Bestselling mystery writer Lucy Harper, the insecure heroine of this outstanding suspense novel from Edgar finalist Macmillan (The Nanny), is the creator of capable and astute Det. Sgt. Eliza Grey, based on an imaginary childhood friend. Chapters that recount a tragedy in Lucy's past alternate with the main narrative. In 1991, when Lucy was nine years old, she snuck out of her home with her three-year-old brother, Teddy, to see a Summer Solstice celebration taking place in the woods outside Bristol, England. Lucy returned in the early hours of the morning; Teddy did not. Lucy's only emotional support during the difficult period that followed was her imaginary friend, Eliza, who gradually evolved into her fictional police detective. In the present, trouble begins when Lucy's publishers all reject her new novel--because Eliza isn't in it. Lucy's rapacious husband, Dan, is also angry at her decision, as it signals a loss in income. When Dan disappears, the police consider Lucy a suspect. Who can she trust? Herself? Her creation? This deliciously multilayered tale provides genuine, shocking surprises that culminate in a satisfying and unexpected conclusion. Macmillan is a master of misdirection. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency (Canada). (Sept.)