In the sequel to Garden of Lies, Rose Santini Griffin and Rachel MacClanahan, now grown with children of their own, once more confront the destiny that has haunted them since they were switched at birth, as Rose's son prepares to marry Rachel's daughter and a widowed Sylvie discovers that she is dying. 125,000 first printing. A sequel to the best-selling Garden of Lies, featuring two girls switched at birth who now have grown children. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. It's been a while since Goudge's Garden of Lies (1990) spent two months on the New York Times best-seller list, but here at last is the long-awaited sequel to the story of Rose and Rachel, whose lives and destinies were forever changed when they were switched at birth during a fire in the hospital where they were born. Now, as mature women, each must face the challenges of middle age and the impending marriage of Rose's son, Drew, and Rachel's adopted daughter, Iris. Rachel finds that both her medical career and her marriage need overhauling; the recently widowed Rose is forced to meet the challenge of integrating loyalty to her late husband with the opportunity for a new love. And both women must face the loss of Rose's biological mother Sylvie, the woman who raised Rachel as her own. The truth of Rose's and Rachel's switched identities has been a long-kept secret shared by Sylvie and Rose, but Sylvie's deathbed confession is shocking and confusing to members of both families. In the weeks that follow Sylvie's death, the families struggle to come to terms with the truth that affects them all. In spite of the contrived plot and some overly dramatic scenes, this is an entertaining story with some interesting characters. Through two minor characters, Goudge does an excellent job of portraying the insidious nature of alcoholic decline and the complicated business of recovery. Grace Fill Goudge's fifth adult romance (Trail of Secrets, 1996, etc.) is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs sequel to Garden of Lies (1989). As readers of that earlier novel know, Rose Santini Griffin and Rachel Rosenthal MacClanahan were switched at birth on the night of a hospital fire. As a result, Rachel grew up surrounded by Manhattan luxury, while Rose was a virtual prisoner of a cruel Brooklyn matriarch. Now in middle age, these two womens lives continue to intertwine. Rose's son Drew has proposed to Rachel's beautiful but seriously disturbed daughter Iris. Rachel thinks Drew will be the answer to her prayers for Iris, but Rose is not so sure. And she has another grudge against Rachel, who knows nothing of their real relationship: Sylvie, Rose's biological mother, has asked her to keep their true connection a secret. But when Sylvie suffers a fatal heart attack, theres enough time for deathbed revelations to expose long-buried truths. Meantime, several romantic subplots thicken the broth: Widowed Rose learns to love again in the arms of sexy, sage Eric Sandstrom; Rachel has to find her way back to estranged husband Brian, while Drew and Iris sort out their own emotional tangle. A likable cast keeps this plot-driven novel from seeming too contrived, and Goudge's adroit handling of sex and love should keep her legion of fans well-sated. (Literary Guild featured alternate selection) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Goudge's command of a potentially risky genre remains for the most part admirably under control, reminding us of the delights to be had in explorations of the improbable. -- The New York Times Book Review, Paula Friedman