Shores of Desire

Grant's sequel to Shadows of the Heart should have come with a scorecard. The basic story line is good: While searching for his wife's killer, Robert Lescaut falls in love with a woman whose family might have been involved in her death. But the cast of characters, with all their baggage, is far too large and confusing. Set in France, Belgium and Scotland during the tumultuous year of 1815, the subplots of espionage and counterespionage are at times riveting and, at others, convoluted. In the end, the narrative overwhelms both the depth of the lead characters and the poignant possibilities in the connection between the dead woman and the heroine's family. (Nov.)