Divine Evil

Clare Kimball, an accomplished sculptor, is troubled by depression and the return of childhood nightmares. So she takes a break from New York City and heads for her sleepy hometown in Maryland, despite its association with her beloved father's violent but apparently accidental death. Cameron Rafferty, formerly the town hellion, is now the sheriff and faced with a puzzle: the century-old grave of an infant has been dug up. In fact, the grave was robbed by Satan worshipers; Clare's dreams date from the night in her childhood when she saw them performing a coven ceremony--and they know she saw them. Cam's problems are compounded when the mutilated corpse of his hated stepfather is discovered in a field after the two have a public fistfight. Cam and Clare are an engaging couple, but by relying on the most obvious plot complications, Roberts has made her latest romantic mystery a virtually no-thrills thriller. (Is there a single reader who won't prediet that Clare will end up in the coven's clutches?) Also, while this tale is about ritual murders instead of a serial killer, the work's marked similarities to last year's Carnal Innocence give it the feeling of being a rerun. (Oct.)