Down Will Come Baby

A spirited and outspoken 12-year-old barely coping with turmoil and trauma is the appealing centerpiece of Murphy's ( Bloodties ) fourth novel. Robin and her father, Marcus, have moved to an apartment in Boston, leaving her alcoholic and increasingly muddled mother in the suburbs. Robin is still having nightmares as a result of the death of a friend at summer camp, a death for which Robin was partially responsible. Optimistic and caring, Marcus hopes that several months with a competent therapist will help his daughter. After a lethargic start, the novel gains intensity when a kind-hearted, gracious neighbor, Dorothy, offers to stay with Robin when Marcus must leave town overnight. When he returns the next day, he discovers that they have vanished. Who is Dorothy and just what does she want with Robin? Marcus joins with Robin's shrewd therapist to track down Dorothy's identity and whereabouts, but it is Robin's unconventional and tenacious mother who zeros in on Robin's increasingly horrific predicament. Although braced by vivid and original characters, this thriller fails to overcome its heavy predictability. (Feb.)