Served Him Right

This supernatural-tinged mystery from bestseller Unger (Close Your Eyes and Count to 10) gets off to a strong start but fails to deliver on its promise. After Ana Blacksmith breaks up with her noxious boyfriend, Paul, her friends gather for an “ex-orcism” party, during which the group gleefully removes any trace of Paul from Ana’s digital footprint. A few days later, Paul’s dead body is found by a hiker, and his current girlfriend names Ana as a suspect before going missing herself. Under intense police suspicion, Ana teams up with her sister, Vera, to clear her name. As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that Paul had more enemies than Ana realized. The narration alternates awkwardly between six perspectives—primarily those of Ana, Vera, and police detective Timothy Bandeau—and takes a halfhearted turn toward the occult with a subplot about Ana and Vera’s herbalist aunt. The lack of focus ends up snuffing out the momentum built in the early chapters. Unger has done better. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Mar.)