Claire, Darling

Kazumi’s middling debut tracks the swift downfall of 30-something Londoner Claire Arundale. After a blissful year of dating, Claire’s boyfriend, Noah Coors, has proposed, and her dreams of having a home and family finally seem to be within reach. On impulse, Claire decides to surprise Noah at his office one afternoon, and is shocked to learn he’s no longer employed there. Soon, she discovers he’s also blocked her number. A frantic internet search reveals that Noah has a beautiful long-term girlfriend named Lilah, and the two of them share a massive home in a posh neighborhood. Devastated, Claire starts digging up all she can about Noah, desperate to know if she’s just one in a long line of women he’s deceived. Then Lilah is brutally murdered, and Claire becomes the police’s main person of interest. Despite sturdy prose and some gripping courtroom scenes, the narrative is marred by clichéd, predictable reveals. Kazumi’s decision to sprinkle in excerpts from Claire’s diary telegraphs a major twist while doing little to illuminate the character’s psychology. This fails to make much of an impression. Agent: Camilla Bolton, Darley Anderson Literary. (Mar.)