Debra Webb Traceless

Traceless

Debra Webb

St Martin's, Sep 2007, $6.99

ISBN 9780312942229

A decade ago in Pine Bluff, Alabama, the testimony of Emily Wallace led to the murder conviction of her boyfriend Clint Austin. Emily saw Clint's bloodied hands at the slashed throat of her best friend Heather Baker. He swore he was innocent that when he saw Heather bleeding to death he tried to stop the flow of blood.

However, Emily is stunned to learn that in spite of the violence of the crime, Clint has been paroled from Holman Prison. He, hardened by his time, returns home obsessed with uncovering the identity of the real culprit. Emily, hardened by his crime, leaves her position at the Samford Medical Research Facility in Birmingham to also come home to insure that her high school squeeze is always reminded of what he did. Clint makes inquiries into the Heather homicide not realizing that the killer watches his every step while plotting a second frame that would insure Austin never comes home again; this time the murderer will use Emily as the victim

This is a superb romantic suspense thriller that grips readers from the moment a stunned Emily learns Clint is free and never slows down as a master manipulator plays the lead characters and the readers like a virtuoso violinist plays his or her instrument. The story line is fast-paced and filled with twists and red herrings in spite of a large support cast made up of the citizens of Pine Bluff. With a fabulous spine chilling climax to close this tense small town thriller, fans will clamor for more tales like this from Debra Webb.

Harriet Klausner