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Acid humor and piercing insight mark this novel about death, divorce, exes, lovers and surrogate children on and off a snooty East Coast island. In a kaleidoscopic display of shifting perceptions, Benedict (Slow Dancing) chronicles the simultaneously sardonic and self-lacerating attempt of struggling novelist and celeb-bio ghostwriter Sophy Chase to come to terms with the death of her almost-ex-husband Will, a former CIA agent. When the phone call comes, Sophy is in bed with her lover, British art dealer Daniel Jacobs, in her New York City apartment. Despite deepening affection between her and his four adopted Vietnamese children, Sophy and Daniel's couplehood is one of convenience. When Sophy returns to Swansea, the island off the coast of Massachusetts where she lived with Will, she must face the fallout of his death possibly by suicide, possibly her fault without Daniel. But she is hardly alone. Surrounded by friends (gay funnyman Henderson, ex-lover and celebrity defense lawyer Evan Lambert), possible enemies (her two adult ste-daughters and their mother) and a host of island acquaintances straight out of Town and Country, Sophy waits for the coroner's report to clear up the central mystery of Will's death. Meanwhile, several more mysteries develop: Who is Crystal Sparrow, and why did she leave a message on Will's answering machine just before he died? Where is Sophy's mutt, Henry? What terrible news did Evan and his wife receive the evening Sophy arrived at their island home? Benedict masterfully follows each small drama with a satisfying, emotional release. The effect is page-turning suspense that doesn't skimp on characterization or intelligence. Such versatility makes it equally suitable for a day at the beach or a few concentrated hours in a more sober setting. Author tour. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

In her fifth book, Benedict (Slow Dancing) explores the difficult choices and consequences of daily life. With divorce in mind, Sophy Chase leaves her husband, Will, on the Massachusetts island of Swansea. She heads to New York City to pursue her writing career and a passionate but superficial relationship with her lover, Daniel. Since neither is free to move the relationship forward, it remains unsatisfactory for both. A call from the Massachusetts State Police sends Sophy hurrying back to Swansea to bury the man she just left. Was it suicide or a heart attack? Sophy chases her feelings of guilt as she confronts family, ex-wives, would-be lovers, and other people's scandals. Eventually, she is forced to draw her own conclusions and find her own peace regarding Will's death. Benedict's writing is sharp and insightful, and her characters live and breathe. While the humor promised on the cover does not materialize, the drama is vividly portrayed. Recommended.Joanna M. Burkhardt, Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Univ. of Rhode Island, Providence (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Benedict (Safe Conduct, 1993, etc.) returns with a pseudo-mystery about a ghostwriter chasing a ghost-and her guilt-through a story that is successful in spite of itself. Sophy left Will three months ago, and Will died three weeks ago. A novelist who makes extra dough ghosting for contemptible celebrities, Sophy has, since the separation, re-established her life in New York, when she gets the news of Will's demise (possibly a suicide, because of you-know-who). Sophy feels called to Swansea, a Martha's Vineyard-style island where she has some history, and, once there, she wades through the clutter, both literal and emotional, that trails sudden death. Will's CIA background, a celebrity friend's sex scandal, and a missing girl provide a flavor of mystery that makes for some weird fun. Sophy isn't entirely likable as a narrator-she has a penchant for not-so-funny one-liners-and as she wanders about looking for answers that won't come, it's a pleasure to watch her unravel some. In fact, it's the people on the fringes who seem the most real here: a set of Vietnamese adoptees, a bartender who recognizes Sophy from AA meetings, Ben, the neighbor who discovered Will's body, and Will himself (who's more interesting than Sophy, even though he's dead). Benedict's pop-culture references threaten to give her prose the shelf life of a Ding Dong, while the many references to texts seem intended to remind us that, despite the ghostwriting, Sophy really does have a significant library. Still, Sophy's journey brings her to a touching bit of earned sentiment: her mysteries are more rhetoric than romance, and she is ultimately ordinary. If you're not tired of novelists trying to write novels about novelists trying to write anything, then here is an amusing ride through a mystery whose solution is that it isn't a mystery at all, but life as lived.