I'll Walk Alone

March 7, 2011
MWA Grand Master Clark (The Shadow of Your Smile) explores identity theft in her middling 30th novel. Almost two years after someone snatched Alexandra "Zan" Moreland's then three-year-old son, Matthew, from his stroller while his sitter dozed, Zan, a New York City interior designer who remains devastated, has been unable to trace her son. To make matters worse, somebody is using her credit cards to purchase expensive items just as she's on the verge of landing a prestigious account for her fledgling business. Worst of all, evidence emerges that suggests Zan kidnapped her own son. Meanwhile, a priest is troubled by a woman whose confession reveals that a murder is being planned. Contrivances that prevent key information from reaching the heroine as well as characters without personality in the service of a plot with at least one major hole won't please those who prefer their suspense firmly grounded in reality and logic.

Interior designer Zan Moreland is shocked to discover that someone has stolen her identity. But this isn't a simple case of stolen credit cards--the imposter is appearing around town dressing and acting just like Zan. The stakes are raised when a priest at Zan's church is brutally murdered after the look-alike attends confession. Jan Maxwell's narration skillfully highlights Zan's panic and horror when photographs surface suggesting that she herself kidnapped her son, who disappeared five years earlier. Maxwell's soft speaking voice is a perfect match for Zan and her conflicted imposter but lacks the hard- edged authenticity needed for the book's violent characters. Maxwell's narration is paced on the slow side, a choice that is not the wisest for a mystery with breakneck action. J.T. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine