What Matters Most: 8 - Hardcover

Victor, Cynthia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525940332 ISBN 13: 9780525940333

Publisher: Dutton Adult, 1996

Synopsis

In a novel by the author of Only You and Relative Sins, a single woman struggles to find out the truth about the death of her best friend, whose handsome brother may hold a terrible secret. 35,000 first printing. $35,000 ad/promo.

About this title

Review

New York career woman Lainey Wolfe feels something is lacking in her life after she visits her best friend, Farrell Cole. Farrell seemingly has it all: an adoring husband, a beautiful home, and three children to make the dreams worthwhile. When Farrell and her husband are killed in a tragic accident, Lainey is forced to step into the shoes she has coveted. The choices she must make are difficult. Career or family? Passion or love? To further complicate her life, Lainey finds herself falling for Farrell's ne'er-do-well brother, Penn, and discovers many unpleasant secrets about Farrell that would do better to stay hidden. As much as she would love to suppress her feelings for Penn, and keep Farrell's reputation spotless, Lainey discovers that nothing worthwhile is easy, and that of course nothing is ever what you expect it will be.

From Kirkus Reviews

The team who write under the pseudonym of Cynthia Victor (Only You, 1994, etc.) now join the army of romance writers coupling love with serial murder. Commercial artist Lainey Wolfe, based in Manhattan, covets the life of best friend Farrell Cole. While Lainey toils away drawing cutesy characters like ``Matilda and Mommy'' and ``Patsy Pony,'' Farrell lives with her prosperous lawyer husband and their two swell kids in a picture-perfect home in Connecticut. What more could a girl ask for, thinks Lainey, than glowing fireplaces, a closetful of cashmere dresses, and the aroma of boeuf bourguignon cooking in the kitchen? But, in truth, Farrell is bored with suburban life and longs to recover her adventurous youth. With that in mind, she tries an afternoon as a call girl at a local hotel--a departure from the straight and narrow that leads to disaster: The Coles are found dead in their bed, apparent victims of carbon-monoxide poisoning, and Lainey, through a prearranged agreement, becomes guardian of their children. Though never one for commitments, she moves to Connecticut and begins the difficult switch from single careerwoman to single mom, with two grieving children to care for. She's not helped much by Farrell's sexy brother Penn, a successful TV producer who drinks too much and who's staying in the guesthouse. Penn and Lainey find their fights punctuated both by sexual tension and growing affection. But in romance, no one can live happily ever after while there's a killer loose on the home front. Though the reader knows from the start that the murderer is an overweight neighbor who bakes great cakes, Lainey and her lover are forced to follow an uninventive trail to piece it all out. Much more engrossing than their last outing; still, some attractive characters and believable relationships are done in by an amateur mystery filled with fortunate coincidences and tired clich‚s. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0525940332
• ISBN 13: 9780525940333
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336