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February 16, 2009 at 6:09PM

THE AGENCY
By Ally O'Brien (St. Martin's Press, 320 pages, $24.95)

Bestselling Minnesota mystery novelist Brian Freeman takes a stab at chick lit with this frequently funny and salacious tale, written under a pseudonym with his London agent, Ali Gunn. Audacious, tough-talking protagonist Tess Drake is, surprise, a London entertainment agent, with questionable morals and a taste for stylish living. Like her streaked blond hair, she is "a delicate balance of young, hip, tarty and aggressive." After her boss is found dead in an apparent "erotic asphyxia" incident, she decides she wants to start her own agency. She encounters all sorts of complications -- from clients, colleagues and enemies -- and that's before she becomes a murder suspect. The writers spend a lot of time establishing Tess' failings, to the point where she isn't particularly sympathetic. It's a little hard to care what happens to someone who willfully has created so many messes in her life. But as "The Agency" builds momentum, it's easy to get caught up in Tess' glamorous, fast-paced world of lovers, parties and deals, wondering just what is going to happen next.

MARCI SCHMITT, FEATURES LAYOUT EDITOR

HEART AND SOUL

By Maeve Binchy. (Alfred A.Knopf, 432 pages, $26.95)

Didn't Maeve Binchy tell us, oh, four or five novels ago, that she was retiring? But here she is, still creating these sweet worlds of young and middle-aged romance in modern Dublin. In her latest book, you'll find all the familiar Binchy themes: women breaking free of unworthy men; women gaining the courage to follow their bliss; women almost marrying the wrong man, but stopping themselves in the nick of time. "Heart and Soul" swirls around a new holistic heart hospital, established by Dr. Clara Casey, who is the heart and soul of the place. Under her guidance and encouragement, a young immigrant finds her confidence, a judgmental old doyenne finds her heart and an awkward physician finds true love. Everything fits together neatly in Binchy's world, just clicks into place, but sometimes, you know, at the end of a long week, a long winter, a long economic downturn, that's exactly what we need.

LAURIE HERTZEL, BOOKS EDITOR

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