The Other Mrs. Miller

In this cleverly plotted if progressively more implausible domestic suspense debut from horror short story writer Dickson (Strings), recently deceased Chicago magnate Daniel Noble has left Phoebe Miller, his 32-year-old daughter, a fortune—as well as an increasingly toxic legacy as women stream forward to accuse Noble of sexual misconduct. But the disturbing allegations, which have turned the heiress into a day-drinking virtual prisoner of her suburban Lake Forest, Ill., home, prove only the initial rumblings of the avalanche of trouble to come. From Phoebe’s acrimonious battles with therapist husband Wyatt, centered on her refusal to consider adoption after a stillborn son and four subsequent failed IVF attempts, to the identity of the individual watching her every move from the old blue car that’s perpetually parked on her block, Dickson sets the stage for a stunning mid-novel plot twist. As disconcerting as it is unexpected, this abrupt turn leaves a void that won’t please every reader. Still, this is a diverting poolside entertainment. [em]Agent: Stephanie Kip Rostan, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. (July) [/em]