Dangerous to Know

July 31, 1995
Hate, lust and considerable intrigue propel Bradford's latest (after Everything to Gain), a romantic mystery. Sebastian Locke, the last great philanthropist, has the world at his fingertips--power, money and a beautiful fiancee. Suddenly, mysteriously, he commits suicide--or does he? The answer is unveiled through a series of first-person narratives by members of his dysfunctional family. Vivien, his third wife, who seduced, married and divorced Sebastian but remained his confidante, will stop at nothing to learn the truth behind his death. But the philanthropist's son, Jack, hated his father with a passion that rendered the younger man impotent; glad to be out from under his father's shadow, he couldn't care less about the truth. Meanwhile, Luciana, the fragile daughter with a will of iron that matches her father's, is determined to gain control of Sebastian's assets and to start a new Locke dynasty of her own. Bradford's writing style is dialogue-heavy and laid-back, sometimes passionless, but the clever and unexpected plot twists, capped by the revelation of Sebastian's shattering secret, will keep the author's many fans entranced. $250,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections; simultaneous HarperAudio release; simultaneous large print edition from G.K. Hall; author tour; rights: Janklow & Nesbit.

September 1, 1995
The unexpected suicide of billionaire philanthropist Sebastian Locke troubles Vivienne Trent, who knows that only some horrible revelation could have motivated his self-destruction. Vivienne investigates, and along the way readers share the perspectives of Sebastian's two children before a mysterious countess provides a horrifying explanation. The facile psychological explanations, laced with jargon to explain Sebastian's inability to love, may grate on some readers. A series of improbable coincidences and the large age gaps between sexual partners that figure in the plot resolution may bother others. Still, the central drive to solve the riddle pulls the reader along. Hints of the next Locke generation plus a romance in progress for Vivienne point to a sequel. Bradford's (Angel, Random, 1993) popularity and the selection of her novel by major book clubs ensure heavy public library demand. [A Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selection; previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/95.]--Kathy Piehl, Mankato State Univ., Minn.

April 1, 1995
The redoubtable Bradford is back with the story of a distinguished American family in eclipse.