JUST FOR THE SUMMER

Van Wormer (Jury Duty, 1996, etc.), apparently an insider herself, has the glamorama Hamptons scene down to a T; the real- life celebrities and loosely veiled characters (a Barbara Streisandlike diva, a Donna Karanesque designer, etc.) that fill up the cast here make for a complicated romance/mystery as voyeuristic as it is fun. When Mary Liz Scott retires from investment banking at the tender age of 33, she's ready—for the first time in her life—to relax. She assumes that her godmother Nancy Hoffman's request that Mary Liz head out to East Hampton to help her organize her late husband's estate will provide plenty of opportunities for taking it easy. But Alfred Hoffman's death may not have been an accident, and his peculiar will has the wealthy circles on Long Island abuzz. After just a few days, Mary Liz's office is broken into. Alfred's son Bertie and stepson Julius appear to know far more than they're telling. And even Nancy may have some tricks up her sleeve. Mary Liz's only respite from the madness—Nancy, a charity queen, has her attending functions practically every night—is the young, handsome Sky, a summer golf pro. But in Van Wormer's vision of the Hamptons, people are never what they seem, not even Mary Liz, who immediately installs an alarm system, secures access to Alfred's vaults, and keeps a sharp eye on everyone she meets. When Herbert Glidden (who's suing Nancy for Alfred's estate) dies, Mary Liz realizes that she's truly at risk and enters a race against time to uncover the secrets, solve the murders, and sort out the finances and dirty deals. Like reading the juiciest People magazine possible, with a convoluted yet engrossing plot and a genuine flow of suspense. (First printing of 50,000; author tour)