Blood Stains

Bestseller Sala (Blown Away) gives three sisters their quests in this strong romantic suspense trilogy opener. Maria, Savannah, and Holly Slade have just buried their father, Andrew Slade, a successful Montana rancher. His attorney instructs them to watch a video, where Andrew tells them they are not his biological daughters or even blood sisters. He adopted four-year-old Maria after she witnessed the murder of her prostitute mother. While her sisters seek their pasts, Maria flies to Tulsa, Okla., to find her mother's killer. There she meets handsome cowboy detective Bodie Scott, who says he'll help her solve the 20-year-old cold case. But the man they seek has seen Maria, and he's ready to kill again. Powerful plotting and strong characters overcome Sala's fondness for repetitive and padded prose. (Feb.)