DEVIL MAY CARE

In this frothy romantic comedy from debut novelist McInnis, aspiring actress and used book store clerk Sally Carpenter may not be in a living hell, but she's far from heaven. Sally hasn't yet landed her dream part (or even bit part), she sleeps on a futon in a small New York apartment, and she's fallen into a too-comfortable routine with her longtime boyfriend, David. Her fortunes turn the day she auditions for a walk-on part as a bank teller on a cop show, and to her amazement gets the job, despite the casting director's longstanding animosity. Could her luck have something to do with the handsome stranger she met in the studio's hallway, who turns out to be Jack Weaver, sexy television network president? Sparks fly, and soon our perky heroine is swept away by the man of her dreams, caught up in a blissful romance unlike any she's ever experienced. And when her career suddenly takes off, she's thrilled—at first. But when her rivals are eliminated in horrible accidents and her loved ones wind up in the morgue, Sally starts to wonder whether her new flame may be not merely the date from hell but the devil himself. An unusually substantive plot (considering the light packaging) makes for a brisk and savvy read, with poignant flashbacks to Sally's father's suicide adding further depth. Though a wishy-washy ending weakens the novel's climax, the author has clever fun with the idea of the devil falling in love—and being completely bewildered by the situation. (Aug.)