The client for this mystery is none other than Sharon McCone herself. The 40-something detective is feeling pretty good about her life – her love life is secure, her business is strong, she's just been profiled in People magazine. But then a friend tells her a strange story. She was at a party and a woman she had never seen before claimed to be Sharon McCone. She slightly resembled the real person and knew details about Sharon's personal and professional life.

At first, the real Sharon is perplexed but not overly concerned. But then the imposter Sharon starts to negatively affect the real one's life. The strange woman is not fussy about her bed partners, and she apparently doesn't mind stealing from her one night stands. Outraged men start tracking down the real Sharon and demanding answers. Sharon's reputation is at risk, and she hasn't a clue about who might want to impersonate her with malicious intent. But she realizes something creepy and sinister is going on.

"God, I don't need this. My life is totally disrupted. My identity's being stolen from me. Identity. What is it anyway? Identity is the inner you, the unique way you think and act and respond. When a stranger has such a strong grasp of these things that she can manipulate you, you're losing your absolute essence. Your soul.

Yes, that's what she's doing. She's trying to steal my soul."

Sharon McCone is a tough but thoughtful heroine, and it's easy to sympathize with her dilemma. It drives her crazy to be a victim and to have no control over the situation. However, about half way through the novel, Sharon figures out the identity of her tormenter, and then it's a race to see how quickly she can track the imposter down and pinpoint her motives as well. The resolution is a little weaker than the intriguing setup, but McCone and the interesting cast of supportive friends and co-workers keep the reader involved until the last page.

Many mystery fans out there will be familiar with this long-running series that helped establish the female detective genre. If you're not, you will probably still enjoy While Other People Sleep – Muller does a credible job of providing a sketchy background for the characters – but you certainly won't be sorry if you read a handful of the earlier books as well.

--Susan Scribner