This time out, I have the latest from Nora Roberts, Tribute (Putnam). Cilla McGowan was a child star, but as she grew up, she realized that life wasn't for her. So now, she flips houses, and her latest project is a home of her own: one that used to belong to her late, and very famous grandmother, actress Janet Hardy. Janet's accidental death was a tragedy, one a lot of people--fans and family--never fully recovered from. Cilla's mother Bedelia, aka Dilly, Hardy has always tried to step out of her mother's shadow, unsuccessfully, but she still doesn't understand Cilla's need to fully change her life, and definitely not in that place. While cleaning out her attic, Cilla finds letters written to her grandmother that make it sound as if she were pregnant when she died. And make Cilla wonder who the secret lover was, and if someone else had something to do with Janet's death. Her new neighbor is Ford Sawyer, a successful graphic novelist, who makes her think about things besides all the work she's got to do on her new home, things she's never really thought of, or allowed herself to believe in. There is someone, however, in the small Virginia town who doesn't want her there, who doesn't want her fixing up the rambling old farmhouse and reviving old memories of Janet. Someone who'll go to almost any lengths to scare Cilla off. But Cilla doesn't scare easily, and this unknown person's actions become steadily more dangerous to Cilla. I liked this one quite a lot. Cilla has a lot of past to overcome, and even before the start of the story has overcome quite a bit. Ford is the perfect foil for her, and fortunately, he doesn't scare easily either. Then there's the wide cast of secondary characters, many of whom could be the villain (though I did know early on whodunit), people who might not be quite the person they're presenting to the world. Absolutely fantastic! This one's earned four and a half of Cupid's five arrows. I hated to see the end of this one, and now we have to wait till November for her next Robb book.
Until next time, happy reading!
