Death of the Duchess

Kidnapping, murder and treason are at the center of this uneasy hybrid of historical romance and detective story laid in Renaissance Italy. Sad to say, the heavy brocade of historical verisimilitude soon mires the tale's momentum in mere decor while anachronisms destroy the mood (``just for kicks'' and ``jailbird,'' for example). The extremely convoluted plot becomes hard to follow, even in scenes of what should be straightforward action. The central character is Sigismondo, a learned soldier of fortune hired by Ludovico, duke of Rocca, to find the abductor of Lady Cosima di Torre and then the killer of his wife. Sigismondo, a master of disguise, uses his piercing powers of observation and brilliant intellect to trap and kill the plotter, assisted by Cosima's supposed lackwit groom, Benno, whose hygiene is lamentable. Elizabeth Eyre is the pen name of English authors Jill Staynes and Margaret Storey, who also write the Inspector Bone series under the pseudonym Susannah Stacey. (Mar.)