The Girl from Home

Manhattan hedge fund manager Jonathan Caine has it all—a multimillion-dollar condo, a trophy wife, and a summer rental in the Hamptons—in this gripping thriller from Mitzner (Losing Faith). When Caine’s part in a scandalous securities-fraud causes him to lose all the trappings of the good life, he returns to his hometown of East Carlisle, N.J., to care for his sick father and attend his 25th high school reunion. Caine quickly sparks an affair with former prom queen Jackie Williams, who has been living a nightmare with her drunk and abusive husband, Rick, while trying to protect her two children from him. The question becomes how much Caine has reformed, and how far he is willing to go to protect the person he cares for most. An unlikable character throughout much of the book, Caine manages to prove redemption is possible by the end. This inside look at underhanded Wall Street dealings dramatically explores the things that matter most. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (Apr.)