Suspect

Homicide detective Tessa Vance's plans for a romantic birthday dinner with her boyfriend, Brett, are foiled when she's suddenly called away to investigate a murder at the local amusement park. Arriving at Funworld, she meets her less-than-amicable new partner, Steve Hayden, and makes the disturbing discovery of an unsigned birthday card left at the scene of the crime. Similarly executed murders follow at the furious pace of one a day, and Tessa must focus her reputed sharp investigative powers on capturing a presumed serial killer. A victim's date book provides Tessa with a crucial break in her case, one that she believes will lead from the dead to potential future victims. With new insight into the murderer's psyche, Tessa races to prevent the next seemingly imminent crime. Although entertaining, Rowe's (Lamb to the Slaughter) mystery suffers from its pedestrian plot twists and the tiresome internal dialogue of heroine Tessa Vance. (Mar.)