Murder at the Class Reunion

A naive investigative journalist as protagonist and an incidental subplot hamper this predictable first novel. Reporter Kay Engels returns home for her 20th high school reunion where her career as a journalist earns her immediate acceptance in a crowd that had previously shunned her. She attends the party with former cheerleader and dance chairman Sue and her handsome husband Chris, and there teams up with Chris's black sheep cousin Tony and chats with their voluptuous cousin Terry. When Tony finds Terry's body in her hotel room, Kay scuttles her reunion story to concentrate on the murder investigation. The police chief reluctantly gives her information, even though his godchild's former husband may be involved in the crime. Equally under suspicion is Terry's date, who may have ties to organized crime. In an effort to keep Kay from writing about Terry's loose lifestyle, Terry's uncle offers to tell Kay the identity of her real mother--an implication that leaves Kay stunned. Suddenly she must decide whether to compromise her integrity for personal again. The divergent thread of Kay's questionable parentage is never fully developed and clips the momentum of the murder investigation, letting the reader down on both counts. (July)