Therapist Casey Ellis knew she was a product of a one-night stand between her mother (now comatose) and her renowned psychologist father. But she never met him, and he never acknowledged her until after his death, when he left her his mortgage-free townhouse in Boston's upscale Beacon Hill. Casey has every intention of selling it and reaping a sizable nest egg, but circumstances cause her to linger. When she discovers writings about a young woman named Jenny Clyde among her father's belongings, she is determined to find out more about Jenny and to understand the father she never knew. This is another "I didn't want to put it down" novel from Delinsky, a popular author of contemporary romantic fiction (An Accidental Woman). Highly recommended for all public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/03.]-Samantha Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Narrator Emond effectively performs two intertwining stories in Delinsky's latest. The product of a one-night stand, Casey Ellis has followed her father's career as an acclaimed psychologist from afar, although he has never acknowledged Casey as his daughter. When he dies and leaves his townhouse to Casey, she is stunned. Exploring the rooms, she finds a manuscript about a troubled teen named Jenny, who was physically abused by her mother and sexually abused by her father. The father served a six-year term in prison for murdering the mother, and as the manuscript begins, is about to be released from prison. The terrified Jenny looks to escape with a mysterious stranger named Pete. While Casey looks for clues to Jenny's identity and fate, and how it all ties in with her father, she simultaneously finds romance with Jordan, a gardener who turns out to be an undercover detective also tied in with Jenny. Emond reads in a warm, sympathetic tone, best at voicing Jenny, the vulnerable, anxious teenager. She does not create distinctive character voices, but she does deepen her voice slightly for the male characters and, during conversations, alters her voice enough to alert listeners to which character is speaking. Simultaneous release with the Scribner hardcover (Forecasts, May 5). (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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