The Widow's Trial

Plover is the brutal, sexually magnetic macho man who causes a sensational murder trial in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. He has been killed by his second wife, Winnette, whose naive and winsome ways are a concern to her friend and co-worker at the jeans factory, Mavis, who had been Plover's first wife. Mavis wonders anxiously about Winnette, ``What if she made a gentleman of Plover? What if he came to be dependable and sober?'' It turns out, however, that all of Plover's ugly traits--drug using and -running, sadism--were revealed in his brief, explosive marriage to Winnette. At the trial, we hear unabashedly from everyone--judge, jury, court psychiatrist, Mavis, as well as Winnette--and find that the defendant's very special appeal makes the hard-won verdict ring true. A wealth of humor and underlying rue distinguish this entertaining novel, developed through alternating viewpoints, and accurately reflecting Southern voices and sensibilities. Ehle ( Last One Home ) has a deft touch, a sure grasp of character and, here, a diverting story. (Sept.)