The Beachcomber

September 8, 2003
Set in 1950s England, this American debut from prolific British author Cox (Jinnie, etc.)—who is the reigning queen of the London Times bestseller lists—revolves around the lives of two lovers brought together by fate. A year after his car plunged off a cliff, killing his wife and two children, Tom Marcus still mourns their deaths and is determined to find the murderer who rammed their car. Leaving his London life behind, he makes a new start in the seaside village of West Bay, where he meets Kathy Wilson, a woman he has seen from afar twice before in London. Kathy is also escaping her London life, as well as a string of unreliable boyfriends; her selfish sister, Samantha; and her obnoxious mother, Irene, who is so unrealistically evil she puts Cruella De Ville to shame. Inevitably, Tom's desire to exorcise his past demons and find his family's murderer stalls his love affair with Kathy, which leads to a mid-book slump. However, an unexpected final twist and a dramatic conclusion make up for the slow-moving plot. (Oct.)Forecast:With its sandy, wave-swept cover image, this book is a little too late to catch the beach crowd but too summery to appeal to holiday browsers. Though some readers will recognize Cox's name, her arrival on U.S. shores will likely pass without much fanfare.