Killer Body

A reporter investigates a spokesmodel's disappearance, uncovering disturbing truths about how women strive for perfection in this suspenseful mystery. Rikki Fitzpatrick's cousin, Lisa Tilton, died just before her wedding. Worried about her appearance, Lisa was getting fit with a program from Killer Body Weight Loss. Lisa's mother believes the diet plan caused her daughter's heart attack and wants Rikki to write an investigative expose about Killer Body's dangerous regimen. Julie Larimore is the face and the figure for Killer Body, an image of feminine perfection, lithe and beauty. When Julie vanishes without a trace, Rikki joins the media circus pursuing the story, hoping to find answers about what happened to her cousin. Instead, Rikki finds herself drawn into Killer Body's coverup story: a contest to find the fitness chain's new spokesmodel. The three finalists include an actress whose star is fading, a princess estranged from her royal husband, and a tabloid celebrity disgraced by her affair with a famous newscaster. The competition between the three women gets ugly as they publicly backstab one another, all obsessed with becoming the new Julie Larimore. But when each woman's life is threatened, Rikki suspects that someone is trying to protect Julie's position and legacy. And as Rikki digs deeper into Julie's disappearance, she finds more questions than answers. "e;Hill gets the reader's attention with a contemporary issue (is slim the only way to be?), intriguing characters, and clever plotting."e; Publishers Weekly"e;Fans . . . will appreciate Hill's skill in combining first-rate suspense with glamorous characters and a topical story line."e; Booklist