The Crows

With a central plot line hinging on a bioengineered strain of killer ladybugs and a solution that will strike most as far-fetched, this romantic cozy is an unremarkable outing for Soule (Chase the Dream), better known for writing straight romances. P.J. Benson, an accountant in the small Michigan town of Zenith, leads a humdrum existence as April 15 approaches. When a dead stranger turns up in her house, P.J. becomes the prime suspect of hunky homicide detective Wade Kingsley. Further break-ins make P.J. wonder whether the killer was after a mysterious box stolen from her neighbors, Julia and John Westman, but when the Westmans deny ever telling her that the box contained lethal insects, neighbors familiar with her family history of mental illness begin to wonder whether P.J. herself is losing touch with reality. The burgeoning relationship between P.J. and Wade generates few sparks, leaving little to keep readers going through the slow-moving plot. (Dec.)