You Can Trust Me

Set in Exeter, England, this psychological thriller from British author McKenzie (Close My Eyes) starts out strong, but too many unlikely situations dilute the plot’s impact. Livy Jackson is devastated when she finds Julia Dryden, her eldest child’s godmother, dead in her friend’s apartment. The two women became close 18 years earlier, following the murder of Livy’s sister, Kara Small, when Kara was a college student. The police rule Julia’s death a suicide, which her estranged mother and her twin brother, Robbie, easily accept. Livy’s doubts that her flamboyant, energetic friend would take her own life are reinforced when she’s contacted by Julia’s boyfriend, Damian Burton, who claims that Julia finally discovered the identity of Kara’s murderer. Livy develops an unlikely friendship with Damian, whom she meets after Julia’s funeral. Meanwhile, every man in Livy’s life, including her husband, Will, who has a history of infidelity, seems a potential killer. A weak denouement doesn’t help. [em]Agent: Zoë Pagnamenta, Zoë Pagnamenta Agency. (Apr.) [/em]