Marcia Willet, Echoes of the Dance

Echoes of the Dance

Marcia Willet

St. Martin's, Apr 2007, $24.95

ISBN: 0312361009

In Dartmoor, Cornwall, Roly converted his barn where he lives into a canine-rescue operation. Roly is unhappy as his overbearing, former wife Monica is coming to town while her new mate is busy at work so that she can see their son Nat. Also besieged with the invasion of Hurricane Monica is the Widow Kate, who sympathizes with Roly and Nat even as the dog rescuer tries to persuade the grieving widow to take in a canine. However, Kate soon realizes that father and son have hidden key elements in their relationship with calculating Monica that explains much.

Meanwhile Roly's sister Mim runs a dance studio in London so they don't see each other as much as they used too when he was a photographer as he has since retired. She wants to help Daisy Quin, an injured former dancer adjust to becoming either becoming a civilian or an instructor while her sibling takes in the stray human.

Fans of Marcia Willett will rejoice with the return of Kate Webster and friends (see FIRST FRIENDS and A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY) as everyone rallies to help one another work through their personal issues. The key characters as always are full blooded and remain consistent with past performances. Though the storyline in some ways reads like a series of episodes that techniques works as it adds to the feel of real people with worries until the too sappy ending.

Harriet Klausner