October 15, 2004
No one in Troutville, New Jersey, can believe that Holly's cousin, Lizbeth, is marrying wealthy Dylan Dunhill from "Up Hill," or the other side of the tracks. Reactions from the town range from disbelief to mean-spirited jokes to causing "accidents." The rich girls, who years ago cruelly dubbed the members of the wedding party Holly the Whore, Lay Me Lizzie, Good Time Gayle, and Filthy Flea, continue to verbally abuse the "Down Hill" women, but this is the least of their worries--someone is mad enough to resort to murder to stop the wedding. With so many people against the nuptials, detective Jake is having a hard time narrowing down the list of suspects. He is as worried about Holly as he is about the bride-to-be because he has loved her since they were teenagers. Readers who enjoy exciting tales such as Merline Lovelace's gripping novel " After Midnight" (2003) will enjoy this suspenseful, delightfully puzzling romance/mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)