An absorbing family mystery propels Claire's newest offering (after Long Time Coming
), which follows 30-year-old Meara O'Rourke as she tries to piece together the circumstances surrounding her birth and adoption. Before she died, Meara's birth mother whispered an ominous message: "I was protecting you. Rosemary died. Stay...." Afterward, Meara learns she has inherited half ownership of Laurel Ridge, an estate that belonged to her birth mother's newly acquired husband, Mitchell Black. Mitchell's icy son Fletcher isn't willing to let a virtual stranger claim half of his childhood home, but he allows Meara to stay at Laurel Ridge while she solves the mystery of her mother's baffling words. Fletcher slowly warms toward Meara as the story progresses, but there's never any doubt the two will get together; after all, they both love nature, children and homemade pie. Fortunately, the fascinating family puzzle at the center of the novel compensates for the lack of romantic tension. Claire reveals the details of Meara's adoption morsel by morsel, which can be maddening, and her protagonists possess all the vivacity of cooked pasta. Still, there's no denying that this story is suspenseful, which should go a long way in appeasing readers. Agent, Meredith Bernstein. (June)
