward a life-threatening finale. Gleiter (Lie Down with Dogs, 1997) adds an edge of danger to the comforts of small-town life by making the most of the prickly sensation that comes with suspecting that a stranger is in the house. (June)