Aspen

Erickson's latest is a deliciously juicy romp through the winter playground of the wealthy and powerful. Centered around the lives of the family of Senator Matt Connelly, a sophisticated but profoundly dysfunctional clan, it contains all the elements--romance, intrigue, scandal--that make for a snappy read. When Connelly's son Terry is accused of committing a brutal rape/murder, the family closes ranks around him, determined to do whatever it takes--even obstruction of justice--to protect one of its own. But Terry's beautiful and troubled stepsister Beth was a witness to the truth that could condemn him. Torn between her desire to do what's right and her loyalty to her family, Beth is relentlessly interrogated by local sheriff Case McCandless, who rightly suspects she's hiding something, and who is hardly enamoured with the idle rich who invade his hometown each winter. But the mutual antipathy between Beth and Case is soon replaced by a growing attraction that complicates their lives even further. Case is likable, if predictable, and Beth is a complex and truly interesting heroine. Suspenseful and tumultuous, their story is a sharply plotted page-turner, abetted by loads of colorful secondary characters. (Aug.)