SPENT IDENTITY

In this sequel, a woman’s beloved aunt disappears and clues surface that suggest foul play.

Annalisse Drury is tormented by the uncertainty of her relationship with Alec Zavos, a fabulously wealthy heir to his family’s business empire, and discontented with life in Manhattan and its “cold streets crowded with absentminded New Yorkers fascinated by their phones.” She escapes “Zombieland” for the familiar solace of Walker Farm, a bucolic redoubt in upstate New York where her Aunt Kate lives. But instead of serenity, Annalisse encounters something more discomfiting: Kate’s son, Jeremy, an unsavory character, has decided to sell the farm, and his mother is legally powerless to stop him. Then Kate’s hired hand, Ethan Fawdray, finds a dead man in the barn, a decomposed body with an identification card that belongs to Thomas Taylor, a name that elicits an astonished gasp from Kate, though she refuses to disclose what it means to her. Later, Kate suddenly vanishes, leaving behind evidence that she “fought off an assailant.” Annalisse is beside herself with worry, and Alec calls private investigator Bill Drake to track down Kate. Bell’s (Stolen Obsession, 2018) second installment of the Annalisse series isn’t a stand-alone novel—the plot makes repeated references to its predecessor and even ends with a hint of yet another volume. Those considering reading this book should read the preceding work first. The plot is busy with layers of drama—Alec is being blackmailed by Karl Brooks, his ex-wife’s paramour, a money-hungry drug dealer. The author has a keen eye for the corrosive effects of long-standing secrets, especially those that haunt families. In addition, the story marches to its conclusion at an indefatigable pace, breathlessly action-packed. But the tale also has a soap-operatic quality to it, delivering histrionic melodrama nearly to the point of inadvertent comedy and stark implausibility. For those readers in search of theatrical hyperbole, Bell delivers with an easily companionable style. 

A lively but campy murder mystery.