SEE ISABELLE RUN

Bloom, who’s written as Beth Saulnier about enterprising reporter Alex Bernier (Ecstasy, 2003, etc.), introduces another winning heroine in this tale of murder at a New York media mogul’s empire.

When her caddish fiancé abandons Isabelle Leonard at the altar, Becky Belden, who’s part Martha Stewart and part Oprah, descends from her empyrean realm to offer a job to the plucky lass who made headlines by dancing on the table at her reception, taking her best friend on her honeymoon, and donating the furniture the cad had picked out to the Salvation Army. Arriving at Becky Belden Multimedia, Isabelle is daunted both by her job description (what does her boss, Director of Special Projects Lisa Kinne, do, and what’s Lisa’s assistant supposed to do?) and by the fact that the job opened up because her predecessor, Marcia Landon, was pushed in front of a subway. And Marcia wasn’t the only one. In recent months, at least six BBM employees have vanished or fallen victim to hit-and-run drivers, meningitis, drug overdoses, or peanut allergies. What one key could unlock such different doors to death—and is the next door open for Isabelle?

An appealing heroine and an intriguing mystery undercut by the world’s most unconvincing hit man and an extended finale that leaves the killer at large—not, it’s to be hoped, for the encore Isabelle so richly deserves.