The Crystal Cat

In this slick novel, the resolution of a young bride's fears depends on the exorcism of witchcraft. As a child, Linda knew of her mother's death by alleged drowning in a pool near their Wessex, Conn. home. Growing up in Manhattan, adopted by relatives, harboring doubts and nurturing an avoidance of her hometown, Linda is inevitably drawn there when she marries Guy, a resident of the small yachting community. The newlyweds are not happy in Wessex; there is a sense of menace in their immaculate home and Guy may be having an affair. Linda's efforts to unravel the mysterious circumstances of her mother's death require a painful revisiting of the past and the revelation of a would-be coven in town. Johnston (Shadow Behind the Curtain) sustains a certain level of suspense, though it is more entertaining than chilling. Foreign rights: Blassingame, McCauley & Wood. November 1