Ruby Falls

Phillips (Family Law) puts a fresh twist on the locked-room mystery with this harrowing historical set in the mountains near Chattanooga, Tenn. When mine worker Leo Lambert discovers an astonishing 15-story underground waterfall in the 1920s, he names it Ruby Falls, after his wife, and turns it into a tourist destination. Then the Depression hits, admission revenue drops, and Leo hatches a publicity stunt to renew interest: he invites a mind reader—accompanied by his wife, a guide, and a newspaperman—to locate a hatpin hidden in the caves surrounding the waterfall. Meanwhile, Ruby’s friend Ada Smith takes trips to explore the subterranean labyrinth herself, sparking a possible romance with part-Cherokee mine worker Quinton in the process. On the day of the mind reader’s quest, Quinton and Ada are already in the catacombs, and they secretly tail the group. After one member of the group is murdered deep in the caves and another vanishes, Ada and Quinton must bring everyone to safety before their light sources die and the murderer strikes again. The murder occurs late in the novel, but the group’s nerve-wracking progress through narrow passages is wildly tense, and Phillips exhibits a keen eye for character. Fans of Ariel Lawhon’s The Frozen River will adore this. Agent: Kimberly Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (Mar.)

This review has been edited to remove a spoiler.