Goodnight Beautiful

It’s no accident that more than one character is reading Stephen King’s Misery in this crafty page-turner from bestseller Molloy (The Perfect Mother). For starters, plenty of it—misery, that is—awaits newlyweds Sam Statler and Annie Potter after their move from Manhattan to Sam’s upstate hometown of Chestnut Hill, N.Y., to be closer to his ailing mother. After a heady first few weeks during which Sam’s therapy practice explodes with women eager for face time with the studly psychologist, he disappears—shaking Annie to the core. But, in the absence of clear indications of foul play, his disappearance is a low priority for the local police, especially once they get anonymous tips about his major debts and possible affair with a patient of his. After some accomplished misdirection, Molloy flips the story on its head. The surprising revelations compensate for the book’s major weakness—readers not getting to know the most appealing character, spunky Annie, until late in the plot when she’s forced to turn detective to search for the husband she still loves despite his considerable flaws. Psychological thriller fans won’t want to miss this one. [em]Agent: Elisabeth Weed, Weed Literary. (Oct.) [/em]