Takes One to Know One

Every Wednesday, 38-year-old freelance literary scout Corie Geller—the heroine of this breezy suburban suspense novel from bestseller Isaacs (As Husbands Go)—meets for lunch with other Shorehaven, Long Island, self-employeds. Unbeknownst to her neighbors, Corie was an FBI agent before she wed widowed federal court judge Joshua Geller and retired to help raise his young daughter, so when she senses something hinky about group member Pete Delaney, she starts digging. His background checks out, but if Pete is nothing more than a packaging designer, why does he constantly switch cell phones, have no personal social media presence, and pay for everything with cash? Her best friend maintains that she’s fixating on Pete because she’s bored with her own life, but Corie trusts her gut and partners with her father, a former NYPD detective, to investigate. Despite the predictable plot and a climax lacking punch, Isaacs amply compensates with vibrant characters, snappy dialogue, and an arresting first-person narrative. Readers in search of a stylish beach read will be satisfied. Agent: Richard Pine, Inkwell Management. (Oct.)