Security

At the start of Wohlsdorf’s stellar debut, property manager Tessa is sweating the small stuff at the new Manderley Resort, fretting over which place settings to deploy at the upcoming opening gala. She’s unaware that certain uninvited guests are about to turn the opulent Santa Barbara, Calif., Shangri-La—which has been flogging its state-of-the-art security—into an abattoir. Meanwhile, Tessa’s foster brother and former heartthrob, motocross legend Brian Domini, reappears after 11 years of estrangement. As the Ducati-swift plot accelerates from there, told through a mosaic of views from various Manderley security cameras (as seen by an initially unidentified narrator), it’s a testament to Wohlsdorf’s skill that she successfully negotiates the numerous tonal shifts between the unfolding Grand Guignol splatterfest and Tessa and Brian’s rekindling passion. Readers will gradually discover an even more emotionally affecting story as the action races to the moving climax. [em]Agent: Emma Sweeney, Emma Sweeney Agency. (June) [/em]