Iced

Clark's tone is as chipper as ever in her third Regan Reilly book (after Decked and Snagged), in which L.A. PI Regan joins her parents for a winter getaway in Aspen, Colo., and stumbles across a series of art thefts. After paintings are stolen from an Aspen vacation home, suspicion rests on the missing caretaker, ex-con and former jewel thief Eben Bean. Regan, who helped Eben get the job, believes he's innocent. Readers know that Eben has been abducted by a prison acquaintance who has come to town to steal a masterpiece that is about to be exhibited. Also on the scene is another art thief nicknamed the Coyote. Regan tries unsuccessfully to enjoy her vacation, but she can't quell her impulses to find the real thief and clear Eben. Clark, daughter of mystery doyenne Mary Higgins Clark, writes with a breezy style that, along with her brisk skiing milieu, will quickly refresh readers of this quintessential beach book. Mystery Guild main selection; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternate; author tour. (July)