Framed

Timid Beth Montgomery and fearless Cassie Ogilvy, the protagonists of McInnis’s exceptional first suspense novel, were roommates one year at Boston’s New England Institute of Music. They became best friends, but something happened that resulted in Beth’s wanting never to see Cassie again after leaving college. Years later, in Los Angeles, Beth appears to have the perfect life—a handsome husband and a beautiful mansion. But she and her would-be film producer husband are drowning in debt, he cheats on her, and she has given up her dream of a music career. Cassie’s life doesn’t even have the veneer of success, and she has just fled the scene of a quadruple homicide, including the death of an undercover LAPD officer, the result of a botched drug deal. Disguised in a blonde wig and carrying a suitcase full of blood-splattered cash, the panicky Cassie invades Beth’s home, hoping to avoid the police and her violent boyfriend. Though each woman thinks she knows the other one, trust issues, deceit, and hidden agendas are at the heart of their reunion. Believable secrets, lies, and twists propel this edgy thriller, a fresh riff on the Gone Girl motif. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency (Canada). (Feb.)