Girl falling A novel

In this twisty if far-fetched psychological thriller from Lambda Award winner Scrivenor (Dirt Creek), three young women set out to rappel down a cliff in an Australian national park--but only two survive. When Daphne Bennett, who has long harbored unrequited feelings for park guide Finn Young, suggests the excursion to Finn and her grad-student girlfriend, Magdu Fernandes, Finn and Magdu brush aside their misgivings. Then, disaster strikes: Finn, who ventures out first, watches Magdu, the woman she hoped to marry, plummet past her in a blaze of orange. Was it a tragic accident, or something more sinister? As police explore the possibility of foul play and grill a grieving, guilt-wracked Finn--whom Magdu's conservative family blames for their daughter's death--she is forced to face hard truths about her relationships with both her deceased girlfriend and the increasingly frightening Daphne. Those reflections gradually lead to the unearthing of a lurid web of secrets and lies, culminating in a bombshell reveal that's likely to leave some readers feeling played. Still, Scrivenor's evocative sense of place and unerring aim for the emotional jugular keep the pages turning. It's not perfect, but Scrivenor delivers some gratifying jolts. (Mar.)