A swank society wedding is halted because the groom has left his millionaire fiancee on the lawn of her Omaha, Neb., manse. He is Joe Bryce (ne Mazcarek, or maybe Smith), a con man of the highest and smoothest order who's made his fortune preying on wealthy, marriageable ladies?made enough, in fact, to live in the Caribbean in the off-swindling season aboard his yacht, Dragonfly. But Joe meets his match in Nimrod's Chapel, Ga., where he contrives an introduction to bestselling romance writer Pamela Abelard. Paralyzed after a hit-and-run accident, the wheelchair-bound Abby is tended by her uncle, Dr. Luke, whose unctuous facade conceals unhealthy secrets. Also on hand are Luke's wife, Charlene, a substance abuser whose finest moment comes when, "naked as a peeled egg," she scrapes $300-a-roll wallpaper off the parlor walls. Among the many richly realized supporting players is a killer who in his downtime paints scenes of Christ. Never letting up on the suspense, Farris piles one Grand Guignol moment on top of another with unerring dexterity, a keen knowledge of human nature and a wicked sense of humor.
From Our Editors
Beautiful, wealthy romance writer Abby Abelard has just met Dr. Joe Bryce, a handsome, dedicated physician with an altruistic streak, a secret past, and sins on his conscience that will not stand the light of day. Are Joe Bryce's sins finally catching up to him?
Annotation
Abby Abelard--blindingly beautiful, fabulously wealthy--is the hottest selling romance writer in America. Dr. Joe Bryce is not what he appears to be. A dedicated physician, he has spent the last three years in war-torn Africa, but he has a frightening past he cannot outrun. When these two meet, the sparks are certain to fly.
From the Publisher
Abby Abelard - blindingly beautiful, fabulously wealthy, she is the hottest-selling romance writer in America today. Dr. Joe Bryce - a dedicated physician, he spent the last three years in war-torn Africa. But he has sins on his conscience that will not stand daylight - and a frightening past he can never outrun. He may also be the handsomest man ever to grace the sands of Abby's lavish beach estate. Abby's life has turned upside down. Friends are proving to be brutal enemies, and enemies terrifying friends. Can it be that Joe Bryce's sins are catching up to him?