HEIR OF DECEIT

In Martin’s (Impressions of Innocence, 2003) thriller/romance, a young woman risks all to confront a curse and discover the truth behind her lineage.

Lacey Roberts is in her final year of college at the University of Arizona when she meets a young man named Evanston Brighton, whom she immediately nicknames “Evs.” A few months of whirlwind courtship later, she finds herself engaged to him, even though she’s still grieving over her father’s mysterious murder. When a second tragedy strikes, she’s shocked to learn that her mother may have been somehow involved in her father’s death. Spurred on by her mother’s cryptic remarks, a bizarre poem and an old diary entry, Lacey becomes convinced that the women in her family are all cursed to kill the men they love. She goes in search of her rough-and-tumble mountain relatives in North Carolina, leaving behind her life and fiancee to pursue the truth at all costs. When Evanston and a threatening figure from her mother’s past both decide to come after her, she realizes that her life, and the lives of her newfound family, may be in danger. Lacey is a likable, earnest heroine, if a bit naïve, and Martin’s liberal use of plot twists and misdirection makes for an excellently paced tale. The novel deftly switches between past and present, and even between first- and third-person points of view, without ever becoming confusing. Yet, as with Lacey and Evanston’s relationship, the novel often feels rushed. Lacey jumps from being puzzled by her father’s death to being certain of a demonic curse far too quickly, and the truth surrounding her parentage unfolds in a way that some readers may find unnecessarily disturbing. The novel also relies far too heavily on dialogue for plot exposition. However, the North Carolina mountain setting is compelling, and Martin’s ability to keep readers guessing throughout is certainly laudable.

A love story that, despite some hiccups, offers a satisfying mix of intrigue and idealistic love.