The Next Mrs. Parrish

In this wicked sequel to The Last Mrs. Parrish, bestseller Constantine (the pseudonym of sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine) resumes the scandalous story of Jackson Parrish, his scheming second wife, Amber, and his ex-wife, Daphne. At the outset, Jackson is completing a prison term for tax evasion, but he’s yet to answer for his darker deeds, including fraudulently committing Daphne to a mental asylum. Daphne has found peace after divorcing Jackson and fleeing across the country, but when her children insist on seeing their father, she’s forced to return to ritzy Bishops Harbor, Long Island. There, she readies herself to confront Amber, her ruthless replacement as Jackson’s wife. Meanwhile, Daisy Ann Briscoe, the daughter of one of Amber’s prior conquests, launches a revenge campaign after running into Amber at a New York City trunk show. Daisy Ann’s rampage poses trouble for Jackson and Daphne as well, locking them and Amber in an uneasy alliance that’s inevitably threatened by a slew of double-crossings. Constantine lays the glamour and nastiness on thick, resulting in an acidic thriller that delights with every twist of the knife. Fans of the first book will eat this up. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (June)