by James Patterson

Oh-so-smart Manhattan book editor Katie Wilkinson is kicking herself for being oh-so-blind: Matt, her out-of-town lover for nearly a year, has just dumped her, leaving her with a diary—written by his wife, Suzanne.

Best known for such cineplex-ready mysteries as Kiss the Girls, James Patterson this time has crafted a love story as suspenseful as any thriller. The diary is about Suzanne and Matt's love affair, written for their baby Nicholas. The happy family lives on Martha's Vineyard, where Suzanne is a country doctor and Matt is a housepainter and budding poet. Their life together is achingly romantic, with nights spent dancing on the beach and days whirling on the island's carousel.

So how could Matt be cheating on Suzanne? And how could he be so cruel as to give his wife's diary to his lover? Katie can't stop reading; you won't be able to either. Though the story is weighty with matters of birth, life and death, it's also clever, light and as welcoming as an ocean breeze. (Little, Brown, $22.95)

Bottom Line: Winning entry