Slippery Slopes & Other Deadly Things

What's a biofeedback practitioner to do when a conference honoring your field's Jonas Salk (who gropes you in a hot tub with his wedding-banded hand) becomes a bloodbath on skis, you're under suspicion for murder because your scarf apparently strangled one of the victims, your entire vocation comes under attack by fanatic fellow doctors, and all the while your cheating ex-husband and homicide-cop love of your life insist on making your emotions spike off the EEG scale? If you're biofeedback practitioner and heroine Carrie Carlin, you "get your kicks out of livin' dangerously" (as anti-biofeedback antagonist Flo Zimmer says), act like a lightning rod for assassins, and stick your nose in where it doesn't belong. When people around married but roving-handed conference honoree Dr. Hubert Freundlich start dying, it's up to the much-suspected much-shot-at Carrie (whose scarf puts her under suspicion) to unravel the mystery on the Vermont ski slopes. In true amateur-detective fashion, Carrie proves she's earned her PhD (Plucky Heroine Degree) by uncovering a killer you only begin to suspect the second half of the book. The killer's motives are real, human and even understandable, but still despicable. The secret is truly juicy, but plays second fiddle to Carrie and her engaging, endearing personality, her devotion to her children, her sparkling commentary, and her marriage dilemma with sexy-but-flawed cop Ted Brodsky, who tries to protect her despite herself. A fun page-turner.

This year the annual International Association of Biofeedback Practitioners is being held at the Snowridge ski resort in Sunnyville Vermont. The attendees include Carrie Carlin, who has a small practice in Bergen, New Jersey. She is particularly excited about this conference because the guest speaker, Dr. Hubert Freundlich, has made a significant breakthrough in the field, one that Carrie can use in her own practice.At her first meeting with Hubert, he makes a pass at her in a hot tub filled with people, one of whom is his wife. At lunch the next day his assistant, Charlie Anders drunkenly hints that he has something on the good doctor. Shortly after that, he is murdered and Carrie gets involved when it's is discovered he was wearing her scarf. It turns out that her friend Dr. Joe Golden had the scarf in his possession and was going to give it back to her before it mysteriously disappeared. Joe also got into a fight with the victim one hour before he was killed but Carrie is sure he is innocent and intends to prove it over the objections of her significant other because he doesn't want her to be used as bait by an overzealous policeman.This amateur sleuth tale showcases a heroine who is prone to take risks even when she is only indirectly involved in a homicide investigation. She is exasperatingly stubborn and so good hearted that readers find themselves rooting for her and wanting her to back off while also feeling sorry for her lover who has to put up with her. Nancy Tesler knows how to write an extremely exciting who-done-it that can't be put down.Harriet Klausner