Chloe

In this entertaining riff on Rebecca from bestseller Briscoe (You Never Know), a young chef embarks on a whirlwind romance with a billionaire. Angel is taking a break from her restaurant job in Washington, D.C., to work as a private chef on Martha’s Vineyard when she meets billionaire Everett Bruce. Enchanted by Everett’s down-to-earth demeanor, Angel falls for him quickly. Just before her job ends and she returns to D.C., Everett proposes marriage, and Angel eagerly accepts. The two then embark on an emotionally chilly trip to Europe, but Angel hopes they’ll spend more time together at Riverwild Estate, Everett’s enormous home in Potomac, Md., which is run by his prickly sister, Ida. As the new Mrs. Bruce, Angel is forbidden from entering the Riverwild room once inhabited by Everett’s first wife, Chloe, who died by suicide over a year ago. With Everett growing more distant, Angel searches for details about Chloe’s death, fearing she won’t like what she finds. Readers familiar with the Daphne du Maurier novel won’t be particularly surprised by the twists and turns of the plot, and the ending arrives rather abruptly. Still, Briscoe folds some perceptive class critiques into her intoxicating blend of romance and suspense. This offers plenty of gothic pleasures. Agent: Victoria Sanders, Victoria Sanders & Assoc. (Mar.)