The Julius House

In this best of the series to date, Aurora (Roe) Teagarden, the former librarian returned to her roots in Lawrenceton, Ga., marries Martin Bartell, the rich, secretive and charismatic businessman she met in Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (1994). For their home, Martin buys the house once occupied by T.C. Julius, his terminally ill wife Hope and their teenage daughter. Six years earlier, the Julius family had disappeared without a trace, leaving only Hope's mother in the garage apartment. Martin lets the apartment to an old Vietnam buddy, Shelby Youngblood, and his wife Angel, who seem suspiciously like bodyguards to Roe. As questions about Martin's past and present disturb her newfound happiness, Roe determines to solve the Julius family mystery, enlisting Angel's help. A vicious attack and a stunning discovery lead the two women to New Orleans and a dramatic set of answers to puzzles old and new. The author's brisk, upbeat style keeps tension simmering under the everyday surface, while Roe's inclination to girlish chatter (a trial in earlier works) is restrained. (Feb.)