'Tribute' deserving of accolades
'Tribute' deserving of accolades

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Published: July 27, 2008

Best-selling fiction author Nora Roberts pays "Tribute” (G.P. Putnam's Sons, $26.95) to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley by exploring rich and dark secrets of a famous Hollywood actress.

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The Shenandoah Valley is former child star Cilla McGowan's refuge from the prying eyes of Hollywood and her mother. After all, she prefers restoring old houses over being in the spotlight any day. And despite her five-times-married mother's wish that Cilla should not rescue her grandmother's decaying farmhouse in the Shenandoah Valley, Cilla is determined to start a new life there.

Unfortunately, as much as she wants, Cilla can't ignore the connection to her grandmother, Janet Hardy, a legendary actress who led a tumultuous life. Janet, who considered the farmhouse her getaway, died there 30 years ago. Police ruled her death to be a suicide, but Cilla is convinced that something else is amiss when she finds unsigned letters suggesting Janet was pregnant when she died, and the father was a local man.

The divorced Cilla experiences a bit of romance, as well, when her neighbor, graphic novelist Ford Sawyer, pays tribute to her by asking to use her likeness in a new comic book series. However, Cilla steels herself against making the relationship more than just business due to her family tradition of ill-fated romances.

The mystery deepens when Cilla begins receiving threats after she starts restoring the farmhouse. Her friend Steve nearly dies after he is brutally attacked in the barn. Cilla is in a race against time to discover who could possibly want to cause her harm — perhaps just like happened to her grandmother.

From start to finish, "Tribute” keeps readers guessing. With trademark characterization, Roberts presents an enticing thriller that makes a good summertime read. She succeeds again with a No. 1 best-seller.

— Natasha Mitchell