Superstition by Karen Robards

From the Publisher

This is the new book-from the New York Times bestselling author of Bait...

From one of the most popular voices in women's fiction comes a new thriller about a female journalist investigating the unsolved murder of a teenage girl that occurred fifteen years before. But another murder soon proves that the killer has unfinished business-and secrets to keep hidden.

Publishers Weekly

Combining elements of a Southern gothic, a cozy comedy, a sexy romance and a serial killer thriller, this new offering from Robards (Bait, etc.) tries to be too many things at once, and the result is a mishmash of familiar devices and recycled characters. One such is Joe Franconi, a big city cop turned police chief for small Pawleys Island, S.C. With his "washboard abs" and painful past, Joe is the average tortured hero, and sexy TV reporter Nicky Sullivan is his natural counterpart. Nicky, with the help of her psychic mother, intends to revisit the scene of a 15-year-old unsolved murder, but Mayor Vince Capra will do anything-even enlist the local police-to keep the program from airing. With no legal ground to stand on, Joe fails to stop the filming, but he's conveniently on hand to rescue Nicky when she stumbles on a fresh murder victim and nearly becomes one herself. Has the killer from 15 years ago resurfaced, or is a new killer on the loose? Joe and Nicky spend as much time arguing over who will solve the case as they do staring "hotly" at one another, but ironically, neither succeeds in solving anything. Though the book has its suspenseful moments (and its amusing ones, which primarily involve a pig named Cleo), its final twist feels manufactured simply to bring hero and heroine together. Agent, Robert Gottlieb. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Robards's latest is possibly the most entertaining of all her romantic mysteries. Superstition contains all the ingredients that promise a truly engrossing listen: a beautiful heroine with a madly zany family; a handsome hero suffering bravely through major personal problems; and a psychic who is "blocked." Television reporter Nicole Sullivan grew up on Pawley's Island, SC, a tourist Mecca where life is easy and slow moving. The biggest news story in the community's history is the unsolved murder of three teenagers 15 years ago. Since that grisly event, the house where one of the young girls lived is reputed to be haunted. Nicole is anxious for a big-time story that will bring her to the attention of the national TV markets. Since her mother is a psychic, Nicole decides to broadcast from the "haunted" house, while her mother channels the spirits. During the broadcast, a member of the crew is killed in a manner that eerily re-creates the original murders. Joyce Bean reads in a no-holds-barred, exciting tone. Highly recommended for all fiction collections.-Nancy Reed, McCracken Cty. P.L., Paducah, KY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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