Heir Apparent

The heir isn't the only thing that's apparent in Coscarelli's uneven but entertaining sixth novel (after Leading Lady ). Lacey Haines, treasured daughter of California packaged food mogul Jack Gallagher, is stunned when her father's will leaves the control of Gallagher's Best, promised to her, to her beloved but lightweight younger brother Scott. When he winds up dead with her letter opener in his chest, all the evidence points first to Lacey, then to those closest to her. No one seems trustworthy, not her lawyer and certainly not her suspiciously supportive ex-husband, as Lacey tries to protect her children and herself in an increasingly ominous situation. The suspenseful finale uncovers the ultimate betrayal from a previously unsuspected source. Corporate intrigue, probate wrangling and a renewed romance for the sympathetic heroine should have made this a bang-up novel. Instead, heavy-handed foreshadowing, erratic pacing, too much explication and an ending abrupt as a slammed door turn it into a minor, though amusing entry in the romantic suspense genre. (July)