Dangerous Affairs

Appearances can be deceptive, as a police chief learns when he meets a famous actress. Abby Langford has left her career and ex-husband behind in L.A. to return to her hometown of Harrington, Minn., with her nine-year-old daughter, Maddie. While cleaning out the home she recently purchased, Abby discovers a blood-stained knife. When police chief Josh Kincaid arrives to investigate, he assumes Abby staged the discovery as a publicity stunt. Josh's bitter divorce has left him mistrustful of women and convinced that Abby is the scheming adulterer portrayed in the tabloids. But Josh is forced to re-evaluate his opinion when a stalker begins sending Abby threatening notes. The romantic tension culminates in sizzling, satisfying love scenes as the reader tries to guess the stalker's identity. Both Abby and Josh seem to have almost insurmountable issues trusting one another, making the likelihood of a longterm relationship less believable. Nevertheless, the intense eroticism and multitude of red herrings create a fast-paced satisfying novel of romantic suspense. (Oct.)