Sweet Cherry Wine

Library Journal

Sixties rock singer and recovering alcoholic Hayley Malone finds a temporary safe haven in which to recuperate after being sexually assaulted by a "ghost" from her past. Watching over her and guarding her privacy is Laney Samms, who joined with a friend to help Hayley after she was raped. Suddenly, however, the safety and privacy of the estate they're living on is shattered when the pet dog is nearly drowned and Laney is assaulted in the shower. Hesitantly at first, and then more surely, the two women do enough detective work to discover the attacker's identity. While the story takes many twists and turns, and the suspense builds to a climax, the novel becomes bogged down under the weight of superficial characters and choppy writing. In addition, although Hayley and Laney immediately become lovers, they just as quickly back off from each other, leaving their relationship unclear from that point on. Seemingly, Schmidt (Silverlake Heat, Naiad Pr., 1993) couldn't decide how to portray her two main characters, resulting in confusion. An optional purchase.-Lisa Nussbaum, Euclid P.L., Ohio