False Pretenses
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4.4 • 160 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter’s first contemporary suspense novel: the explosive story of how one woman survives the destruction of her perfect life—and the dubious intentions of three mysterious men...
A famous concert pianist married to a wealthy international business tycoon, Elizabeth Carleton is the envy of all—until the night her husband is stabbed in the chest with an ice pick and everything falls apart.
Accused of murder, Elizabeth has little hope of being exonerated until a surprise witness appears to give her an airtight alibi. The jury finds her not guilty. The only thing is: She’s never met the man who testified on her behalf.
Free and completely bewildered, Elizabeth must now cope with the financial empire her husband left behind and his family, who want to destroy her. Then three men suddenly appear in her life. Can she trust any of them? Or is one of them a murderer?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Neither Lincoln Center nor Wall Street comes across with credibility in this first hardcover novel by the author of 18 Regency and historical romances. Set against the glittering Manhattan world of corporate finance and performing arts is a shifting population of heroes and villains, white knights and charlatans. Barely acquitted of her elderly husband's ice-pick murder, pianist Elizabeth Carleton struggles to rule his financial empire, developing unusual alliances while learning firsthand about hostile takeovers. Although confronted by vicious in-laws rivaling the Borgias in their skill for blackmail and betrayal, Elizabeth thrives surrounded by attentive and attractive men. A trusted bodyguard guides her through the intricacies of acquisition politics, an acquaintance made during a European junket becomes her confidant and she is later squired by a mysterious and wealthy psychiatrist who perjured himself to assure her acquittal. Elizabeth's trials pose as a romantic mystery thriller but the book suffers from stilted dialogue and equally awkward descriptions of violent confrontations and sexual couplings. Non sequiturs concerning affirmative action and safe sex merely accessorize the dated formula, reminiscent of a TV saga. ( October)
