LIGHT MY FIRE

Hidden motives lurk in a homey Texas neighborhood in Graves's deft novel of romantic suspense. Sentenced to 40 hours of community service after a DUI, slick defense attorney Ethan Millner is assigned to a neighborhood crime watch conducted by florist Sandy DeMarco. With her sympathetic heart and old-fashioned values, Sandy represents everything the cold and competitive Ethan claims to despise. Yet her warmth attracts him as much as his charged intensity does her. On patrol one night, the two discover the body of a savagely murdered woman. When a troubled young man Sandy employs is arrested for the murder and then abandoned by his only relative, Sandy persuades the reluctant Ethan to defend the teen pro bono. His investigation exposes the victim's tawdry past, but every new suspect he finds has a solid alibi; meanwhile, Sandy's home is the target of an arson attack that the couple barely escape alive. Graves (Flirting with Disaster , etc.) is a solid storyteller with a confident, convincing voice. Though the mystery is unremarkable and the idea that opposites attract is far from new, most fans of romantic suspense will find this an appealing read. Agent, Linda Krueger of the Fogelman Agency. (Nov.)