Fatal Deduction

In this charming romantic suspense novel, Libby Keating finds herself temporarily sharing a beautiful but tiny historic home in Philadelphia with her estranged identical twin. Less than 24 hours after her arrival, Libby trips over a dead body on the front stoop, and a series of hijinks and adventures ensues. As the murder mystery unfolds—with the aid of crossword puzzles the reader is encouraged to complete—so does Libby’s backstory, which includes a series of traumatic events that ruined her adolescence. A committed Christian and devoted single mother, Libby is always trying to do the right thing, but is surrounded by people who sabotage her. However, good Christian friends—including her new neighbor, the handsome Drew Canfield—support her as she finds a way to love her enemies while standing up to them. Roper’s dialogue and character development are spot-on, which is no small feat, considering that Libby’s world is peopled by everyone from elderly patricians to two-bit gangsters. What’s more, her treatment of non-Christian characters is refreshingly nonjudgmental; she even goes so far as to portray a gay couple in an entirely positive light. Though two highly implausible plot twists come out of nowhere, this novel is a pleasure from start to finish. (May)