Say You’re Sorry

Bestseller Leigh (Midnight Obsession) begins a series set in Scarlet Falls, N.Y., with this solid contemporary romantic thriller. Recently widowed attorney Morgan Dane hopes a new job as a prosecutor will help her move on with her life. Then Morgan’s babysitter, Tessa, is murdered, and her neighbor Nick, Tessa’s boyfriend, is arrested for the crime amid a media frenzy. Morgan thinks Nick is innocent and agrees to defend him. With the help of former cop Lance Kruger, who’s working as a private investigator while recovering from a bullet wound, Morgan fights local prejudice to find the truth. Complex characters, a web of small-town relationships, and intriguing legal details keep the pages turning and add depth to the growing relationship between Morgan and Lance as well as Morgan’s recovery from her husband’s death. Only occasional prosaic glimpses into the mind of the killer fall flat. Romantic suspense fans will look forward to following several tantalizing subsidiary mysteries in subsequent volumes. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (May)