Into the Darkness

Meg Venturi is the quintessential Barbara Michaels ( Smoke and Mirrors ) heroine, with a fierce independence and caustic wit barely hiding her romantic soul. Meg's intelligence and grit are put to the test when she returns to her New England home after inheriting half of her grandfather's prestigious jewelry business and finds she must share the operation with a new co-owner, a sinister and enigmatic man called A. L. Riley. But a series of threatening events convinces Meg that somebody wants her out of town. The well-meaning but relentlessly nosy townspeople appear to know more than they're letting on, and a fine collection of garrulous businessmen, surly former classmates and exotic relatives keep Meg on her toes--and constantly looking over her shoulder. An underlying past tragedy involving Meg's father is connected somehow to her present traumas, and Meg must summon all her formidable skills not only to survive, but to get to the root of her deepening problems. Memorable characters and complex mystery make this one of the Michaels's best novels of romantic suspense. Doubleday Book Club alternate. (June)