Together Alone

The author of For My Daughters sallies into Judith Krantz and Iris Rainer Dart territory with this somewhat familiar tale of angst among girlfriends. With their daughters off to college, Emily, Kay and Celeste find themselves emotionally adrift in their small Massachusetts town. Emily retreats to baking and redecorating to hide the pain of husband Doug's infrequent (and sexually chilly) visits home, while eighth-grade teacher Kay uses her work as a shield against her police chief husband's attempts to recapture their former intimacy. And divorcee Celeste celebrates her daughter's departure with a nose job and a personal ad she hopes will bring her ``wine and roses and music and poetry. And sex.'' When recently widowed NYPD detective Brian Stasek arrives to join the local police force, Emily becomes drawn to him-and increasingly suspicious about Doug's absences. Celeste, meanwhile, finds an architect who may be too good to be true and Kay, certain that her body has lost its allure, continues to rebuff her baffled husband. Only when Brian reopens the long-closed case of one couple's kidnapped son does Delinsky's story manage a spark that keeps it from being just another suburban melodrama. (Feb.)