The Pull of the Moon

In British author Janes's solid debut, Kate Mayfield, a retired teacher, has tried to forget about the summer of 1972, when she stayed at an isolated country house in Herefordshire with her then boyfriend, Danny Ivanisovic, and Danny's friend from university, Simon Willis. Tasked with landscaping for Simon's uncle, who owns the house, the trio spend most of the time lounging and drinking. The dynamic irrevocably shifts after they meet Trudie Finch during a trip to the beach and invite her to stay at the house. Though the boys are entranced by Trudie, Kate is suspicious of their evasive guest. When tragedy inevitably strikes, Kate buries her past until three decades later Danny's elderly mother, desperate to know the truth about her son, sends her a note, imploring her to visit. While fans of Donna Tartt's The Secret History will be able to predict developments, all readers will appreciate the prickly and intriguing Kate. (May)