The Alibi

August 30, 1999
The prolific Brown (Unspeakable) undoubtedly has another bestseller in her latest suspense novel, which catches its protagonist in a tricky ethical situation. When Charleston real estate developer Lute Pettijohn is murdered in the penthouse suite of the posh hotel he recently built, there is no shortage of likely suspects; Pettijohn is one of the most hated men in town. On the same night that the murder occurs, assistant district attorney Hammond Cross attends a county fair, where he meets a mysterious woman who refuses to tell him her name. But Cross is so smitten he cajoles her into spending the night with him in his country cabin. Later, when a witness places the woman, now identified as respected psychologist Dr. Alex Ladd, at the scene of the crime, she becomes the number one suspect. Hammond, the prosecutor on the case, finds himself furious at, suspicious of and in love with the beautiful Ladd. Her alibi, obviously, is that she was with him when the crime was committed, but it turns out that she could have shot Pettijohn and still managed to turn up at the fair. Hammond believes her innocent, however, and in spite of his ambitions for higher office, he risks his career to find the real killer. Brown's gift for taut pacing compresses the time frame of the book into one short week, and she mixes the suspense with steamy romance. A web of labyrinthine relationships becomes ever more intricate until the identity of the killer is revealed, a shock that would be implausible in a less carefully constructed tale. Major ad/promo; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections.

May 1, 1999
Only the skimpiest plot details--a prosecuting attorney turns out to be the alibi in a murder case--but unquestionably a big purchase.

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 1999
Brown's fans will find "The Alibi" to be an entertaining and satisfying addition to her list of previous works. "Set in Charleston, South Carolina, the novel offers the southern location and attitude for which Brown is known. The climate is steamy and so is the chance meeting and sexual encounter of District Attorney Hammond Cross and a mysterious but irresistible woman. How could he know that she would be the prime suspect in the murder of one of the city's leading citizens? How could he know that he would be able to provide her with an airtight alibi for the time of the murder? Suspicion of her motives and fear for his own reputation and political future stop him from coming forward but don't prevent him from working to solve the crime himself. His search for the truth is complicated by a sultry, ambitious woman colleague who is after his job; a politically crafty father with shady connections to the murdered man; a stiffly proper and tightly controlled police investigator; and a whole pile of other supporting characters, all with their own crooked, violent, promiscuous, and otherwise unsavory but interesting quirks. As you might expect, love and justice triumph, and all the bad guys get their due. This is a fun and quick read, and it is probably safe to assume that Brown has produced another best-seller. ((Reviewed August 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)