Dark Lie

In her first suspense novel for adults, Springer (The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline) spins melodrama out of the secret that lupus sufferer Dorrie White has been hiding from her devoted but dull husband, Sam. As a teenager, Dorrie gave birth to a daughter who was then given up for adoption and raised as Juliet Phillips. Sneaking away one morning to the mall in her Ohio town to spy on now 16-year-old Juliet, Dorrie finds her furtive maternal pride turning to terror when she witnesses a man abduct her daughter. Frantic and unable to think clearly, Dorrie pursues the kidnapper’s van before attempting to get any aid. Her efforts to rescue Juliet, along with Sam’s search for Dorrie, occupy the remainder of the book, but tepid writing drains whatever suspense and emotion the plot should have had. Agent: Jean Naggar, Jean V. Naggar Literary. (Nov.)