Smith Casts a Thrilling ‘Shadow’

Jim Christensen, the Pittsburgh psychologist and memory expert in Martin J. Smith’s 1997 debut crime thriller “Time Release,” is back.

In “Shadow Image” (Jove; $5.99), the Los Alamitos author plunges Christensen into “a web of lies, cover-ups and buried secrets” of a powerful political dynasty.

As the book opens, the grand matriarch of the family has been badly injured in a fall into a ravine on the outskirts of her estate. Relatives insist she was trying to commit suicide, but evidence suggests she wasn’t alone.

The woman, wife of a two-term Pennsylvania governor whose son has begun his own ascent into the governor’s mansion, is in an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease and incapable of telling what happened.

But through his work with Alzheimer’s patients, Christensen links the unusual images that the woman has painted in an art therapy class to family secrets locked within her mind.

“Shadow Image” is on Publishers Weekly’s short list of 11 recommended books for summer reading.

In July, Smith and fellow crime thriller writer Phil Reed of Long Beach--and their children--will leave on a book tour of 10 Western states.

The two authors met at Bouchercon--the annual world mystery convention--in Monterey in October.

“We realized we’re kindred spirits,” Smith said.

Like Smith, Reed is a former newspaper reporter, has two children, a second book coming out (“Low Rider”) and was planning a Western-states book tour this summer.

“We’ve turned it into the rolling circus of two dads, two kids, two books and four weeks on the road,” said Smith, 41, adding that their wives can’t get off work to join them on the car trip. “We’ll either all end up in therapy or have a great time.”

The two authors have something else in common: Smith’s “Time Release” has been nominated for Bouchercon’s 1998 Anthony Award, in the category of Best Paperback Original Novel. And Reed has been nominated in the Best First Novel category for “Bird Dog.” Winners will be announced at the mystery convention in Philadelphia in October.

Smith will sign copies of “Shadow Image” at 3 p.m. Saturday at A Gift of Knowledge bookstore, 320 Main St., Seal Beach.

Also This Week

* Guy Finley, author of “The Lost Secrets of Prayer,” will speak and sign at 2 p.m. today at Barnes & Noble in Fashion Island, 953 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach.

* Lynn S. Hightower, author of “No Good Deed,” will speak and sign at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Coffee, Tea & Mystery, 13232 Springdale St., Westminster.

* Author Arthur Byron Cover will speak at the Orange County Science Fiction Club meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at 2400 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton. For more information, call (714) 552-4925.

* The Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts will present a poetry reading at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Barnes & Noble, 13712 Jamboree Road, Irvine.

* Catherine and Maureen Maloof, authors of “Healthy Eating . . . One Step at a Time,” and “Renew Your Heart . . . One Beat at a Time,” will speak and sign at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Borders Books and Music, 25222 El Paseo, Mission Viejo.

* Charles Knief, author of “Sand Dollars,” will sign at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Barnes & Noble in the Huntington Beach Mall, 7777 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach.

* Stella Togo Crawly, author of “In Honor of Women: A Revolutionary Approach to Preventing Breast Cancer and Other Diseases,” will speak and sign at 7 p.m. Friday at Borders Books and Music, 429 Associated Road, Brea.

Send information about book-related events at least 10 days before event to: Dennis McLellan, O.C. Books & Authors, Life & Style, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.