cover image To Love and Die in Dallas

To Love and Die in Dallas

Mary Elizabeth Goldman, . . Forge, $24.95 (303pp) ISBN 978-0-765-30934-1

Goldman’s engrossing romantic suspense debut centers on the explosive secrets within the diary of Annie Williams, which charts her enduring friendship with high school classmate Lindsey Wilson that began in 1950s Dallas and is tested by unwed pregnancies and broken hearts. Lindsey grows up to become the unhappy wife of U.S. senator James “Buddy” Mitchell and the secret lover of Frances Zacchoias, a Greek entrepreneur who owns a popular downtown eatery. Lindsey’s sudden death shocks Dallas, and her funeral reunites David Matthews, Lindsey’s ex-boyfriend and prominent criminal lawyer, with Annie and Dallas socialite Roberta “Butter” Duplissey, both of whom he also dated. David, recently married to his third wife, Taylor, receives another jolt when Butter shows up at his office with Annie’s stolen diary and says, “Read, it David... read it and weep.” Butter’s subsequent murder in David’s office marks Taylor as a prime suspect. All the major players in this tautly plotted thriller must cope with life-changing discoveries. A clever “uh-oh” ending promises a sequel. (June)