From Cradle to Grave

Mary Higgins Clark fans who aren’t too finicky about legal detail will welcome this domestic suspense novel from MacDonald (Stolen in the Night ). When Brooklyn grad student Morgan Adair, who’s agreed to be godmother to the infant son of her best friend, Claire Bolton, attends the baptism in West Briar, Long Island, it’s clear that the stresses of motherhood have overwhelmed Claire. A few days later, Claire phones Morgan at the airport, where Morgan’s about to depart for England to do research on feminist Harriet Martineau (and pursue romance with an English poet), to say she’s killed her son and husband. Despite this confession, which Claire also made to the police, the skeptical Morgan launches her own investigation. Less than realistic law references (e.g., an academic expert on involuntary admissions of guilt states, “Believe me, all investigating ceases when a suspect confesses. It’s generally agreed that the police don’t need anything more”) may give some readers pause. (Jan.)