False Front

March 19, 2012
At the start of Edgar-finalist Fanning’s absorbing fifth Lucinda Pierce mystery (after 2010’s Twisted Reason), the Virginia homicide lieutenant looks into the apparent suicide of Candace Eagleton, found hanged in her lavishly decorated house overlooking the James River. The victim’s husband, Frank Eagleton, says his wife was murdered. When a search of the house turns up a note Candace wrote to Frank that states she plans to leave him before he kills her, Frank becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Meanwhile, Lucinda’s FBI agent boyfriend, Jake Lovett, follows up the claim of a small-time crook in fear of his life that he helped bury the body of a woman 30 years earlier in or just outside federal land, a crime that could be linked to a high-ranking person in the U.S. government. Lucinda and Jake, no surprise, soon discover a link between their respective cases. Credible characters bolster a well-crafted plot. Agent: Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

April 15, 2012
A determined homicide investigator doesn't let the fact that her suspects are wealthy and politically connected stand in her way. Lucinda Pierce is called in to investigate the case of Candace Eagleton, found hanging in her home. Although her death has been made to look like suicide, it's murder, all right, and her wealthy spouse Frank is a prime suspect, especially when Lucinda discovers he was having an affair. In the meantime, Lucinda's boyfriend, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jake Lovett, doesn't believe Charles David Rowland, who comes to him with a wild tale about an old murder case. When Rowland is found dead in an alley, the victim of a vicious hit and run, Jack realizes that he should have paid more attention to Rowland's extravagant claims. A list found in the dead man's apartment includes both his name and that of Candace Eagleton, among others. Lucinda and Jake, trying to find a connection between Candace and Rowland, learn that they attended the same New Jersey high school. But the sleuths will have a tough time staying ahead of a determined killer who seems to be systematically eliminating each name from the list. Fanning supplies the multifaceted Lucinda (Mistaken Identity, 2010, etc.) with another fast paced mystery that nicely displays both her strengths and weaknesses.

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March 15, 2012
When Candace Eagleton is found hanging from the stair rail in her home, Lieutenant Lucinda Pierce catches the case. Initial thoughts of suicide are dispelled when an autopsy proves murder. Meanwhile, Lucinda's lover, FBI agent Jake Lovett, dismisses Charles Rowland's safety concerns, but when Rowland is found murdered with Jake's card in his pocket, it's time to reevaluate. Then, after Jake finds a list of names, including Candace's, in Rowland's apartment, Lucinda and Jake work to find out how the cases are connected. Multiple points of view, fast pacing, and fascinating procedural details propel the reader through the story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)