cover image Something to Hide

Something to Hide

Patricia Robinson. St. Martin's Press, $15.95 (214pp) ISBN 978-0-312-03937-0

Sharp and at times self-deprecating humor, robust characters and a finely rendered setting redeem what could easily have been a run-of-the-mill romantic mystery, Robinson's debut. Sage Eliot is a shy, naive member of an old but impoverished Charleston, S.C., family. After spending years caring for an ailing grandmother, who has recently died, Sage is determined to achieve her independence and to maintain the family mansion as well by renting out its rooms. When one of her boarders is murdered, her sister Elise, a pillar of Charleston society, tries to persuade Sage to sell the huge old home to one of several interested buyers. But Sage, inspired by the diary of a distant cousin, feels certain treasure is hidden somewhere in the house, and not even a violent encounter with a shadowy figure in the attic can frighten her off. There is no lack of suspects; one is a handsome yet disturbed young man. The book veers dangerously close to Harlequin romance, but is saved by a first-rate and surprising conclusion. (Apr.)