Daughter of Riches

Curiosity about a 20-year-old murder sparks a lively family saga that sweeps its characters across two continents and shuttles between the present and the war-ravaged 1930s and '40s. On the English Channel island of Jersey, investigative reporter Dan Deffains dusts off an old file concerning his father's defense of wealthy socialite Sophia Langlois, who confessed in 1972 to the murder of her son Louis. Meanwhile, in Australia, Sophia's son Robin reluctantly tells his daughter Juliet about the ugly scandal when she insists on visiting the Langlois estate in Jersey. Ignoring warnings from her English kin, Juliet teams up with Dan to find the real murderer. They learn that Louis relished the power conferred by his family's wealth and tormented everyone around him; a long flashback reveals the source of his cruelty in a dark secret dating from WW II. In the midst of uncovering tawdry home truths, Juliet feels a growing affection for Dan, but the former cop withholds a vital piece of his personal history, causing her to distrust him. While she is no stylist, Tanner ( Folly's Child ) adroitly spins an intense tale of courage, ambition, corruption and love. (Aug.)