Girl in the Rearview Mirror

In Dimberg’s almost dizzyingly twisty debut, Finn Hunt escapes a problematic past to secure a job as nanny to four-year-old Amabel Martin, the feisty granddaughter of Sen. Jim Martin of Arizona. Finn’s bright future includes a blossoming romance with one of the senator’s top aides, Bryant Dewitt. But she’s about to discover that even deeply buried secrets, her own as well as the Martins’, have a way of surfacing—with life-shattering consequences. The first hint of trouble is the attractive young woman named Iris who Amabel insists has been following them at campaign stops. When Finn finally confronts Iris, Iris makes a claim that could be damaging to the senator’s restaurateur son and the senator’s campaign if made public. But in the first of a series of bad decisions, rather than turning to Bryant for help with the matter, Finn embarks on some increasingly risky (and far-fetched) sleuthing. With a few wobbles, the plot speeds to the bombshell final betrayal. Dimberg’s evocative prose and affecting characters flag her as a writer to watch. Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House. (June)