Decked

Actress/writer Clark does her mother, Mary Higgins Clark, proud in this skillful cat-and-mouse debut. When Los Angeles PI Regan Reilly is in Oxford, England, for the 10th reunion of her semester-abroad college class, the body of her former roommate Athena is found buried in the woods nearby. Though Athena had disappeared at the end of term a decade ago, everyone had thought that the Greek girl had simply fled for home. Now Regan is appalled to learn that Athena was strangled to death. Another reunion surprise is the engagement announcement of shy instructor Philip Whitcomb, whom Athena adored. Once Regan realizes that she can't help the local police with their investigation, she agrees to accompany spry Lady Exner, who is Philip's aunt and was a friend to all the girls when they were in school, on her ocean crossing to New York. On board are also Regan's parents (her mother is a noted suspense author, her father a funeral director) and someone with plans to kill Lady Exner and her companion. Clark deftly ties the plot playing out on the ocean liner to Athena's murder in a suspenseful climax in this lively series launch. (July)