By Reason of

A torrential Los Angeles downpour is grinding the city to a near-halt, and in their remote canyon home, aspiring actress Eve Foxx is nursing her sick three-year-old daughter, Cindy, when a deranged killer breaks into the house. Though Lucas Miller, just released from a mental institution, has killed twice before, his periods of violence are punctuated by moments of tenderness and concern for mother and daughter. But while Eve plots to save herself and Cindy from Lucas' murderous rages, the unceasing rain starts a mudslide that threatens all their lives, and Eve faces the fact that her safety, and that of her child's, are in the hands of this unbalanced man. From the beginning, this story grips the reader with its masterful narration, and the tension carries through the last, suspenseful pages. (April)