cover image Swimming in the Shadows

Swimming in the Shadows

Diane Janes. Severn, $28.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-7278-8431-2

Jennifer Reynolds, the heroine of this intricately plotted romantic suspense novel from British author Janes (The Pull of the Moon), escapes an unhappy marriage and humdrum existence by setting up a new identity and relocating to Lasthwaite, a quiet town in the Yorkshire Dales. Years later, she is managing a health center and is eagerly anticipating her wedding to a local teacher, Rob Dugdale, who knows nothing of her past. When a TV documentary airs about three women who went missing and were never found again, including herself, she fears that she’ll be exposed by the media coverage. The murder of a 15-year-old girl, who was on her way home from the school where Rob teaches, focuses further attention on Lasthwaite, adding to her worries. After a second body appears, Jennifer must decide whether to try to preserve her new life or reveal her true identity and risk losing everything she has successfully built. The action builds to a chilling yet satisfying ending. (Dec.)