Amazon.com (ISBN 0553099493, Hardcover)

Kay Hooper crafts an intriguing tale of mystery, murder, and timeless love in Finding Laura. Laura Sutherland, a commercial artist and self-described loner, allows her best friend Cassidy to coax her into attending an estate auction at the home of the wealthy Kilbourne family. Cassidy plays on Laura's obsession with mirrors, telling her she'll probably find all sorts of them at the auction. To her surprise, Laura does find a mirror to add to her collection--one she has been searching for, without quite realizing it, all her life. She buys the intricate brass hand mirror for just a few dollars and returns home with her prize, which, she later discovers, is nearly 200 years old.

Despite the mirror's age, Laura doubts that it is particularly valuable, so she is surprised to receive a visit from Peter Kilbourne, the suave and flirtatious scion of the Kilbourne family, who offers to buy back the mirror for a ridiculous amount of money. Laura flatly refuses Peter's generous offer. For reasons she can't understand, the mirror means more to her than any amount of money.

Two days later, when the police show up at her door, Laura learns that Peter Kilbourne has been murdered and that she was one of the last people to see him alive. More incriminating, though, is the fact that Peter Kilbourne was seen at a motel with a woman matching Laura's description, which makes Laura the prime suspect in his murder. A determination to prove her innocence and a growing belief that Peter's death was somehow connected to the mirror he sought leads Laura to the Kilbourne estate.

Laura is drawn into the Kilbournes' world and finds herself immediately attracted to the enigmatic Daniel Kilbourne, a man much different from the suave playboy, Peter. While she researches the family and the tragic deaths that seem to haunt their history, Laura learns more about the mysterious mirror. Eventually, she uncovers a secret that threatens her life and that of the man she has loved across time itself.

This is a well-crafted tale from a talented author. The secondary characters' romantic subplots are quite entertaining and occasionally more interesting than the primary romance, which could have benefited from a more thoroughly fleshed-out hero. But the engaging story line, coupled with an ingenious ending, offsets this modest flaw, making Finding Laura a thoroughly enjoyable read. --Lisa Wanttaja