The Second Husband

At the start of this meandering domestic thriller from bestseller White (The Fiancée), Emma Hawke, the owner of a business research company specializing in forecasting trends, is awakened late one night by New York City police detectives knocking at the door of her Madison, N.J., home. Her husband, Derrick Rand, was shot and killed in SoHo a few hours earlier. The case is never solved, and Emma has never admitted to anyone “how deeply troubled her marriage had been.” Twenty-seven months later, Emma has married again—to genial widower Tom Halliday, the owner of an advertising firm—and moved to Westport, Conn., “a town that’s part well-heeled suburb, part old New England village.” Her business is thriving, and she’s set on making new friends. Then, the New York police come knocking again, this time to inform her that they’re reopening the investigation into Derrick’s death. Another murder, embezzlement, a long-hidden fraud, and a petulant stepchild are added to the mix in an unsuccessful attempt to keep tension high. Those looking for nail-biting suspense should look elsewhere. Hopefully, White will return to form next time. Agent: Sandra Dijkstra, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. (June)