Little White Lies

In their debut novel, the Benreys spin a brisk Christian murder mystery with a moral question at its core: Do the little white lies people tell to protect others or to smooth their own lives really leave no mark? The creative, feisty (and unfortunately named) heroine and narrator is Pippa Hunnechurch, a British transplant to a small community in Maryland. Pippa is running from a tragic past and working to establish a one-woman business as an executive headhunter. Her fortunes seem to take a happy turn when she lands a key assignment and finds a willing business partner with the perfect qualifications. But when that new colleague promptly drowns under somewhat mysterious circumstances, Pippa is sucked into a world of high-powered resume-dressing and cover-up, with four ambitious women executives at the center of the plot. Involving the police and revealing all she has learned would mean ruining the careers of several women guilty only of ""little white lies,"" so Pippa embarks on a daring scheme to catch the murderer herself. The novel, while predictable, is fast-paced and liberally seasoned with flavorful bits of British culture and dry humor. It is driven mainly by its female characters, who rather formulaically blend the contemporary and the traditional. They're strong and independent, but they're also beautiful and well-dressed, deliberately charming men for their own advancement. This mystery will appeal to readers who enjoy decent suspense laced with Christian ethics. (Feb.)