THORNS OF TRUTH

Goudge's fifth adult romance (Trail of Secrets, 1996, etc.) is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs sequel to Garden of Lies (1989). As readers of that earlier novel know, Rose Santini Griffin and Rachel Rosenthal MacClanahan were switched at birth on the night of a hospital fire. As a result, Rachel grew up surrounded by Manhattan luxury, while Rose was a virtual prisoner of a cruel Brooklyn matriarch. Now in middle age, these two women's lives continue to intertwine. Rose's son Drew has proposed to Rachel's beautiful but seriously disturbed daughter Iris. Rachel thinks Drew will he the answer to her prayers for Iris, but Rose is not so sure. And she has another grudge against Rachel, who knows nothing of their real relationship: Sylvie, Rose's biological mother, has asked her to keep their true connection a secret. But when Sylvie suffers a fatal heart attack, there's enough time for deathbed revelations to expose long-buried truths. Meantime, several romantic subplots thicken the broth: Widowed Rose learns to love again in the arms of sexy, sage Eric Sandstrom; Rachel has to find her way back to estranged husband Brian, while Drew and Iris sort out their own emotional tangle. A likable cast keeps this plot-driven novel from seeming too contrived, and Goudge's adroit handling of sex and love should keep her legion of fans well-sated.