Nowhere to Run

Krich ( Where's Mommy Now? ) has created an unnerving maze of past secrets and present lies that does justice to her title. Both Alexandra Prescott and husband Warren come to their marriage burdened by the hidden legacies of earlier families. Alex, in particular, is tormented by recurring nightmares and guilt, which she hopes will fade as she, Warren, his two children and the baby she is now expecting become a family. A newcomer to both Warren's life and to the Venice, Calif., community where she runs a day-care center, Alex finds herself wandering through an emotional minefield that involves Warren's late wife's family, especially her sister, Denise; Denise's sleazy fiance, Ron; the abusive father of one of her own charges; her stepdaughter; and events from her own past. After Alex receives threatening notes, her school is ransacked and she is pushed in front of a bicyclist, it becomes clear that somebody is out to destroy her. Krich's heroine responds to her travails with great emotional and spiritual fortitude, and a twist at the end will catch some readers unawares. (Apr.)