Last Rites

Bestseller Sala returns to Jubilee, Ky., in her overstuffed second Secrets and Shadows romantic suspense novel (after Don’t Back Down), which shortchanges romance in favor of weaving together disjointed mysteries. Shirley Pope flees her abusive husband with her four adult sons to return to her hometown and claim their inheritance, Pope Mountain. Out from his father’s shadow, the eldest, Aaron, restarts his police career. His protective instincts kick into full gear when elementary school teacher Dani Owens, another newcomer to Jubilee, witnesses a crime connected to the extended Pope family. Sala speed-runs through their romance, wrapping it up with plenty of time for every extended Pope family member to start searching for an old grave and a potential treasure hiding on their mountain for more that 150 years. The plot feels disjointed and much of the page count is taken up by the characters repetitively explaining what’s happening to each other, causing the pace to drag. Only die-hard Sala fans need apply. Agent: Meredith Bernstein, Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency. (July)