Driving in Circles

Fans of soap operas centered on one extended family are most likely to enjoy this melodrama, which uses the celebration of a 40th wedding anniversary to explore the characters' challenges and relationships. Henry Jones, a prosecutor, is treating his wife, Cynthia, and their three grown daughters%E2%80%94Jat, Skye, and Joyce%E2%80%94to a Caribbean cruise. Henry is anxious about the safety of his loved ones, fearing retribution from criminals he put behind bars who were later released. Having everyone in the confines of a luxury ship eases his mind a bit, until someone attempts to break into Jat's cabin. Most of the book centers on Jat's growing relationship with a too-good-to-be-true new love, the wealthy and hunky Daniel Denny. Meanwhile, Joyce struggles with a painful personal secret, and Skye's marriage is in jeopardy. The characters' backstories are conveyed effectively in flashbacks, but certain developments will strike some readers as contrived. (BookLife)