Blue Orchids

Fenton's ( Black Tie Only ) shallow, glitzy second novel opens with the Broadway comeback of rock star Valentina--she's starring with Patrick Swayze in a musical of Dr. Zhivago . Separated as a child from her twin brother, Mikhail, Russian-born Valentina Lederer was adopted and raised in the U.S. along with Orchid. The two form a singing team to emulate the Supremes in popularity, chat on TV with Barbara Walters and, with Valentina singing lead, are divided by the usual sibling rivalry, which comes to a head when Valentina decides on a Broadway career. But Fenton gives away her entire plot with the opening scene, in which the two sisters are united after a ``seven-year rift,'' Mikhail (a KGB agent working with the CIA and FBI) appears donning a bulletproof vest and Sen. Charles Willingham, the ``one-man drug crusade,'' attends opening night despite death threats. Had Fenton not shown her hand so quickly, she might have maintained the illusion that interesting events were forthcoming. (July)