When Clare Prentice, a Chicago journalist, discovers she's adopted in this cozy romantic thriller from Powers (Death Angel
), she's disturbed enough to call off her impending wedding. The high school ring of her adoptive mother, who died two years earlier and was careful to keep Clare's true origin a secret, provides a clue that takes Clare to Grand Rapids, Minn., where she conveniently has an assignment to interview a reclusive novelist, Nate Hanssen. The pace picks up after Clare discovers that her birth mother, Lily Gundersen, was murdered in Grand Rapids. Clare becomes the target of a killer intent on silencing anyone who knows the real story behind Lily's untimely death. Meanwhile, a subtle romance develops between Clare and Nate. Full of red herrings, this suspense novel will appeal to those who also like traditional whodunits. (Nov.)