The Imposter

When troubled Arizona lawyer Sibley Bradford is ordered into rehab by her firm for her erratic, alcohol-related behavior in this uneven psychological thriller from Montgomery (What We Forgot to Bury), she decides instead to try to reconcile with her estranged mother, Deborah, who still lives on the Midwestern farm where Sibley grew up. After Sibley’s arrival at the farm, Deborah calls her by a different name, and later attacks her in what appear to be random outbursts of violence. Undeterred, Sibley sets out to understand the relationship between Deborah and Sibley’s late father, guided by the belief that Deborah had an affair with another man in town. Their competing versions of the past drive another wedge between them, and mother and daughter become further estranged. The mystery associated with Deborah’s adultery won’t surprise most readers. Some witty dialogue and plenty of plot twists compensate only in part for stock characters whose fates readers will struggle to care about. This tale of homecoming and complicated relationships isn’t one of Montgomery’s better efforts. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Mar.)