Coffey (Trust Me Once), which is a pseudonym for James and Nikoo McGoldrick, skillfully balances smalltown scandal and sexual intrigue with lively plotting and vivid characterizations in this engrossing romantic thriller. When 31-year-old social worker Léa Hardy learns that her brother has been convicted of murdering his estranged wife and two daughters, she returns to her conservative hometown of Stonybrook, Pa., to raise cash for the mounting legal bills and a death row appeal. Léa plans to fix up and sell the dilapidated childhood home where she was orphaned by the murder/suicide of her parents more than 20 years earlier, but she soon learns that old enmities die hard in her town. With the exception of her gorgeous next-door neighbor, Mick Conklin, who is conveniently a contractor, and his troubled teenage daughter, Léa is given the cold shoulder by unforgiving townsfolk and police who are convinced her family is cursed. Even after she's attacked in her home and threatened by a crazy Vietnam vet, the town sheriff blames her for disturbing the peace. For a thriller, there's very little action here. Instead, a series of tantalizing flashbacks help build suspense, and a thoroughly enchanting romantic subplot fleshes out the story. (July)
Forecast:Although the McGoldricks are better known for their historical romance novels, which are penned under the pseudonym May McGoldrick, a signing with Nora Roberts and Patricia Gaffney in July should help this husband-and-wife team build a broader readership.
