Sweet Liar

Perennial bestseller Deveraux ( The Duchess ) involves yet another spunky heroine in a formulaic romance. After her divorce and her father's death in early 1991, 28-year-old Sam Elliott arrives in New York City to search for clues to the riddle of her grandmother's mysterious 1964 disappearance. Her father's will directs her to spend a year on this quest while renting an apartment from his young friend Mike Taggert, who is writing a book about Prohibition-era gangster Doc Barrett. Mike needs Sam's assistance to land an interview with the still-living Barrett, and despite her fear of her dangerously attractive landlord she becomes increasingly involved with his work and attracted to both him and his large, loving family; she also comes closer to the truth about her grandmother's bizarre past. Deveraux knows Manhattan and provides entertaining descriptions of the speakeasy age in Harlem, but her cliche-laden dialogue makes it seem that her characters speak English as a second language. The highly improbable story line, overloaded with convoluted plots and subplots, will discourage even the most die-hard romance fan. Literary Guild and Doub le day Book Club main selections. ( Sept. )