SPRING, THE by Clifford Irving - BOOK - ADVANCE READING COPY

Widower Dennis Conway, a New York attorney, meets widow Sophie Henderson in Aspen. They eventually marry, and Conway moves with his two young children to Sophie's home in Springhill, Colorado--a closely knit community of about 350 stunningly healthy, bright, and handsome people. When Sophie's parents are charged in the double murder of two of the town's elder citizens, Dennis takes the case. He suspects euthanasia, but an autopsy reveals that the victims were remarkably healthy. Further complicating matters are the close-mouthed attitudes of the townsfolk and the forensic evidence, which indicates the victims may have been considerably older than they seemed. Slowly Dennis begins to piece together the town's closely guarded secret. This is an extraordinarily entertaining and thoughtful combination of Lost Horizons and Presumed Innocent. Not only is it a mystery--on at least two levels--but it poses troubling questions concerning prolonged life and its ultimate value.